2023 is here! Is your New Year's resolution to get your brand on the right track? Do you need help figuring out where to start? It can be tricky to jump right in. But, an excellent place to start moving in the right direction is with your brand’s core values.
This blog reviews core values, how to use them in your marketing, and how they can help your brand remain authentic.
Core Values are the beliefs and guiding principles that help a brand function together as a team and work towards one or more common business goals. Core values are what your brand relies on to keep employees aligned with your philosophy and serve customers, other employees, and your community in a positive way.
Typically, it’s easy to find a brand's core values. If they have an office, you’ll often see their values in big letters on the wall, plaques, and other materials throughout the office. Or, even if they’re remote (like us!), you’ll find it stated on their website. Overall, core values are what your brand should rely on to keep the company’s beliefs and values aligned across your business.
If you’ve been following us for some time, you’ve probably heard us talk about “The Brand3 Way.” The Brand3 Way aligns brand, marketing, and customer experience into a solid strategic plan. Core values should feed into these three categories. With reliable marketing, brand, and customer experience planned out, you’ll notice that your brand’s core values tend to align with the plan you have in place.
When you have strong values, those values will suit other aspects of your business. For example, if one of your core values is honesty, you’re likely to do business with customers in a transparent and trustworthy manner. Or, if one of your core values is integrity, you’re likely to show solid ethics and uprightness in your work.
Brand authenticity is crucial, especially in 2023. Now more than ever, customers look for authenticity in the brands they decide to work with or shop with. An authentic and honest brand is what people prefer when compared to brands that come off as disingenuous or misleading.
So, how do core values tie into brand authenticity? Being an authentic brand starts with your core values. Your brand’s values make up the outline of what you should stay true to. Suppose you’re a brand that values the environment, like Patagonia. In that case, it’s going to seem misleading if you start using harmful chemicals in your products or packaging that hurts the planet.
Overall, customers appreciate an authentic brand. If your brand’s messaging and marketing components speak to those core values, you don’t have to worry about being disingenuous.
Stay true to your core values, and you will have no problems dealing with inauthenticity.
Does your brand need some help establishing core values? Or maybe you have values put into place but don’t know how to align them with your marketing? We’re here to help. Schedule a call with us today.
