Businesses try hard to make emotional connections between their products or services and their consumers and clients. Often, however, these emotional appeals fail to resonate. Consumers have become more adept at seeing through superficial emotion in marketing, and instead are in search of companies who offer authentic emotional connections. These connections can only exist with brands that can be trusted to mean what they say.

Companies such as General Mills, Target, and Toys “R” Us have increased the effectiveness of their emotional appeals by aligning themselves with worthwhile causes and supporting non-profit endeavors that relate to their business. General Mills’ Hamburger Helper brand, for example, has created a program called “My Hometown Helper” that awards grants to communities looking for “a helping hand.” These affiliations improve public perception of the company and publicly demonstrate their corporate values of trust and integrity. They do more than tell – they show. As a result, consumers are more apt to trust their message and support their product.

An honest demonstration of your corporate values combined with an effective PR campaign can lead to improved public perception of your brand and increased customer loyalty, as well as more employee pride and satisfaction. Is it time that you start showing your corporate values? What kind of alliances can your business form to put your corporate values into practice?

Come see us put our eco-conscious corporate values in action this Friday, September 25 as part of IdeaFestival. We’ll be giving a free presentation on "Eco-nomics" and the hidden costs of everyday consumption from 5:30 to 7:30p at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Todd Hall. We hope to see you there!