When running brand workshops for small businesses and start-ups, we are often questioned about the need for values and a voice when developing the brand. At that moment it’s all about the logo and company name and whether that passes the court of public opinion. Will their partners, friends and family like it and give them a high five?

That’s when we bring in the big guns. We tell the story about the friend that always says I’ll see you there and never turns up. You just stop asking them, right?

If that doesn’t trigger the lightbulb moment, we whip out the picture this: “You walk into your bank (which has a slogan like “we’re with you”) and you stand in a queue that goes out the door and then you get to the window and they can’t help you because you have to make an appointment with someone who isn’t there. It’s difficult not to feel cross because of course, you actually went into the bank because you couldn’t get anyone to make any sense over the phone – even though you’d had several attempts.

Then we pose the question: Is this bank living up to their slogan? If you had to describe their brand what would their actions tell us? It felt like they were against us not with us. And how does it make you feel? And what do you think their values are? How did they treat us when they spoke to us? Did we feel like an idiot because we couldn’t do our banking? Or did we feel like they were with us?

We all hate banks ... it’s a national sport but we just lost a little more love for them.

Brands are all about trust. As a consumer I want to believe in what I buy. Especially now with cozzie livs. The moment we experience cognitive dissonance between what a brand purports and what it does we start to lose faith.

So how you and your team talk, how you act and what you stand for all matter very much to your customer. As with much in life, you can't get away with just looking good, you’ve got to have some substance.

So what, you say? Well, let’s have a quick look at seven things that happen.

1. Loss of trust:
Your customers may switch to brands they perceive as more authentic.

2. Customer churn:
Your customers may switch to brands they perceive as more authentic.

3. Negative brand image:
Public perception can turn sour, leading to bad reviews and negative word-of-mouth marketing.

4. Wasted marketing opportunities:
A brand with a mismatched voice, values, and actions presents a confused message. Confused messages don’t sell.

5. Employee disengagement:
Employees who believe in the brand's values can feel discouraged if the company's actions contradict those values.

6. Lower morale and productivity:
Employees may feel disconnected from their work.

7. Increased employee turnover:
Disgruntled employees may seek jobs at companies that better align with their own values.