Brand values are an essential part of modern business, dictating everything from a company’s culture to its products and markets. Particularly amongst millennial audiences, brands with diverse, socially-led values are more likely to develop trusting, repeat custom. Yet, even in this conscious age, a mere 46% of consumers will go out of their way to research brand values that aren’t otherwise openly available.
Admittedly, even this doesn’t render brand values null and void. They’ll still impact your business bottom line whether consumers know the ins and outs or not. But, modern consumers also appreciate forward-thinking brands who aren’t afraid to shout about the issues they hold dear. And, in doing so, you could buy yourself easier access to the 82% of consumers who are willing to pay more for value-aligned brands.
Still, it’s easy to feel shy about shouting too loudly about values in a world where, until recently, companies typically toed the line. And, it’s still true that becoming too militant in your values can alienate audiences and result in reputational storms. But there are a few reliable ways to get your brand’s values across to the people most likely to respond. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Implement Values Company-Wide
Ultimately, the best way to reveal your company values is to simply keep them consistent in everything you do. This is a great example of the adage ‘show don’t tell’, and is a fantastic way to align your values without overwhelming your audience using excessive messaging.
To achieve this goal, be sure to include detailed breakdowns of your company values within brand guidelines that are accessible to all employees. This ensures consistent, value-led messaging that will chime in the right ways with people who share those same values.
If you’re worried about tackling controversial issues like climate change, this can be an especially great way to broach the subject. After all, you won’t need to shout loud about statistics and facts if you’ve included the need to mention product-specific sustainability in some sense throughout things like your website copy and social presence.
Include Core Values On Your Website
Subtlety may have its place here, but if you’re appealing to younger, conscious audiences, you could also benefit from being a little more upfront. And, placing your values visibly on your website is a great way to do that.
The extent to which you make this point work is entirely down to you. Many companies, especially those with a specific foot in public issues, will have a dedicated brand values page on their site. If you’re doing this, a clear, concise statement or small paragraph should outline things like your brand’s personal journey and investment into those values, as well as steps you consistently take to align with them.
By comparison, some brands prefer to take a less upfront approach, and instead incorporate values into their website via things like a value-led blog, or a small paragraph regarding production values and outlooks at the end of any product descriptions.
Build Value-Led Social Networks
Consumers have largely come to expect some value-led activity on a brand’s social media pages. By building networks that are largely founded on your core values, you can send great messages to a conscious audience. Sharing and interacting with value-led content is particularly effective, and could lead to new audiences, vital network contacts, and even brand-new projects.
The key here is to fact-check any content before sharing and to make sure you’re creating networks with trusted brands that fully integrate their values. In particular, you want to be sure of even a brand’s supplier links before sharing their content. Otherwise, you face falling on your sword if a company that’s, say, championing climate consciousness, is found to have ties with a third-party company linked to oil production.
Once you’ve vetted and checked every source, these social networks can provide you with quick, community-led content and likes. All of which bring your brand messaging home in the best ways.
Consider Your Physical Presence
Ultimately, your values shouldn’t begin and end online. As mentioned in our first point, they should be company-wide, and that includes considering your brand’s physical presence. After all, if you’re online sharing information about climate responsibility, you could soon face reputational damage if someone shares pictures of, say, overflowing plastic bin bags from your physical office.
It’s possible to place values at the forefront of your in-person presence in a few different ways. For example, if you champion diverse opportunities, hiring diversely, and providing the best possible opportunities for minority groups, is vital. Equally, if you put climate considerations at your forefront, streamlining your production processes, or ensuring responsible and regular waste disposal from a waste management company like those listed in the CurbWaste network matters a great deal. Even something as simple as aligning your business office with things like regenerated outside spaces and greenery indoors can help to show that you practice what you preach.
Choose Reflective Collaborations
These days, many brands earn as much as 28% of their total revenue through partnerships, which could include brand collaborations or work with influencers. In both instances, these pairings provide the ideal way to reveal a little about your brand values or to show that you’re actively putting known values to work.
The main thing is to choose collaborations that always reflect the message you want to put out into the world. For instance, choosing to work with a brand that prioritizes organic materials and sustainable practices sends a clear eco-driven message. Equally, working with influences known for their work in advocating equality can help to set yourself apart in that sense.
The main thing here is to do your research and say no to collaborations that don’t feel like a good fit. After all, as much as the ‘right’ collaborations can get your message across, incompatible pairings could lead to questions about your values, and even reputational damage you may struggle to come back from.
Begin Community Initiatives
Community initiatives can be an invaluable way for brands to give back, and to win over new audiences as they do. In recent years, regeneration initiatives like living billboards have especially put brands at the forefront of pressing issues and their solutions.
Other community initiatives could include things like support to local charities, generous donations of products or funds, and even things like open days and activity courses for local families. In each instance, brands can both draw audiences in and let those audiences know right away what they stand for.
These initiatives also benefit from being an active step towards improvements, rather than just noise on a screen. And that’ll always be the best way to build business credibility and let everyone know what your brand values at its core.
Conclusion
Modern consumers are increasingly searching for brands that align with their values. They’re also willing to pay more and repeat their custom far more regularly when they find a company that fits.
To benefit from this audience shift, brands not only need to develop concise, relevant values, but they also need to learn how to shout about them in ways that appeal to their audience base. Only then can consumers truly know what you stand for, and whether that works for them.
Luckily, there are now countless ways to express brand values to receptive audiences, without necessarily needing to shove your message down people’s throats. Simply take a step back, consider what matters most to your company, and ask yourself whether any of these techniques would get the message across.