Meaningful values create better brands
There comes a point in any brand’s journey where you should reconsider and re-energise your values. Or if you don’t have any yet, you should start the process. Values are fundamental to any brand and for us, 2022 was the time to revisit our DAIS values and think ahead to who we want to be.
Why should you revisit your values?
You can become conditioned to accepting your values to the point where they stop challenging you to achieve more, to be better. You can become too comfortable with them, and they no longer push you to where you want to be.
It is so important to activate your values. Over time you can become too comfortable with your values and don’t dig in to work out what it is that you’re trying to say, you might miss a deeper, more engaging back story. Pushing beyond merely the statement and looking at the meaning and intent behind values will drive better performance for your brand.
What makes a great value?
The key to a great value is that it should hold you to a measure, to a standard of performance. It should be persuasive, dynamic and engaging, while holding you to account for what you want to achieve. A great value should stop you, hold your attention and prompt you to think twice. You should feel the fear of failing it. If you care if you fail at that standard, you and your team are more likely to work harder to champion it, achieve it and enliven it every day.
How many values are too many?
We are not built to remember too many things all at once and some people have so many values that they feel more like items on a shopping list than points on compass. Having too many values can make it too heavy for your brand and team to carry, to remember and to follow.
How to simplify your values
- Join the ones that feel the same or are trying to communicate the same thing.
- Look beyond the word or statement to understand what you’re really trying to say. Find the idea behind the words and name the idea.
- A value should define what you believe in and open an opportunity to share your story.
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We refreshed our values
We came from a world where very slowly our brand ethics, originally deployed as a communications benchmarking tool, were naturally adopted as our values.
Our brand ethics:
We create
We are fresh
We will inspire
So, we looked beyond them to ask what were we saying? How can we challenge ourselves every day to achieve it? We discussed what we hold important both individually and as a team, and how we saw this manifest in our work environment and culture. Then we came up with three new values that challenge us, set a standard and gave us new energy.
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Our values
Beyond Hearing
To achieve freshness, we have to listen beyond what is said to the essence of what is being communicated. How can we listen to every story we hear and look for the idea that’s hidden in what we’ve heard?
Watertight Excellence
We don’t stop until we have looked at every angle and every facet, until we can deliver with watertight excellence. When we do this, we are really creating something excellent, where our clients connect with our creative idea and really value what we have helped them discover. When we all know we have nailed it together, it helps us feel like we have really created something seriously excellent.
Resolute Positivity
We will only ever succeed if we believe there is a solution. We won’t give up until we have found that one thing that is the answer. In the face of change, we choose to see opportunity, we show empathy and care; we make it easy and we make it happen. There’s always a way.
None of these values would be possible if our team were not aligned and all in to achieving them together. Our new values have created new energy, refreshed direction and connection in our team to achieve more together.
Make this year the one where you create values that truly drive culture and performance in your business.
We are experts in building employer brand and team culture strategies that can help you connect with your stakeholders and achieve your business goals. Connect with us today to learn how we can help your business.
