Brand values are boring, unless you actually use them

Pretty much every company I've worked for has had brand values along the lines of "Integrity. Innovation. Excellence. Collaboration." (Yawn.) And now most brand values are sounding like they were written by ChatGPT in a hurry to tick a box.

It’s not that these values are bad. But if your brand values could just as easily belong to any other business, then they’re not doing anything for you. They’re not memorable. They’re not helping people connect with your brand. And you’re probably not actually using them.

So let’s dig into why most brand values fall flat — and how to create ones that actually mean something.

The real purpose of brand values

Your brand values should be more than just a list of nice-sounding words. They should be:

• A filter for making decisions

• A north star for your brand tone and visuals

• A way for customers to feel connected to what you stand for

One of my favourite examples of this is KitKat. Their entire brand is built around one core idea: "Take a break." Everything they do, from the name to the ads to the packaging, ties back to that.

There's a misperception that brand values need to be a list of six buzzwords, but I think KitKat is a truly great example of showing how one crystal clear value can guide everything. There's still plenty of space to have multiple brand values, but these should be refreshing and clear. Which doesn't mean writing down "innovative" or "collaborative". I'm pretty sure every company wants to be those things, so there's simply nothing refreshing about that.

Why most brand values don't work

So what's my (personal) problem with most of the values out there? This was actually pretty hard to narrow down to three and you almost had a whole new ranting blog post from me, but I've reigned myself in:

1. They’re too vague

If your value is “quality,” what does that actually mean? Are you using premium materials? Do you never miss a deadline? Are you meticulous with your process?

You need to define it in a way that only your brand would say it. Otherwise, it's just filler and it's not going to make you stand out against your competitors.

2. They don’t match how your brand shows up

This is a big one. I see so many brands say “we value inclusivity,” but then their website isn’t accessible. Or they use the same model type in every photo. I worked with a women's sportswear brand for a while who constantly went on about inclusivity in our brand values, and naturally had a DEI internal department. But actually making our website work for screen readers was never prioritised on our digital roadmap, and every model our clothing was shot on was a UK size 6 with no muscle in site*.

If your values don’t show up in your actions, they’re not really values. They’re marketing. And if you're not even putting in the bare minimum action for those values? I think that's more detrimental than just not mentioning the word in the first place.

3. They’re not tied to your audience

Your values should matter to your customers, not just to you. This is the number one rule of literally everything in business.

Take Nike. One of their core values is innovation, because they serve athletes, and athletes care about performance. It fits.

If Primark suddenly claimed to value high-end craftsmanship, it wouldn’t land. It’s not what their customers want from them.

Especially in the age of brands needing to look socially conscious, I think there's a big movement for companies to 'jump on the bandwagon' of trends. So for example, yes, the environment is a cause we probably should all care about. And internally, absolutely strive to print out less or encourage your employees to turn off lights when meeting rooms aren't in use. But do most customers choose what supermarket to use based on whose food trucks are the most environmentally friendly? Probably not. So yes do that, but that's not another thing you need to add to your list to shout about.

How to create brand values that actually work

1. Choose 1–3 max

Too many values = no values. Three is more than enough.

You need to make them short. Make them memorable. And make sure they’re different from what every other business in your industry is saying.

2. Define what they look like in practice

For each value, write a sentence or two about how it shows up in your day-to-day work, so your employees have an example.

• If your value is simplicity, you might say: “We strip away the fluff and make things easy to understand. Our proposals, websites and processes are always straightforward.”

• If your value is connection, maybe: “We always respond to emails personally, and we use plain language in every part of our brand.”

You need to make your values feel tangible if you want them to be put to use.

3. Let them influence your design and content

Your values should shape your:

• Website tone of voice

• Visual branding and colour palette

• Social media content

• Customer journey and service experience

They’re not just a slide in your brand guidelines. They’re meant to guide everything. So that also means these teams really need to be on board. Or if you don't have a team, you can use a freelance website designer like me that you can share these values with to influence your design.

4. Audit your actions against them

Every few months, check: Are we living these values?

One of my favourite client examples: I worked with a service-based business that listed "accessibility" as a core value. When I asked them how that showed up in their design, they didn’t have an answer.

So we did an audit – and ended up making small changes like adding alt text, improving colour contrast, and making the navigation easier for screen readers.

I also created accessible templates for them in PowerPoint and word that they could use both internally and externally, and gave training on the importance of accessible so their team understood why this was a value of theirs.

Suddenly, that value actually meant something.

So are brand values really boring? Or are you just not using them?

Your brand values are one of the most powerful tools in your business, but only if you use them.

Don’t choose words that sound good. Choose values that mean something. Ones that shape your brand from the inside out. Because in a world of AI-generated sameness, having clear, unique values is how you show your customers there’s a real human behind the business.

Want help defining or actually applying your brand values to your website strategy? That’s what I do. Check out my Business Blueprint service where we can really get to grips on your core website and business values.

*Disclaimer if anyone stalks my LinkedIn profile that I do think this companies got better for this now...