Brand Values

Your brand is what you represent. Even though your logo, product lines, website, and even your digital marketing initiatives may shift over the years, one thing should always stay the same: your brand values.

In a world where people constantly seek connections with their favorite brands, it is essential for companies to offer their customers something they can understand and relate to, which goes well beyond a pretty logo or an awesome website. While external parts of your brand such as your tone and your name can work together to create awareness and connection among your customers, your brand values offer real engagement and steer you towards stronger ties with your intended audience.

To most companies, brand values function as the ” compass ” for market success. No matter how you track your journey towards true brand affinity, your core brand values are fixed and stable.

Sadly, identifying your own definition of brand value can be a challenge. You don’t describe what you hope to achieve or how and why you want to achieve your objectives. Alternatively, your brand value proposition examines how your brand promises to act as long as you continue to serve the sector you choose. It’s a pledge that you simply can not afford to get wrong.

So, how do you identify your brand values, why are they so relevant, and where can you inspire yourself?

What are Brand Values?

To a certain extent, discovering the answers to the questions ” What are the values of your brand? ” means looking at your brand in a comprehensive way. The majority of brands mainly consist of a myriad of ” external ” attributes, including a verbal identity that clarifies your voice, personality, tone, and your visual identity, such as logos, colors, and typefaces.

While these two elements can help to create brand loyalty by developing feelings of familiarity and connection, it is the ” internal ” part of your brand which genuinely transforms your relationships with your consumers. This internal component is your ” brand values, ” which helps guide your purpose and personality.

But without a brand value proposition, you could not hope to separate your company from your rivals and, as we all know, most customers are won by the most memorable brands. Core brand values, together with your refined brand communication strategy, help advance your brand’s ethos and culture, guaranteeing that you connect effectively with your customers.

Although your ideals differ according to your company’s goals, aspirations, and expectations, any definition of brand values should be…

Brand Values Should Be:

  • Memorable: Brand values do not mean much if the things you do and say are not constantly aligned. If you want them to have an impact, your customers and employees must be able to remember your values and beliefs.
  • Unique: This should be glaringly obvious, but your definition of brand values should be a distinctive manifestation of your culture and identity. You shouldn’t just copy and paste values from another company. Look for powerful and admirable companies, but ensure that your core values represent the true DNA of your own company.
  • Actionable: Your brand value proposition should guide the way your company does business, much like your brand promise. Choose Actionable Language when trying to define what truly matters to your company. For example, you shouldn’t just say ” we value integrity. “ Instead, remind your audience that you’re always committed to doing the right thing, and explain how you aim to do it.
  • Meaningful: Empty phrases that look like they are randomly selected from a dictionary will not do anything for your business. If you want your core brand values to match your customers, they must include things for which you are prepared to fight.
  • Clear and defined: Vague and value are two terms which seldom coincide. When you choose the principles on which to build your brand, make sure that it is easy to understand what you stand for. For example, Netflix has a slideshow that describes the meaning of each of its values, while Buffer explains its beliefs through bullet points.
  • Timeless: While companies and consumers may change over time, your brand values should stay strong and consistent. Really the only real reason you should shift your values is if you see some serious reaction from your current code of practice. Otherwise, make your morals something that can twist and evolve with you over the years and ensure that you are consistent.

Defining your own brand values is an opportunity to connect more closely with your customers. It goes far beyond logos and product design and begins to react to your consumers’ thinking and feeling. It is up to companies, after all, to align with their customers –not the other way round.