What would you say if we asked you to tell us your personal values?
Most people know what their values are by instinct, even if they’re never really thought about it before. They are a key part of who we are, and have been built, changed and developed over years of life, and are completely unique to you as a person. It’s what matters to you the most and defines you as a person. So much so that many budding relationships have lived or died by how well each person’s values match up.
But could you say the same about your business brand values? After all, your business is unique too and has gone through its own journey and developed its own set of things that matter. And just like a romantic relationship, your customers want to know that your values mirror their own before they buy from you.
What Are Brand Values?
First, let’s go back to basics. A brand value is the core set of guiding principles for your business. They are the foundation of everything you do and should shape everything you do. They form the basis of your company identity and branding, your business’s personality, and even your decision-making processes. For example, if one of your brand values was ‘innovation’, then every new product or service you create would offer something new and unique, or make a stride forward in the world of technology. Brand values also help you determine your USP, and keep your brand unique in a saturated marketplace.
Brand values are often distilled down to one or two words each. These words have been carefully chosen to represent the heart and soul of the company, and communicate that effectively without too much explanation. A few examples of common brand values that we see include:
- Collaboration
- Authenticity
- Honesty
- Accountability
- Diversity
- Sustainability
- Fairness
- Integrity
- Innovation
The list could go on and on. And in fact, it does! This page has some great ideas for brand values if you need some help getting going.
How Do You Define Your Brand Values?
Ready to create your own brand values? Great! The good news is, you probably know a lot of this information already, you just don’t know that it makes up your brand values. By following these 4 steps, you can identify your own brand values and set yourself up for success.
Brainstorm What Matters Most To Your Business
Get everyone who works for your business together, and spend some time brainstorming about your business. This is often a good place to start because it can highlight any patterns in the responses, which would show that your values are very clear, at least internally. Ask each person to write down 5 values they associate with your brand – and make sure you do it too. If needed, as some open-ended questions like ‘what do you think the company stands for?’ to start generating ideas.
Look At The Negatives
Don’t be afraid to confront any negativity during this process too. Look back at some of the bad experiences within your business that you wish you could correct. Areas you want to focus more on, or that you could improve on with a little effort. Being aware of your weaknesses as a business is actually an incredible strength, and using them to create values to uphold for your brand can make your brand all the stronger.
What Are You Currently Doing
What are you currently doing that you’re proud of? What processes or approaches do you have that summarise how your business operates? For example, if you offer next-day delivery and are able to consistently meet this, then your business likely values efficiency and following through on commitments.
Look To The Brands You Love
If you’re still struggling, look further afield for inspiration. Drawing from your personal experience, think about your positive and negative interactions with other brands. What values did they showcase with their actions, and how would that look if applied to your business?
You might want to do this process more than once, perhaps with different groups of people, but ultimately you should end up with a list of 4 or 5 words that define your brand.
What to do when you decided on your brand values
Once you have a set of brand values you’re happy with, there are two important things you should do.
- Share Them
Whether you do that in a series of posts on social media or putting up a page on your website about them, make sure you put them out into the world. This achieves two things. First, it keeps you accountable to them and always reminds you of your brand values. Second, it lets prospective customers know more about who you are and if you match up with their own values.
- Stay Consistent
Your brand values are your foundation; once you’ve defined them, they shouldn’t waver. Everything about your brand, from your actions to your logo and even your language, should reflect those brand values. Consistency is how you build a truly memorable brand, starting with brand values.
At Lion Spirit Media, your brand values are incredibly important to us. They help us design content and campaigns that match your business perfectly and target the right kind of customers for you. If you need a little help defining your brand values or want to know how to work them into your website and content marketing, just get in touch with the team today for your free consultation.
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