Core Values

Your core values consist of beliefs that are fundamental to your brand's identity. They are the ethos and essence of your brand to the extent that they dictate your company's culture and behavior. They are the lens through which your company and its compliant employees see and deal with the world. 

Core values should NOT be aspirational, lofty or single ambiguous words. Instead, they should be sufficiently clear to be measurable. Here are some examples of well written core values include: 

• To promote sustainability, promote social responsibility
• To do more with less
• To minimize our impact on the environment
• To respect local cultures 

As mentioned previously when discussing how to build a brand for modern consumers, you must be willing and able to walk the talk. That way, your core values make great yardstick against which you can determine whether your company's actual behavior or other choices are compliant with its desired brand identity. In short, core values are the essence, heart and mind of who your brand is.

Case study: Nike supported Colin Kaepernick, an athlete who bravely kneeled to the US anthem in protest against police brutality and racial injustice in the US. His actions caused much controversy as non-empathizers simply thought him disrespectful while empathizers considered him a hero. The decision to support Mr Kaepernick was consistent with its 'Just Do It' slogan that speaks to taking risks for what one believes in. You either love or hate the brand. While some people burned their shoes, vowing never to buy the brand again, others whose core values are more consistent with his made sales soar. 

CONTENT RELATED TO CORE VALUES

• Branding 101. Establishing core values should be one of the earliest stages of (internal) brand building. 
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