Brand values mean something when they change what you do. “Integrity” and “innovation” change nothing, because no one would choose the opposite. A useful value names a behaviour, accepts a cost and can be tested against a real decision. If a value never makes you say no to something, it is decoration.
Why generic values fail
Most value lists are interchangeable. They fail three tests:
- The opposite test. Would any business state the opposite? Nobody lists “dishonesty” as a value, so “honesty” tells people nothing.
- The decision test. Can you point to a decision where the value settled the argument?
- The evidence test. Can a customer or employee see it in practice?
Turn each adjective into a behaviour
Take a draft value and ask: what do we do because of this, and what do we refuse to do?
| Generic | Behavioural version | The trade-off it accepts |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | We show our working and price structure before work starts | We lose some proposals to cheaper vague quotes |
| Quality | We do not ship work that fails our checklist, even late | Some deadlines slip |
| Customer focus | We tell customers when they do not need what we sell | We forgo some sales |
| Innovation | We trial new tools on internal work before client work | New tools reach clients more slowly |
The right-hand column is what makes the value credible. A value with no cost is a slogan.
A five-step process
- Gather real examples. List recent decisions where the team disagreed, or a hard call was made, and note what tipped it.
- Find the pattern. Look for the principle behind the good calls. That is a candidate value.
- Write it as a sentence. “We [do this], even when [cost].”
- Add a test question. For example, “Would we be comfortable if the customer saw this decision?”
- Cut to three to five. Fewer values get remembered and used.
Make values usable
- Put them in hiring: ask candidates how they handled a situation where the value applied.
- Put them in reviews: recognise behaviour, not slogans.
- Put them in processes: a checklist item can encode a value more reliably than a poster.
- Put them in marketing only when you can prove them.
Values as public promises
Once you publish a value, customers and regulators can read it as a claim. The ACCC says a business must be able to prove any claim it advertises, and that a claim can mislead even without intent (ACCC). This is most visible with environmental language. The ACCC advises against broad words such as “green”, “eco friendly” and “sustainable”, because they can imply no environmental harm at all. It recommends being specific, backing claims with evidence and not presenting aspirations as achievements (ACCC environmental claims guidance).
The same discipline applies to any value you advertise. “We are ethical” invites scrutiny; “we publish our supplier list” can be checked. This is general information, not legal advice.
Keep values separate from other brand layers
Values are not the tagline, the positioning or the story. They feed them. A story built on origin, problem, promise and proof, as in a brand story framework, gives values somewhere to be demonstrated. Visual and verbal consistency, covered in consistent visual identity across channels, is how values become recognisable. A single strong idea can then carry them into campaigns, as in building a campaign around one creative idea.
Common mistakes
- Copying a competitor’s list.
- Choosing values that describe who you hope to be, not who you are.
- Writing too many.
- Having values that conflict and no rule for which wins.
- Never revisiting them.
A short review test
Every year, take each value and ask: where did it cost us something this year? If there is no answer, rewrite it or drop it.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Studio supports brand films and campaign visuals, and its Growth team supports strategy, so a defined set of values can be translated into consistent communication. Learn more at /about, see /studio, or contact us.
