What are brand values and why do they matter?

Brand values are more than just words on a page.

They are the DNA of your business – the underlying beliefs that inform every decision, interaction and strategy. 

Think of them as your business’s north star. Your brand values should be the moral compass which drives everything you do. They should guide and give purpose beyond the bottom line. 

Because consumers are more informed than ever before. These values matter to your customers. So they should matter to you! 

Company Culture

It all starts with company culture and two particularly important principles. Transparency and accountability. 

These should be the foundations of any positive company culture. We need only look to a company like Boeing – a business that built a stellar reputation for quality and how far its brand perception has fallen, because of a lack of transparency and accountability within its organisational structure. 

Without transparency and accountability, your audiences will undoubtedly notice the gaping hole in your core values.

Lack of trust internally, quickly becomes visible externally. This translates into a lack of trust between business and customer, which then has a myriad of negative impacts. 

Again, look at Boeing. Internal values in decline, lead to a decrease in quality and productivity. Which leads to a string of incredibly high-profile incidents and catastrophes. A vicious cycle is formed, where consumer trust falls and keeps falling as a business is seemingly incapable or unwilling to learn from the error of its ways. 

Negative culture seeps outwards… and sooner or later, it will impact your bottom line. 

Core Brand Values

Brand values and organisational values may seem esoteric and hard to grasp. But they are fundementally the same. 

Company values, core beliefs and brand identity, are all intertwined with one thing… brand purpose.

This is communicated, primarily, through your mission and vision. The fundamental beliefs of your business, why it exists and what it stands for. 

You need to have this purpose in place. 

You need to have your mission and your vision clear and present for all to see. Think of it as a first impression, when people look at this, they should know in a nutshell what your company’s values are. They should get an immediate sense of what your business is all about.

What your company stands for is critical. Because this is then woven through everything that you do. 

Brand Values Matter… and this is why 

Customers are overwhelmed with choices. Products may be the same, so it’s the brand values that set you apart from the crowd. In a competitive landscape, you need to be the reason why customers choose you, over others. 

That’s why your brand values matter. So how can you make the most of them? 

Making Brand Values Your Secret Weapon 

People don’t just buy products anymore.

They buy into narratives and beliefs. Strong brand values create emotional connections that can turn lurkers and potential customers into full-blown evangelists. 

If you’re asking yourself, how does this have real-world impact, this is how keeping your brand authentic to its core brand values 

• Trust Building: trust is the most precious commodity in business. It’s hard-earned and easily lost. 
• Employee retention: a positive culture yields positive results. In an open and meritocratic organisation, where people feel involved and engaged, teams will feel bought into those core brand values. Making teams feel like part of something bigger is a special thing. Remember the famous Richard Branson Line “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
• Customer loyalty: if you create an endearing and authentic brand, then you’re more likely to endear your audience, than by having a vacuum where your core values ought to be. There’s also a second strand to this, and J.W Marriot said it best, “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your customers.” 

4 Steps to Crafting Your Brand Values 

1. Get Your Team Involved: values aren’t created in a vacuum
2. Be Real: don’t just pick what sounds good, or what you think people want to hear.
3. Make Things Actionable: your values should inform real decisions, how can you act on these values and ultimately do good? Don’t think in platitudes, think in practical applications. 
4. Be Consistent: you need to live your values in every interaction. Every social post, every customer interaction and every message you create needs to live and breathe your values.

A Quick word of Warning

Brand values aren’t a one-and-done exercise. 

Think of them as a living and breathing organism. They’re part of your whole organisational structure. Times change… and so should you. 

Environmental causes are now dear to the hearts of many decision-making consumers. So they actively seek out businesses which do good in this area. 

2025 and Beyond 

More than 50 years on, the notion of socially conscious core brand values is still strong.

In 2025 and beyond, the trend of greater focus on brand will continue as audiences not only expect but demand, greater environmental and social alignment with business practices. 

During 2025 the trends that are driving more focus on brand values will continue; audiences will expect more environmental and social action and will be able to see if a business’s public-facing content and brand values are not aligned.

They’re a living breathing part of your business that requires ongoing nurturing and commitment.

So. Simple. That. Done._brand values aren’t a nice to have – they’re a must-have. 

They’re the difference between being a business and being a brand.

If you’d like to find out more about the role of brand values and why brand-building is a non-negotiable in 2025 then you can download our Insight Report here: https://www.ambitiouspr.co.uk/our-insight/