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Whether we’ve purposefully defined them or not, we all make decisions based on our value-system. We all hold hundreds of values that underpin our behaviour, and honing in on our core 3-5 can help us attract our ideal customers, partners and team members.
Like attracts like. When you have absolute clarity on what your brand values are and you and your teams operate in alignment with them, you can create a magnetism to your brand.
Brand values declare who you are, what you’ll take a stand on and how you’ll hold yourself accountable. They also help differentiate you from your competition and can help define your visual identity and tone of voice, through the psychology of good design and linguistics.
As business owners, we are often led by our heads. But, when defining our values, we need to dive into our hearts. We feel our way through it rather than over-thinking, analysing and logically debating it with ourselves. This is where the right brain leads in terms of creativity and intuition, because you eventually want your brand to evoke the same feelings and emotions in your audiences.
Consider your values as an individual. Consider your family’s values. Which ones do you feel strongly about? In most cases, they will be fairly similar.
Most importantly, they’re unlikely to be things that don’t change over time. For example, if caring for people matters to you, you may have a business value such as ‘human-centred’ or ‘better together’. You’re unlikely to wake up one day and no longer care about people – it’s a constant that you’ll take through life and business.
In branding and marketing, consistency is key. Your values help you remain consistent over time, even as the marketing changes and your business evolves. These are the things you’ll stay steadfast on and this is one way you can build understanding, connection and loyalty over time with all your internal and external peeps.
If you would like to learn more about how Marijke helps small businesses deliver marketing strategies and tactics that drive profit, while purposefully impacting those around you, please visit www.themarketingcollective.co.nz.