Brand Values

Brand values are the guiding principles of your business and should be incorporated into your culture and interaction with customers. They will help guide your company’s messaging, culture and strategy.

Sincere and unique brand values help set a company apart from the competition and offer insight to both customers and employees into what’s at the heart of a company.
It is important to note that the brand values are not about the product or service you offer, they should provide customers a memorable impression of what the business symbolises rather than describing that it produces products of ‘quality.’

Why should you establish brand values for your company?

1. Attract new customers

The average customer has seven interactions with a brand before they make a purchase (B2B Marketing.net) and are more likely to choose a brand that aligns with their own values. Well-defined brand values help ensure that there is a central message that runs through all those touchpoints.

Strong brand values will differentiate your company from the competition, offering your customers reasons beyond price, quality, or service standards to choose your company.

2. Effective decision making

Defining your business’ brand values will help provide a framework to build on when developing strategy and provide direction in decision making. Operating a values-driven organisation can also assist everyday decisions at all levels of the company and lead to greater consistency and focus. Employees will be more confident to make decisions that are best for the company without having to check with senior management.

3. Attracting and retaining employees

Ensuring that your brand values are at the centre of your job postings can help attract potential employees who share your company’s vision and can influence behaviour when staff are representing your company.

How do you write brand values?

Brand values are a crucial part of a strong brand. They are the core values that your company believes in and stands for. A strong sense of brand values builds morale within your company and increases loyalty to your brand. This can be especially important for eCommerce business and other online businesses that may struggle to create a sense of connection with employees and customers.

Great brand values should:
Be clear and sincere. You should care about the values that your business invests in and be clear about what those values are and where they apply.
Build connections. Ideally, your primary customers will share your values and connect with your brand over them.
Set you apart. Your values should be distinct and help your business to stand out from the crowd.

Here are some examples of brand values that may be relevant to your company:

• Leadership: The courage to shape a better future.
• Collaboration: Leverage collective genius.
• Integrity: Be real
• Accountability: If it is to be, it’s up to me.
• Passion: Committed in heart and mind.
• Diversity: As inclusive as our brands.
• Quality: What we do, we do well.

Four steps for finding your brand value proposition

It’s tempting to think of your brand value proposition as a bragging opportunity, but there’s more to a company’s ideals than a list of powerful words and phrases. Your brand values definition has to mean something if you want to give it power, which means that simply telling people that your company is generous, thoughtful, and environmentally-conscious isn’t enough.

When you ask yourself “What are brand values?” you need to think about what truly matters not only to you, but your co-workers, shareholders, investors, and customers too. The best brand value examples work because they’re reflective of customer ideology, but they still embrace the passions of the business in question.

1.Discover what matters

To start the search for your core brand values, you’ll need to move beyond the preset box full of dime-a-dozen company terms like “reliable”, “trustworthy”, or “friendly”. Those words might sound positive, but they don’t describe what makes your company powerful and unique. If you want your brand values to help you stand out from the crowd, then leave the idealised terms behind, and think about what you’re truly passionate about.

Do you hate thoughtless brands, and want to make sure your company always cares for its customers? Do you love the planet, and want to give something back with environmental measures? Choose ideals that appeal to both your co-workers, and your customers, and start building a community based on them.

2. Know your customers and competitors

As you’re going through your branding process, try to think impartially about the needs and expectations of your customers, while considering the pre-existing solutions that your competition has to offer. You might find that a quick competitor analysis helps you to find a gap in the market, or informs you that you need to re-think your values in order to better differentiate yourself from existing offers.

The most powerful brand values are those that respond to an existing need in the marketplace. Rather than trying to tell your customers that they should feel the same way as you about a particular concept, find out what your customers already believe, and what they want to see from their favourite brands.

3. Stand for something

How would your customers describe you to someone who was planning on using your brand? Would they say that you have exceptional customer service? Would they tell their friends that you have the cheapest products on the market – or the best quality this side of the UK? Find out what your customers already associate with your company, and try to grow your brand values from that.

For instance, if you know your customers appreciate your personalised approach to customer service and email marketing, then make “personalisation and a willingness to go the extra mile” your brand value. Once you’ve established it, fight for it with everything you do. Innovate new ways to customise your customer experience, and advertise your efforts.

4: Stay consistent

As we mentioned above, a brand value proposition is something that should remain the same over time. While your logos, colours, and even your business name could change with time, the principles that you embody need to stay strong if you want the best chance of real brand loyalty.

When constructing your brand values definition, think about how you can simplify what you stand for into a few key words and phrases that can act as guidance points for your business team. The more your workforce understands your values, the more they can ensure that you maintain a consistent company image in everything from your social media posts, to your offline events.