Company Core Values: Why Every Brand Needs Them
What are company core values?
Company core values are a moral compass for your business, brand, employees, and audience to attach to. They anchor the most integral parts of the brand’s operations to the experience the brand wants to create.
They seem easy enough to articulate but, when brands sit down to claim their values, they often struggle with how to write their core values.
What is the meaning of core values?
Core values are a tool that a brand uses to build trust throughout the organization.
When put into practice, they can engage a highly coveted community of customers and employees who become free ambassadors for your brand.
5 Reasons Why Your Brand Needs Company Core Values:
- Core values connect your brand to an authentic audience
- They give your team and audience meaningful reasons to show up every day
- Core values keep your focus outward
- Core values keep your brand connected with the greater good
- Core values show that your brand is in business for more than profit
Your audience wants authenticity
Brands will find a loyal and engaged audience when they take the time to build trust by living their values. Current and potential customers are also audience members who hold brands accountable to follow through on the values they claim to uphold.
Still not convinced that company core values matter? ConsumerGoods.com reports that “three-quarters of shoppers reported parting ways with a brand over a conflict in values.”
Give your team reasons to love your brand
If a brand can get its team excited about its core values, there is an excellent chance that its core values will also excite its audience. Your team’s enthusiasm for your brand is an excellent indicator of how your audience will respond to your core values.
Turn your gaze outward
This one is often challenging for brands but here it is: This is not about “you”. Sure, it is “your” business that “you” created, and “your” personal story probably contributes to your brand’s story. But the most successful brands (like Patagonia) know that their core values are in place for the benefit of others.
The greater good
Brands often have to make difficult decisions. Using their core values to hold them accountable to serving the greater ensures that these decisions are thoughtful and have a greater chance of a positive outcome for everyone. This means thinking about the greater good of the business, employees, audience, and consumers.
Hold your brand to a high standard
Trust is earned. This is as true for brands as it is for people.
Consumers know and share so much about brands these days. This knowledge – and the vast number of brands to choose from (in almost every industry!) – entitle consumers to be picky.
Consumers want to connect with your brand, they want to feel a personal connection with it, and they want to trust it. Win that trust by showing them you are after more than their dollars. You can do this by ensuring that your audience knows you take your core values seriously.
Brands that do this well enjoy loads of user-generated content signaling a deep sense of brand trust and loyalty from consumers.
