COMMUNICATING

SOCIAL VALUES
IMPROVES BRAND
EQUITY

HOW-TO GUIDE
Communicating Social Values Improves Brand Equity
HOW-TO GUIDE

Fortune 500 companies have recognized significant benefits by successfully promoting civic virtues
such as Sustainability, Community, Sponsorship, Charity, and Environment. Although benefits like
improved brand integrity are intangible, they can have a significant impact on a company’s long-term
success. Increase brand value by developing a communication plan for the organization’s social values.

What is Social Value Messaging?

Social Value Messaging demonstrates alignment of corporate goals with those of the organizations
key stakeholders such as customers, employees, and partners. Social Value Messaging programs
are not sunk costs, but rather, should be viewed as investments in corporate health.

Following are categories of Social Value Programs:

Sustainability Community Sponsorship Environment Charity

Examples of Social Value Messaging programs are abundant. On January 18, 2006, Frito-Lay’s brand,
SunChips, partnered with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by officially sponsoring
the Komen Race for the Cure® Series National Volunteer Recognition Program. SunChips Crunch
for the Cure is an integrated, multi-channel campaign comprised of event marketing, promotions,
online, and affiliate & channel marketing.

Benefits of Social Value Messaging:

Improved Recruitment & Retention - employees prefer to work for socially conscious organizations
that effect positive social change.

Increased Revenues - in competitive markets, social values can mean the difference between a
customer choosing you or the other guy.

Growth of Brand Equity - this includes brand awareness and increased brand integrity as
customers can identify with what your brand stands for.

Positioning as Industry Leader - social values were initially competitive advantages before these
programs became mainstream. Be a leader.

Bottom Line
Being a good corporate citizen makes business sense. Drive brand value and improve customer
and employee loyalty by capturing and communicating corporate social values.

2 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL VALUES IMPROVES BRAND EQUITY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 1 - Align Company Values with the
Communication Plan

Align Company
Determine Company
1 Values with the
Communication
Plan
Values and How to Best
Promote Them

Obtain Senior
2 Management Review your organizations
Mission, Vision, Values, Goals
Approval
& Objectives.

If no document containing
this information exists,
Prioritize & hold informal interview
3 Develop a
sessions with key executives.
Strategy
Determine which values will
resonate with internal and
external stakeholders and
Communicate make a list of projects that
Values
4 Internally &
will best promote them.

Externally

Measure
5 Results

Core Values Worksheet

VIEW RESOURCE

3 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL VALUES IMPROVES BRAND EQUITY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 2 - Obtain Senior Management Approval

Align Company How Is Your Company A

1 Values with the
Good Corporate Citizen?
Communication Plan

Communicate with
Obtain Senior
2 Management
Approval
key members of your
management team the values
you want to promote using
social value messaging.

Do not forget to identify &

Prioritize &
leverage areas where your
3 Develop a
company is already being a
Strategy
good Corporate Citizen.

Communicate
Values
4 Internally &
Externally

Sustainability Report Template

Measure
5 Results VIEW RESOURCE

4 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL VALUES IMPROVES BRAND EQUITY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 3 - Prioritize & Develop a Strategy

Align Company Start with Sustainability

1 Values with the
Then Innovate Intelligently
Communication Plan

Many social value campaigns

Obtain Senior
2 Management fail because the communication
plan is too ambitious. Start with
Approval
Sustainability as a hot example
and build upon your success
over a longer-term period.
Prioritize &
3 Develop a
Strategy
There are firms dedicated
to the relationship between
customers, sustainability,
and brands; check out
innovative brand consultancy
Communicate Conscientious Innovation.
Values
4 Internally &
Externally

Measure
5 Results
Sustainability Assessment Template

VIEW RESOURCE

5 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL VALUES IMPROVES BRAND EQUITY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 4 - Communicate Values Internally & Externally

Align Company Internal and External

1 Values with the
Marketing of Company
Communication Plan
Values

Obtain Senior
Work with the Web master to
2 Management
put your values on the corporate
Approval
website. Add these programs to
general marketing collateral.

Additionally, work with Human

Prioritize & Resources to incorporate your
3 Develop a social values into training
Strategy packages for new employees.

Communicate WEBSITE REDESIGN

4
Playbook & Toolkit

Values
Internally &
Externally
Follow this simple step-by-step playbook to complete a website redesign
that supports your company’s values and vision.

Measure Website Redesign Playbook

5 Results
VIEW RESOURCE

6 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL VALUES IMPROVES BRAND EQUITY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 5 - Measure Results

Align Company It’s Not Always About ROI...

1 Values with the
How SRI Matters Too.
Communication Plan

Obtaining a hard Return on

Obtain Senior Investment is difficult for
2 Management programs such as this.
Approval
Instead consider the Social
Return on Investment model
developed by the London
Prioritize & Benchmarking Group to assess
3 Develop a your results.
Strategy

Communicate
Values
4 Internally &
Externally
Social Media ROI Benchmark Report

VIEW RESOURCE
5 Measure
Results

7 COMMUNICATING SOCIAL VALUES IMPROVES BRAND EQUITY HOW-TO GUIDE

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