Creating a brand rooted in values isn’t just about choosing the right copy for your about page and calling it a day. It’s about digging deep and figuring out what your business stands for, beyond making profit. Value-based marketing

This is where you roll up your sleeves and sift through what your business believes in. For example, sustainability, community support, or top-notch customer service.

These should be at the core of your value-based brand. Think of them as the secret sauce that makes your brand stick in the minds of your customers. As well as looking at some great examples of value-based marketing for inspiration, we’ll refresh how to identify values for your brand.

Three Questions to Identify Core Values

First off, let’s get down to brass tacks. Our students tend to overthink their brand values more than we’d like to admit. To put it simply, these are the guiding principles that a company holds dear. If you are looking to identify three values to get started, these three prompts.

Go back to what makes you unique
Think about what drives your business each day. If your company were a person at a party, what five words would they use to describe themselves?

Go back tot the fundamental beliefs or principles you would not compromise on, no matter what.

Whether you want to start by looking at internal values, or you want to think about the mission behind your brand, these beliefs should be the foundation of value-based marketing.

Look at your day-to-day decisions
Consider the decisions you’ve made that felt right, even when they were hard. Can you identify a pattern or a recurring theme in these decisions? This is about connecting the dots between what you say you stand for and what you actually do. For instance, if your finances have a keen focus around giving back to environmental causes, “sustainability” could be a value for you to explore.

Go back to your audience
Listen to the stories your most loyal customers tell about you. What aspects of your business do they highlight when they recommend you to others? Often, your customers will perceive and celebrate your core values even before you pin them down yourself.

Aligning Values with Audience Expectations with Match

Aligning values with audience expectations has got to have the right amount of punch to make it memorable. Your audience has expectations, hopes, and desires, and it’s your job to match your business values with these.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is dive deeper into audience misconceptions, just like Match did. As leaning into the feeling that online dating can be difficult, in 2023 Match launched an out-of-home campaign in the hopes of attracting emotionally mature adults looking to bring the fun and excitement back to dating.

Not only a very clever way to connect their values with their marketing, but also a gentle reminder not to ignore subsets of your audience!

Using Your Audience’s Language with Gymbox’s Made for London Life Campaign

Over at GymBox, they have been rewriting the playbook for a while. Instead of the same old billboards, they used audience needs’ and insights to their own advantage, one again.

In fact, they reached out to Londoners directly, inviting them to pitch in on their next big outdoor ad splash.

Their “Made for London Life” campaign is a nod to the city’s hustle culture, filled with quips that anyone rushing from the Tube to the office, then off to the pub, would crack a smile at.

The idea is to tap into your audience’s language and needs to create marketing that catches the audiences attention.

It’s clever, relatable, and, most of all, it screams London.

Align your Values with Your Audience’s Needs and Voice

There are more than one ways to build a value-based marketing strategy.

Yet, many of our students tend to feel the overwhelm starting at their value, not knowing what to do next.

Start small by talking to your people – employees, customers, your subscribers (maybe just not the mailman). Gather all the intel you can get your hands on.

1. If there were one cause you could champion through your choices, which would it be?

• This question invites your audience to share their passion for a cause close to their heart. Understanding which issues resonate with them can help you align your brand’s activities and communications to these causes, fostering a deeper connection and demonstrating shared values.

1. What’s the one thing that really needs to ‘click’ for you to decide to make a purchase?

• Here, you’re asking your customers to pinpoint that crucial factor or deal-breaker that leads them to commit to a purchase. This insight allows you to tailor your offerings and marketing messages to trigger this ‘click,’ enhancing conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

1. What’s a common myth about our industry or our work that you think needs busting?

• This question encourages customers to voice any misconceptions or incorrect assumptions they encounter related to your field. Addressing these myths not only clarifies your brand’s position but also establishes your authority and trustworthiness by correcting widespread misunderstandings.

Marketing at Moments of Change with Hertility

Hertility’s 2023 campaign was a powerful one: “Stop asking people when they are going to have children.”

In a world where such questions are often seen as small talk, Hertility reminded us of the deeper, sometimes painful, stories behind these conversations.

This campaign is a brilliant example of addressing a sensitive topic head-on, yet with great empathy.

By highlighting the statistic – 1 in 7 heterosexual couples in the UK facing fertility issues – Hertility blended audience’s needs and understanding with trigger events to build a culture of respect and understanding.

It’s a nudge for us marketers to identify our audience’s triggers and how they fit with our brand values.

How to User Trigger Events to Build Consumer Insights

The best way to explain trigger events is to think about them as moments that make your potential clients sit up and say, “Hey, that’s exactly what I need!”

When you nail delivering value right when it’s most relevant, you create an emotional connection that’s stronger than just liking a product. It’s about being there at the right time, offering a functional value that solves a problem so perfectly, it’s like you read their mind.

These are some of the ways your audience may experience trigger events:

• Think of an event or trend in recent times that changed your audience’s perception or engagement with your industry
• Identify shifts in your lifestyle or priorities that have influenced how your audience interacts with your industry

For existing customers, these trigger events can be a golden opportunity to boost customer satisfaction and remind them why they chose you in the first place. Whether it’s through personalised offers or content that speaks directly to their needs, making them feel understood can turn a happy customer into a loyal advocate.

And let’s be real, who doesn’t want a squad of satisfied customers singing their praises from the rooftops?

Value-Aligned Partnerships with Dove

Consistency across touch-points is like ensuring every piece of a puzzle fits perfectly – it’s essential for a seamless picture of your brand. From the moment someone hears about you to the after-sales service they receive, your values should be loud and clear.

It’s like leaving bread crumbs for your customers to follow. In fact, each crumb reinforces who you are and what you stand for. Yes, repetition is the mother of skills – something our students hear a lot.

The trick is in the details. Whether it’s the tone of your emails, the ethos of your customer service, or the sustainability of your packaging, every interaction is an opportunity to showcase your values.

In 2023 Dove has partnered with LinkedIn to create more inclusive and equitable spaces for Black hair in the workplace – reinforcing and celebrating that Black hair IS professional.

The CROWN Act, was a law put in place to end discrimination based on hair texture and hair styles to limit companies or education systems from mistreating individuals based on usual Black hairstyles such as braids, locs, bantu knots or twists.

Despite this the CROWN Act, the New CROWN 2023 Workplace Research Study highlights that Black women’s hairstyles are unfairly seen two and half times more unprofessional by employers.

Additionally, in America Black women are 54% more likely to feel like they have to wear their hair straight to a job interview to be successful. Additionally, two thirds of Black women change their hair for a job interview.

To bring awareness to the issue, LinkedIn and Dove began their social campaign with #BlackHairIsProfessional, along side photography showing traditional Black hairstyles in contrast with hairstyles Black women adapt their hair to be deemed more ‘professional’.

“While talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not. Cultural identifiers, like hair, are not determining factors for someone’s skills or experience, and no one should be denied employment opportunities or professional advancement because of their hair”.

Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at LinkedIn, Rosanna Durruthy

Build Partnerships with Values in Mind

Whether it’s through social media, your website, or your packaging, your values should shine brightly.

You can’t just talk the talk. You have to walk the walk. Every interaction, every advert, event partnerships need to echo your values. It’s about consistency – showing your audience that your values aren’t just for show.

They’re the real deal. It’s this kind of authenticity that builds trust and loyalty. When people see that your brand lives up to its promises, they’ll stick tighter than glue. And in today’s fast-paced world, that’s a big deal.

CoorDown’s Assume That I Can Campaign

In 2024, CoorDown stepped up for World Down Syndrome Day with their campaign ‘Assume That I Can’, urging us all to ditch the stereotypes and see the real potential in folks with Down syndrome.

This is a GREAT example of the power of challenging the norms and bringing your values at the forefront using key calendar events. This campaign hits home by telling it like it is, using real-life stories to break down prejudices and build up understanding.

They’re spreading the word via TikTok and other socials, proving that even the tough topics can catch on if shared with heart and honesty.

Bringing Your Values to the Forefront During Key Calendar Events

Highlighting your brand’s core values during key calendar events is a chance to reiterate and reinforce your values with your audience.

For example, if environmental stewardship is at the heart of your brand, Earth Day is the perfect occasion to showcase your sustainability efforts and initiatives.

Always approach these events with a ‘values-first’ mindset. This means every campaign or event should stem from your core values, ensuring that your actions are consistent with the ethical standards you’ve set.

For example, aligning with cultural and social causes during months like Pride or Black History Month should go beyond ticking a box. It must be a thoughtful expression of your ongoing commitment to these values. What are you doing to support these causes when nobody is watching?

This approach ensures that your involvement is authentic and impactful, not just opportunistic.

Making Value-Based Marketing Work for You

Diving into value-based marketing should be a commitment to weaving your core values into every aspect of your brand’s story. This means not just flashing your values during high-profile campaigns but living them in every message, every interaction, and every decision—big or small.

It’s about ensuring that these principles are not just there for the headline, but a genuine, integral part of your operations.

True commitment to your values happens behind the scenes, away from the applause, where it’s about integrity, not just image.

Let your values be the steady pulse of your brand, resonating deeply with those who share them, and watch your brand not only grow but thrive with genuine respect and loyalty.

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