MODERN BRANDS
When you look at the kind of values Thomas Watson talks about and building a Brand the relationship between them is really quite straightforward .
Your Brand is a result of the promises the organisation makes and keeps . Those promises are shaped and directed by the values , so your Brand is shaped by your values . And like values , Brand can ’ t be created . They must both be authentically held - if they aren ’ t , the cost is loss of credibility both inside the organisation and out in the marketplace .
Brand and values are also both delivered by the employees of the company ( or not ). Got a perception issue ? Take a look at what you are promising versus what is being provided , there will almost certainly be a gap .
One of the most common errors I see organisations make is framing their values around the usual suspects . You know them well - integrity ; trust ; teamwork ; innovation ; honesty ; quality ; and on and on . And hot on the heels of the usual suspects is the allure of the aspirational value - something you ’ d like to try to become and sounds great , but don ’ t currently hold , can be hard to resist .
Both approaches are almost guaranteed to generate a set of values that have little relationship to what the organisation actually cares about and does .
So next time values come up for discussion try this question - which of them would be nonnegotiable ? Which are the things that you wouldn ’ t trade on no matter what , that you would continue to hold even if they were a competitive disadvantage ?
Anything that doesn ’ t make the cut just isn ’ t a value . A principle of the business maybe . Something useful for the stage and environment of the business as it stands , probably . But not a value .
Unless they are non-negotiable the business won ’ t care enough about them to align around them and deliver them consistently . And without that , there is no way for a strong brand to follow .
Here are some value sets that avoid the usual suspects and structure :
• Atlassian - What we value
• Zappos - Code of Conduct
• Patagonia - Our Reason for Being
• Gore ( makers of Gore Tex ) - Our Culture
• Google - The things we know to be true
So when you think about your Brand add your values to the mix but keep in mind that your values are your values . Their truth shows up in your actions and decisions and the promises you keep more clearly than in any written statement . And yes , your values and your brand have everything to do with each other .
Michel Hogan is an Independent Brand Avocate dedicated to helping organisations make promises they can keep and keep the promises they make – with a strong , resilient organisation as the result . She also publishes a blog at michelhogan . com . You can follow Michel on Twitter @ michelhogan .
September 2016 ModernBusiness 59