Values-based Branding
Pennant has developed a creative process called Values-Based Branding (VBB) to help you uncover and implement a set of values that can be applied to every sector of your business.
The VBB process encourages you to evaluate the core values of your business, while also uncovering the values you may not have recognized as part of your brand!
You want your brand to provide a consistent experience that feels authentic. Discovering and implementing the values uncovered in this process can elevate your brand to a level where you are not only reaching your target audience, but also giving them an authentic experience that makes them feel valued!
Every client, Every Project
The VBB process is so core to our workflow, that we start each client relationship with it. For us, there is no better way to connect, have fun getting to know each other, and uncover something that lies within.
VBB also has a way of expediting some things – by uncovering the hidden qualities of your brand at the start, you might save yourself from re-doing dozens of pages of website copy, or missing the mark on your in-store signage.
It makes the creative process more efficient – by pulling ideas from a variety of stakeholders ….
Often times the creative process is such a mysterious thing that it seems impossible to even start (and where most people give up before they begin) VBB helps give space to the uncertainty and then give shape and structure using values as a guide. Even though we’ve built a hundred websites, we can’t possibly go forward on the next site without having applied VBB
Evidenced-based, researched, and user-centered
Values-Based Branding is a fusion of two disciplines: social work and design. Pennant Creatives was founded by Dana Robertson and Chris Breimhurst – one a social worker and the other a designer. Social work is a “practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being.” While design is “a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process.”
While we can’t say we are pioneers in this particular intersection of disciplines, we have certainly consumed and synthesized the works of leading researchers in these areas.
A new venture, or a seasoned business
You might have been working on your business plan, auditing your vendors, taking inventory of your products, interviewing staff – working all day and night to get everything ready for your big launch. But you more than likely did not stop and listen to your inner voice or paid much attention to the core motivations as to why you started your business. …
Or, you’ve just been promoted as head of marketing for a family-owned business that has been in operation for 3, going on 4, generations. Things have a certain rhythm and yearly cycle. Your operations are fairly defined, if not quite detailed and documented. It’s almost as if the business could just run by itself. But everyone between you and the founders know that it can’t possibly run autonomously. Every organization is built on values and people.
…. You’re never too young or old (as an organization or business) to engage with our Values-Based Branding process.
Values-based brand in real life
anecdote
Values-based Branding
Pennant has developed a creative process called Values-Based Branding (VBB) to help you uncover and implement a set of values that can be applied to every sector of your business.
The VBB process encourages you to evaluate the core values of your business, while also uncovering the values you may not have recognized as part of your brand!
You want your brand to provide a consistent experience that feels authentic. Discovering and implementing the values uncovered in this process can elevate your brand to a level where you are not only reaching your target audience, but also giving them an authentic experience that makes them feel valued!
Every Client, Every Project
At Pennant, the Values-Based Branding (VBB) process is at the core of everything we do, and every client relationship we build. We believe there is no better way to connect, have fun getting to know you and your business, and uncover the values that lie deeply within them.
The VBB process can also bring more clarity and efficiency to your creative processes. By working together, we can give shape and structure to your brand, and help you define your values and ensure they are represented in all aspects of your business.
Evidenced-based and User-centered
At its core, VBB is a fusion of our two areas of expertise: social work and design. We are deeply committed to bringing about positive change in the lives of others and in our communities. By guiding our clients through the VBB process and beyond, we work to help you hone your brand into something that is authentically you.
Are You Starting a New Venture or Managing a Seasoned Business?
As a new business owner, or an aspiring entrepreneur, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and get lost in the processes of establishing who you are and what you do. You may know what you want and be confused on how to get there, or you could have a clear plan for your future and are having difficulty delegating the tasks that need to be done to attain your goals.
With the seemingly endless steps and day-to-day stressors, it’s easy to lose focus on the values at the core of your business. The VBB process can help you re-center your focus to ensure that your brand and its messaging are authentic representations of those core values.
Perhaps you are a marketing professional working for an established organization that has been running successfully for generations. There is a certain rhythm to the day-to-day processes that is efficient, yet can become stale or redundant. By taking a step back to re-evaluate your business’s brand with the VBB process, you can refresh your perspective and uncover some innovative ways to highlight your values and ensure they are effectively represented in all that you do.
As a solopreneur, small business owner or large organization, you are never too young (or old!) to experience the VBB process. Contact Pennant Creatives today, and take a fresh approach to uncovering the values at the core of who you are and what you do!
A Values-Based Brand in Real Life
The Lancaster County Workforce Development Board (WIB) is an organization that connects job seekers with the resources and education they need to have successful careers in the community. One of WIB’s primary struggles was confusion among their target audience about what the organization does and how they can positively impact the greater Lancaster County community.
As a result, WIB’s goal was to clearly express their mission and core programs by redesigning their website that was more than 15 years-old. We dedicated several strategy meetings talking through who WIB is as an organization and what their values are. We then translated this core information visually to their site—complete with custom organization and a way to easily add news content and data.
The second part of the brand refresh was socializing WIB’s new brand identity to leadership and staff. We presented key elements and values to WIB’s board and how WIB’s redefined identity relates to the work each person at WIB completes each day. Clearly defining impact sets WIB for success now and in the future.
Citations
[1] Wikipedia – accessed April 2023,
[2] Wikipedia – accessed April 2023