Values are important because they influence beliefs. Beliefs are important because they influence our behaviour. Whether you like it or not branding tries to influence behaviour – buy more, recommend more, go somewhere, etc. The list goes on. So in that respect branding is potentially something of a dark art.
If we reverse this causal relationship a powerful insight emerges. To influence behaviour you need to influence key stakeholders’ values.
It’s no mean feat to influence values so via careful stakeholder profiling you can assess the extent to which your brand values align with these groups. The logic being increased alignment enhances brand relevance and so too the chance of your values resonating with key stakeholders.
Bob Marley said ‘birds of a feather flock together’. The same can be said for values. This is why aligned brand and stakeholder values are so important when it comes to brand strategy.