Brand values are crucial to the success of any organization, but defining them can be challenging when taking individual perspectives, priorities, needs, and attitudes into account. To help you get started, here are some steps your organization can take on how to define brand values:
1. Gather internal and external feedback
To begin the process of defining your brand values, gather feedback from various parties, including leadership, stakeholders, employees, and customers, on your brand perception. Gathering feedback can be as simple as conducting surveys or through more analytical approaches like interviews or social listening, which is the process of analyzing what people are saying about your brand online.
2. Host a brainstorming session
After gathering your feedback, assemble a team to brainstorm a list of brand values that best align with your organization’s mission and identity. Your brainstorming session can take various formats, such as participating in an open discussion or having team members write a list of the top 5 or 10 values that come to mind when thinking of your company’s brand.
3. Spot themes and patterns
Once you’ve created a list of the top brand values, the next step is to pare down the list to the top values that align the strongest. There’s no set number for the amount of brand values to have, but a general rule of thumb is anywhere between five and ten values. During this step, you can identify themes and patterns to narrow your list and finalize your winning values.
4. Define brand values
Now that you’ve created a list of brand values, it’s time to define each value with statements that reflect the essence of each value with language that aligns with your brand’s tone. When defining each brand value, use language that is authentic and memorable to make the biggest impact.
5. Communicate brand values
With your brand values defined, the next step is to communicate them to employees and stakeholders through examples of how those values will guide decision-making. Create a comprehensive communication plan that outlines how to share these values, and make sure to make your values accessible to your audience, such as listing them on your “About Us” page.
6. Integrate brand values
Integrating your brand values into various areas of your business operations is crucial. Areas to integrate your values include the hiring and onboarding process, product development, customer service, and marketing strategies, such as content marketing, and ensuring leadership embodies the brand values daily.
7. Evolve and adapt brand values
Lastly, it’s imperative your values grow with your business. To ensure your brand values hold true to the core of your organization, continually assess them to ensure they grow with customer attitudes and trends. By revisiting your brand guides, you can ensure each value aligns with the current state of your company.
