List of 200 examples of brand values to get you started

In this previous post, I went in-depth about what brand values are, and how you can define brand values that will enable you connect with your audience. In that post I included tips on how to make sure you’re choosing values that are unique and meaningful to your business.

Sometimes though, we need a bit more of a clear starting point, right? You probably have some idea of what is important to your business, but putting those thoughts into words is sometimes a bit tricky. For that reason, I’ve put together this list of examples of brand values that you can reference.

You may also be interested in my free guide to choosing authentic values for your business and how to use them to attract ideal clients. Get it here.

Don’t forget to be clear and specific

In case you haven’t read that previous post on core brand values though, let me quickly reiterate a point I made. While the list below has a lot of ideas, I strongly suggest thinking of ways to make these (rather generic) words more characteristic of your unique business. If a word like “reliability” stands out to you, ask yourself why. Make sure you can explain how your brand upholds such a value.

I like the way Coca-Cola define their brand values, by adding a short phrase to each one that further emphasises what is important to them.

• Leadership: The courage to shape a better future.
• Collaboration: Leverage collective genius.
• Integrity: Be real
• Accountability: If it is to be, it’s up to me.
• Passion: Committed in heart and mind.
• Diversity: As inclusive as our brands.
• Quality: What we do, we do well.

Now, Coke’s a massive brand, so making big statements like “shape a better future” fits with their image. For small businesses, there’s no need to make such bold claims. In fact, you want to avoid choosing brand values that describe an idealised version of your business. Instead, focus on what you really do. Think about the way you improve the lives of your customers, no matter how small. What drives you to deliver a quality service?