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Marketing Canvas - Values
Your values are the translation of your purpose into key behaviors. Most of the commercial activities are delivered through behaviors (from people or from systems). When developing your marketing strategy, you should have Brand values that are fully amplifying your Brand Purpose. It will help your organization to translate your beliefs into action.
Last update: 25/12/2024
In a nutshell
The Values sub-dimension of the Marketing Canvas represents the core principles that define your brand’s identity and guide its actions. Brand values influence every decision, shaping how a brand interacts with customers, stakeholders, and society. Strong, clearly defined values help differentiate the brand from competitors, foster customer loyalty, and ensure consistency in behavior and messaging.
For example, a company like Green Clean might adopt values such as sustainability, transparency, and health. These values not only reflect the brand’s commitment to its mission but also resonate deeply with its eco-conscious customers.
Introduction
The Values sub-dimension in the Marketing Canvas plays a critical role in establishing a brand’s identity and aligning it with its purpose, positioning, and customer expectations. Brand values articulate what the brand stands for, serving as a compass for decision-making and a foundation for building trust and loyalty.
Values are not just words on a page—they are actionable principles that must be consistently demonstrated in the brand’s behavior, communications, and offerings.
What are values?
Brand values are the core beliefs and principles that define what your brand represents. They influence every aspect of your operations, from how you treat customers and employees to how you address societal and environmental challenges.
For example:
Sustainability might drive decisions about materials, suppliers, or packaging.
Integrity might ensure transparency in advertising and customer communications.
Customer focus might prioritize delivering exceptional service.
Green Clean’s values could include:
Sustainability: A commitment to eco-friendly practices and products.
Health: Ensuring safe, non-toxic cleaning solutions for families.
Transparency: Being honest and clear about the ingredients and processes used.
These values help customers understand what the brand stands for and why it matters to them.
Translating Beliefs into Values
Ideally, your Values should be a perfect reflection of your Purpose, or the fundamental beliefs that drive your organization. This consistency allows the values to amplify your brand's purpose, guiding its actions and decisions.
Consider, for example, a green, clean-focused company, which operates under the belief that sustainable practices are paramount to our future. Its core values may include sustainability, accountability, and innovation. These values are the bridge between its purpose - promoting environmental responsibility - and its day-to-day operations, whether it's in product development, supply chain management, or customer service.
Values: an in-depth perspective
Frabrikbrands proposes that effective core values should be Memorable, Unique, Actionable, Meaningful, Clear, Timeless (MUAMCT). This is not a mere acronym, but a mantra for brands to assess the strength and relevance of their values. Each attribute plays a crucial role:
Memorable: The values should resonate with your team and your target audience, making them easy to remember and internalize.
Unique: Your values should set you apart from the competition, demonstrating your unique perspective and approach.
Actionable: They should translate into concrete behaviors and processes within your organization.
Meaningful: The values need to be significant, appealing to the emotions and beliefs of your stakeholders.
Clear: Clarity avoids confusion. Your values should be understood by everyone.
Timeless: Despite market changes, your core values should remain constant, reflecting enduring principles.
For example:
Internal Alignment: Green Clean’s values guide employee behavior, ensuring all actions align with the brand’s mission.
External Perception: Customers see Green Clean’s values reflected in its products, marketing, and partnerships, reinforcing trust and loyalty.
When values are authentic and consistently upheld, they strengthen the emotional connection between the brand and its audience.
Translating values into action
Defining brand values is only the first step; the real impact comes from living those values every day. From product development and customer interactions to advertising and community involvement, values must be evident in every touchpoint.
Questions to consider:
Are your brand values clearly articulated and consistently communicated?
Do your values align with the current and future context of your industry?
How do your values differentiate your brand from competitors?
Are your values evident in your brand’s behavior and interactions?
How do your values reflect a commitment to sustainability?
Statements for self-assessment
Evaluating your values is as essential as defining them. Ask yourself: Are your brand's values helping you achieve your goals? Are they a reflection of your purpose? Are they incorporated into every aspect of your business?
To assess the effectiveness of your values, consider your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
Your brand values are well defined and clearly articulated.
Your brand values are relevant with respect to the context your brand is operating in.
Your set of brand values allows to differentiate what you stand for with compared to your competitors.
Your brand values are reflected in your brand behaviour and what you.
Your brand values are all focusing on sustainability
If you find yourself disagreeing with these statements, it's time to revisit your core values. This might involve a re-examination of your purpose, a re-interpretation of your values, or even a complete overhaul of your organization's culture. Remember, the relationship between your purpose and values should work as an accelerator, not a brake.
Interpretation of the scores
Negative scores (-1 to -3): Negative scores indicate a lack of clarity, relevance, or alignment in your brand values. This suggests that your values may not be well defined or communicated, leading to inconsistencies in behavior and customer perceptions. Without clear values, the brand may struggle to differentiate itself or build trust with its audience.
A score of zero (0): A neutral score reflects uncertainty or incomplete articulation of your brand values. While some values may be present, they lack depth, relevance, or alignment with customer expectations and sustainability goals. Further refinement and integration are needed to make values a meaningful part of your brand identity.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores indicate that your brand values are clearly defined, relevant, and consistently demonstrated. Customers and stakeholders understand what the brand stands for, and its actions align with these principles. Strong values help differentiate the brand, inspire loyalty, and reinforce its commitment to sustainability.
Case study: Green clean’s values
Misaligned understanding (-3, -2, -1): Green Clean lacks clearly defined values or fails to articulate them effectively. Customers and stakeholders are unsure of what the brand stands for, leading to weak differentiation and limited trust. The absence of a focus on sustainability further disconnects the brand from its eco-conscious audience.
Surface understanding (0): Green Clean has a general sense of its values but does not consistently reflect them in its behavior or communications. While customers may recognize some alignment with sustainability or eco-friendliness, the values lack depth and differentiation, limiting the brand’s ability to build loyalty or stand out.
Deep understanding (+1, +2, +3): Green Clean has well-defined, relevant values centered on sustainability, transparency, and health. These values are consistently demonstrated across all touchpoints, from product design to customer service. By emphasizing its commitment to these principles, Green Clean differentiates itself from competitors and builds trust and loyalty with its eco-conscious audience.
Conclusion
Brand values are the foundation of a brand’s identity, guiding its actions and shaping customer perceptions. Clearly defined and consistently demonstrated values differentiate the brand from competitors, foster customer loyalty, and ensure alignment with societal and environmental priorities. By living its values, a brand can build meaningful, lasting relationships with its audience and create a positive impact in the world.
Sources
Harvard Business Review, 2002, Make your values mean something
Frabrikbrands, https://fabrikbrands.com/how-to-define-brand-values/
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Marketing Canvas by Laurent Bouty
Marketing Canvas - Positioning
Demystify brand positioning with the Marketing Canvas methodology. Understand its significance, different types, and evaluation process. Enhance your brand's market presence with effective positioning strategies.
Last update: 29/05/2023
In a nutshell
The Positioning sub-dimension in the Marketing Canvas helps define how a brand is perceived by its target audience. Effective positioning differentiates the brand from competitors, conveys unique value, and aligns with the needs and aspirations of its customers. A strong positioning strategy shapes the brand’s identity, supporting its place in the market and creating a meaningful emotional connection with its audience.
For example, a company like Green Clean might position itself as “the eco-friendly cleaning solution prioritizing family health and environmental impact,” highlighting its unique benefits and commitment to sustainability.
Introduction
The Positioning sub-dimension is an essential element of the Brand category in the Marketing Canvas. It establishes how a brand is perceived compared to competitors, how it fulfills customer expectations, and the unique values it communicates. Positioning is more than a slogan or tagline; it’s an overall strategy that guides a brand’s communications, customer experience, and market identity.
A well-defined positioning strategy helps a brand build loyalty, stay relevant, and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
What is positioning?
Positioning represents the perception a brand creates in the minds of its target audience. It reflects what makes the brand unique and why customers should choose it over competitors. Successful positioning resonates with customers by emphasizing specific benefits and values that align with their needs and aspirations.
For instance, Green Clean’s positioning might emphasize its commitment to “safe and sustainable cleaning solutions,” appealing to customers who prioritize health and environmental responsibility. By clearly conveying its unique benefits, Green Clean establishes a distinct identity within the cleaning products market.
Positioning: an in-depth perspective
Positioning goes beyond words; it shapes a brand’s identity and influences how customers experience and remember it. A strong positioning strategy aligns with the brand’s core mission, resonates with its target audience, and clearly differentiates it from competitors.
For example:
Differentiation: Green Clean’s positioning emphasizes its eco-friendly values, setting it apart from traditional cleaning brands.
Relevance: By aligning with customer priorities like health and sustainability, Green Clean’s positioning appeals directly to its target audience, strengthening loyalty and trust.
When positioning is effectively implemented, customers can easily understand and identify with the brand’s unique purpose and value.
Positioning Types: Leader, Challenger, Disruptor
The 'Positioning' in the Marketing Canvas proposes three potential roles: Leader, Challenger or Follower, and Game Changer or Disruptor.
Leader Brand: This is the choice of mass consumers, often at the risk of losing early brand enthusiasts. These brands enjoy substantial mindshare and market share. They represent the category and dominate the space. For example, in the clean energy sector, a leader might be a company like NextEra Energy, known for its extensive wind and solar power production.
Challenger or Follower Brand: These brands turn leaders' strengths into their weaknesses. Recognized as viable alternatives to Leader brands, Challengers often leverage differentiation or provide cost-effective solutions. In the context of green energy, a challenger brand could be a new renewable energy startup offering innovative, localized energy solutions that large-scale leaders cannot provide.
Game Changer or Disruptor Brand: Disruptor brands find a 'Blue Ocean' market space for themselves, using a unique product, distribution channel, target market, or price point. For example, a clean energy disruptor might be a brand that creates a new technology for harnessing renewable energy, redefining the industry norms.
Translating positioning into action
Positioning is only effective when consistently applied across all aspects of a brand, from marketing and customer service to product development. Ensuring that all brand elements reflect its positioning strengthens its identity and reinforces customer expectations.
Questions to consider:
How does your brand’s positioning clearly differentiate it from competitors?
What unique value does your positioning highlight for customers?
Does your positioning align with customer values and long-term expectations?
Are you consistently reinforcing your positioning across all brand touchpoints?
Statements for self-assessment
For a comprehensive evaluation of your understanding and application of the Purpose concept, rate your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
You have a well defined and clearly formulated brand positioning.
Your brand positioning is very relevant in the company's current and future context, addressing all the influencing trends.
Your brand positioning is attainable taking into account resources and limitations.
Your brand positioning is aligned with your company culture and capabilities.
Every aspect of your positioning is in line with the concept of sustainability
Interpretation of the scores
Negative scores (-1 to -3): Negative scores suggest that you disagree or strongly disagree with the statements, indicating a lack of clarity, relevance, or alignment in your brand’s positioning. This can result in a weak brand identity, limited customer loyalty, and minimal differentiation from competitors.
A score of zero (0): A neutral score reflects uncertainty or incomplete understanding of your brand’s positioning. While some positioning elements may be present, they lack cohesiveness or fail to fully resonate with the target audience. Further refinement and alignment are necessary to strengthen the positioning.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores indicate that you agree or strongly agree with the statements, suggesting a clear, well-defined positioning that aligns with customer expectations, differentiates the brand, and consistently communicates its unique value. This strengthens customer loyalty and brand perception.
Case Study: Green Clean’s positioning
Misaligned Understanding (-3, -2, -1): Green Clean lacks a clear, distinct positioning strategy, failing to differentiate itself from other cleaning brands. Without focused positioning, customers see Green Clean as generic and have little reason to choose it over competitors, leading to a diluted brand identity.
Surface Understanding (0): Green Clean has a general positioning related to eco-friendliness but does not fully leverage it to create a distinct identity. Although it acknowledges the importance of sustainability, the positioning is vague or inconsistently communicated, which limits customer engagement and weakens brand perception.
Deep Understanding (+1, +2, +3): Green Clean has a strong, clearly defined positioning centered on safe and sustainable cleaning solutions. This positioning is consistently reflected across all marketing, customer interactions, and product offerings. By emphasizing health and environmental responsibility, Green Clean builds a unique identity that resonates with eco-conscious customers, distinguishing it from conventional brands.
Conclusion
Positioning is essential for defining a brand’s unique place in the market and ensuring it resonates with the target audience. A well-defined and consistently communicated positioning strategy enables brands to stand out, build loyalty, and create emotional connections. By defining and reinforcing its unique value, a brand can establish a strong, memorable identity in the minds of its customers.
Sources
DKY, 2016, https://dkyinc.com/2016/06/brand-strategy-leader-vs-challenger
Beloved Brands, https://beloved-brands.com/2018/04/11/disruptor-challenger/
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Marketing Canvas by Laurent Bouty