FortyTwo Studio – Brand Values = real value when it counts

Clarifying your organisation’s brand values is an important step towards stronger coherence of your ambitions and making sure your comms and messaging properly reflect your beliefs, ambitions and culture - rather than scrambling to toe the line of what you put out there in the first place (it happens).

Indeed, ensuring that the tail doesn’t wag the dog has never been more important – but as we navigate a wide array of well-meaning advice surrounding COVID-19 it’s worth reinforcing that establishing and adhering to these values will always be reliable, no matter the circumstances.

While looking to the future and finding ‘new normals’ in our life and work, this is a tried and tested fundamental for organisations to work towards...

Ultimately, it’s about clarity – in good times and bad – and your market and talent pool needs to see that you have a foot firmly planted in what you believe in as an organisation/business. Your brand values form the bedrock of all strategies, campaigns, launches and developments - a stable base on which to build and a guiding hand at the tiller (to mix a couple of classic metaphors for a moment).

If they’re formed in consultation with the right people, thought out pragmatically and implemented at every layer of your team, they’ll see you through major staff changes, unpredictable markets, comms challenges and expansion opportunities.

Speaking of your team(s), another significant advantage that strong, well-defined values brings is internal confidence. Rarely in recent memory has there been a more important time for your internal stakeholders to be confident and sure footed about your strategy, direction and resilience.

Clear brand values ensure this by connecting the day-to-day work and culture of the organisation with your ongoing plans for change. If people recognise themselves, their work and their roles in how the core mission is laid out, then their commitment and sense of personal value will be bolstered - ideal conditions for team-players, brilliant minds and dedicated people to really thrive.

As organisations, we often talk about how important it is to value and nurture people’s abilities - but it’s equally important to demonstrate their value in how the organisation approaches strategy and expresses its identity.

With the above in place, you’re much better equipped to embark on breaking new business ground, diversifying your operations or even making a dramatic pivot to an area that you believe holds key successes in future. It’s a case of ‘staying ready so you don’t have to get ready’ - not always easy or possible, but these steadying values are a huge step towards being primed and responsive when opportunity knocks..

The situation may arise that your direction change necessitates further revision or even expansion of your organisational values - but in this scenario your solid core set will be the perfect platform to do this confidently and with clear vision.