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What does your brand stand for? by Guy Richards

There’s a lot of talk about having brand values. What are they and why they are important.

There are many benefits to having a strong brand; but where does that brand come from and how is it developed?

Everything that exists begins as a vision in the mind and heart of its creator. We build many things in our lifetime, including homes, careers, and families. We have hopes and expectations for the long term outcomes of those things, and we have hopes and expectations for the success of the businesses we build.

Even though there are similar businesses in similar market segments, no two businesses can or should be alike. A baby is made from a mix of DNA, she receives from not just her parents but from all of her ancestors. A business grows from a base of the core values of its owner and all the people who’ve contributed over time to make the owner who she is today.

But few owners or leaders take their values into consideration when building their business. They feel compelled to put some type of vision, mission, and values down because the business books tell them they should. So they pick words and phrases that come out of a book, without really taking time to consider if those things are right for them and right for what they’re trying to build. Words and phrases like: customer-centric, empowered employees, innovative, and risk taking pepper countless business plans everywhere.

There are two big problems with using those or any other words, in your key business philosophy. First, each of us defines words slightly differently based on our experiences and education, this leads your staff and customers to have a slightly different set of expectations on how the company should live up to those values. Which leads to the second problem. People expect you to live up to them.

Therein lies the purpose of a business’s – and its brand’s – values. They are supposed to exist to guide the behavior and decision making of leaders and staff. They create expectations in the minds of employees and consumers. The leadership and the staff must live up to those values and live out those values every single day, in every single customer interaction, and in every single internal interaction. That’s right. The brand values also govern interactions between those inside the business.

Here’s where the problems begin for many businesses, just like they do for people.

When you say “Nothing’s more important than my health,” then regularly eat junk food, don’t exercise, and engage in dangerous behaviors, your actions are telling everyone that you don’t really believe what you say you believe.

It’s in those moments when a decision must be made that values appear. The more you wrestle with a decision, the more your values are in question. And a business is made up of people and holds the values of the people in power.

If you have the opportunity to take on a new client that could bring in a lot of money but you don’t feel the client is particularly ethical, or the contract would involve a great deal of travel and you say your family is important to you, those are moments when you’ll be choosing between two things you value and the one you value most will win.

Business owners and decision makers face these choices every day.

So, what do you value and how are those values demonstrated in your business and in your work?

In our next issue of BrandReturn Newsletter, we’ll share some additional ideas on identifying whether or not your company values are in line with the actions you and your staff take.

Your next step: Take some time to reflect on what you want to be known for and what you want your business to be known for. Make a list of those things. Compare them to your existing business values. Do your day-to-day actions support the things you’ve listed? If you have a staff, ask them to take an anonymous survey to identify when your actions are out of alignment with your stated values. Use a free or low-cost internet based tool like surveymonkey.com that will allow people to complete the survey anonymously

Stumped on how to take your service and your business to the next level? We’d love to discuss how we can help you do that. Drop us a note to start the conversation.

About Abiah Designs
Abiah Designs is a brand strategy / full-service marketing firm whose unique, proprietary research process creates and revitalizes brands that resonate with their target markets, leads to increased brand awareness, develops strong customer loyalty and improved market share. Visit our website (www.abiahdesigns.com or blog www.brandreturn.com) to view our portfolio, read our case studies, and begin to imagine how we can help you.

To grow your brand call 609 653 2233.