As a brand designer, one of the most important parts of my job is helping clients determine their brand values. But what exactly are they? Brand values are the guiding principles that shape a brand’s identity and create a unique connection with its target audience. By understanding their own values, businesses can create a strong identity that not only resonates with their audience, but also sets them apart from the competition. To help get you started, below are five discovery questions I use with my own clients to help them determine their brand values. Whether you’re just starting out or are an established business, these questions will help you uncover the heart of your business and provide direction for your branding.
1. Why were you motivated to start your business?
The first question I always ask my clients is about what motivated them to start their business in the first place. I like asking this question to help clients identify the core values that inspired them to start their business – whether it was a passion for helping others, a desire to create something new and innovative, or a personal experience that inspired them. Understanding this motivation is critical when creating a brand that resonates with your audience.
For example, if you start a skincare company, you may desire to help people feel confident and beautiful in their own skin! In this case, we could focus one of their brand values on helping customers feel empowered, which would help guide the brand’s messaging and identity.
2. What makes you different than your competitors? Why should someone come to you instead?
We’re all aware of how the business marketplace is expanding more and more each day, so it’s more important now than ever to make sure you’re standing out from the crowd. That’s why I always make sure to ask my clients about their unique selling proposition (USP) – AKA: what makes you special? By asking themselves this question, my clients can identify what sets them apart from their competitors and why someone should choose to work with them instead.
In order to create brand values that people will resonate with and remember, you need to determine how you provide unique value to your clients or customers. Analyze your industry and businesses that offer similar services or products to you. How are you different? How are you a better fit for your target audience? Asking yourself these questions helps uncover your unique selling proposition, which you can use to develop your brand values.
3. What problems is your ideal client / customer facing, and how do you solve them?
Understanding the problems your target audience is facing is one of the best ways to make sure your brand values speak to them. After all, how will you know what values would be important to them if you don’t know what they need help with? If your target audience, for example, are people who are busy business owners who are tired of trying to DIY their own branding and website, then they are more than likely seeking a designer who is knowledgeable, professional, and focused on creating a seamless and stress-free customer experience. If I know how to determine their specific needs and desires, then I’ll be able to craft my brand values accordingly.
I include this question to help clients understand the needs and frustrations of their ideal clients and how they can help address these issues. By understanding these needs, you can then tailor your brand values to meet the needs of your target audience.
4. What are they risking if they don’t work with you?
As important as it is to determine how you solve your client’s problems, it’s arguably just as important to figure out what risks they face if you don’t help them. By articulating their pain points, you gain an understanding of why the client chose to seek out your services. But to deliver a true solution, you need to go beyond the problem and really get to the heart of their struggles. Ask yourself – what will they have to struggle with if I don’t solve their problem? If you were a fitness and wellness coach, for example, your client might face long-term health issues or general unhappiness if they don’t come to you for help.
By understanding the full picture of their frustrations and what they face if they aren’t solved by you, you are able to communicate your solutions through your brand’s values.
5. How do you want clients / customers to feel when they work with / buy from you?
If you’re trying to determine your business’s brand values, you need to consider how you want your audience to feel when they encounter your brand. Do you want them to feel relieved? Excited? Empowered? By asking yourself how you want your audience to feel, you’re able to get to the core of your business’s values and what’s important to you. Why do you want your audience to feel empowered? Is it because you focus on offering solutions so that people can be confident in their own bodies? Focusing on the emotional aspect of working with you is a great way to uncover what you value as a business.
All in all
At the end of the day, all want our branding strategies to be successful – and it starts with a clear understanding of your business’s values. Using the five discovery questions above will help you uncover the unique values that will be the foundation of your branding. In turn, you’ll be able to create a messaging strategy that perfectly resonates with your clients and their customers.
It’s also important to remember that brand values are not static, but rather, you can adapt and change them over time as you learn more about your target audience, the market, and even yourself. As your business grows and matures, so should your brand values. So make sure to keep revisiting them so that they always accurately reflect where your business is at that stage.
Although I have shared these 5 questions to help you uncover core brand values, don’t be afraid to ask more specific questions and discover even more! You’ll be amazed at how much a deep dive into the brand values can benefit you and your business’s success.
Ps. If you want more tips on how to create an effective brand this year, head on over to this post!
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