What can you learn from companies that have successfully aligned brand culture with corporate values?

1 Define and communicate your values

The first step to aligning your brand culture with your corporate values is to clearly define and communicate what those values are, why they matter, and how they guide your decisions and actions. Your values should be authentic, relevant, and consistent with your brand promise and personality. They should also be visible and accessible to your employees and customers, through your website, social media, internal communications, and customer service. You can also use stories, symbols, and rituals to reinforce your values and make them memorable and engaging.

2 Hire and train for fit

Your employees are the ambassadors of your brand culture, so you need to hire and train them for fit. This means looking beyond skills and qualifications and assessing how well they share and embody your values, vision, and purpose. You can use behavioral interviews, personality tests, and role-playing scenarios to evaluate their fit. You can also provide them with ongoing training, coaching, and feedback to help them align their behaviors and attitudes with your brand culture. You can also reward and recognize them for living up to your values and expectations.

3 Involve and empower your employees

Another way to align your brand culture with your corporate values is to involve and empower your employees in shaping and delivering your brand experience. You can do this by soliciting their ideas, feedback, and suggestions on how to improve your products, services, processes, and policies. You can also give them the autonomy, authority, and resources to solve problems, make decisions, and innovate on behalf of your customers. You can also create a culture of collaboration, learning, and experimentation, where employees can share best practices, learn from failures, and try new things.

4 Align your actions with your words

Finally, you need to align your actions with your words, both internally and externally. This means living up to your values and promises in everything you do, from how you treat your employees and customers, to how you handle crises and challenges, to how you contribute to society and the environment. You also need to monitor and measure your performance and impact, and be transparent and accountable for your results. You need to show that you are not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk.

By aligning your brand culture with your corporate values, you can create a strong and consistent brand identity, reputation, and relationship with your employees and customers. You can also inspire trust, loyalty, and advocacy, and stand out from the competition. Some examples of companies that have successfully aligned their brand culture with their corporate values are Southwest Airlines, Patagonia, Zappos, and Starbucks. What can you learn from them and how can you apply their lessons to your own brand?