Company values are an incredible way to connect with your followers on – and off! – Instagram.
They are the framework behind nearly every business, guiding decisions and opening possibilities. Plus, they’re the number one way a company or brand can become a force of good in the world!
Take Tailwind, for example. In “Why Your Brand Values Matter to Your Followers – More Than Ever!” we told the story of why we decided to launch the Android app this week.
(TL;DR: One of our six core values is Inclusion – and we wanted to make sure that we were including all of our Tailwind members in our mission to make world-class marketing easy for everyone!)
Then, style blogger Chloe Alysse opened up about her experiences building an authentic, values-driven brand in “Instagram vs. Reality: 6 Ways to Live Your Values Online.”
Now, we’re rounding out the series with a look at 10 real brands that are living their company values on Instagram – and totally winning with them!
Want to see what brand values look like in the wild? Keep reading!
If there’s one thing that drives founders Jay Adams and Katie Demo crazy, it’s fast fashion.
That’s why the pair started Brass Clothing 2014.
They had enough of cheap, poor quality pieces that were totally inappropriate for working professionals.
Timeless quality and versatility are the main company values Brass Clothing lives – and operates by.
The team is also passionate about sustainability, body positivity and diverse representation.
Just look at their feed full of real models of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds!
Not only does this support a growing call for models that everyday women can identify with, but it also reassures Brass followers that these pieces will work for their body types.
Daphne Javitch is the nutrition and lifestyle coach behind Doing Well.
After struggling with chronic pain that resulted in an emergency room visit, Daphne began exploring holistic health practices to improve her health at a cellular level.
Her experiences eventually led to Doing Well, a nutrition and lifestyle coaching practice that also provides health and wellness information and inspiration to thousands of Instagrammers daily.
Today, I believe we are each designed and hard-wired to express health.
It is my intention to include, guide, and empower everyone with that truth.
Daphne Javitch
What you can learn from Doing Well:
Share your knowledge freely with followers, especially if it can help make their life better in some way!
This reinforces the value you bring as a company and builds trust and loyalty in your follower base.
Founder Dani Nagel created DAZEY LA to combine her passions of art, photography, fashion, and feminism.
The sustainable brand quickly gained momentum on social media, and now heads a culture of “Art apparel with a mission to empower women through conversation and community.“
What you can learn from DAZEY LA:
Highlight inspirational stories that align with your values in your Instagram content! This builds a strong sense of community and purpose for your followers. It also makes them feel good about their consumption of artists, brands and content creators that also match their values!
The sun-loving, carefree lifestyle of Brazil first inspired Sol de Janeiro’s line of moisturizers and skincare.
Their mission? To bring great skincare and the Brazilian Beautiful lifestyle to the world!
Brazilian Beautiful is fun, spontaneous, full of life and always contagious. It’s about freeing your mind and playing up your best assets!
Sol de Janiero
Aerie is a sub-brand of American Eagle that made national headlines in 2014 with the launch of the #AerieREAL campaign.
The company decided to embrace the mission of empowering all women to love their real bodies and pledged to be retouching free in their campaigns.
Since then, the company has built a network of diverse and beautiful models who are comfortable in their own skin – and curated a community of empowerment on social media.
This influencer account is one of our very favorites to follow. The star of the show is B., an international bee influencer.
However, the organization behind the account is Fondation de France, and they use their friendly bee influencer to raise support for the Bee Fund, as well as promote eco-preservation and animal protection!
What you can learn from The Bee Fund:
Promoting important social causes isn’t always about protests. Find ways to make issues that are important to you and your business resonate with your followers through education, fun, and easy action items!
Fashion company Universal Standard provides timeless pieces and lives and conducts its business by six values.
Pura Vida Bracelets was the brainchild of two college graduates on a trip to Costa Rica.
On their journey, they met two artisans selling handcrafted bracelets who were struggling to survive on low wages.
Inspired, they ordered 400 bracelets to take home with them, partnering with a local boutique to sell all of them (in just a few days!)
And so Pura Vida bracelets was born, a brand that supports over 650 local artisans worldwide and brings their handcrafted creations to over a million customers (and followers!)
How Pura Vida Bracelets Lives Their Company Values on Instagram
Check out the California Fire Relief Bracelet, which donated 100% of net sales to the SAVE program!
Like The Bee Fund, Ivoryella is a brand that stands up for an endangered species.
10% of profits from the sales of their jewelry, apparel, and home decor are donated in support of the elephant crisis (and other charitable causes.)
How Ivoryella Is Living Its Company Values on Instagram
Example? When they highlighted Apple’s pledge to donate to elephant conservation efforts with the release of #TheElephantQueen.
Like a few other fashion brands on this list, Tradlands eschews fast fashion trends and instead carefully sources quality fabrics with an eye to sustainability.
Everything Tradlands does is intentional, from small, carefully curated launches of essentials as well as retooling their classic designs carefully to ensure a perfect fit and durability that will last.
Now that you’ve seen our top highlights of brands, let’s dive into the details of what’s really working for all of them when it comes to portraying company values:
Transparency into sourcing, materials, and practices is becoming more and more important to consumers. In fact, 94% of shoppers crave transparency into business practices!
A common theme for all these brands? A look into the reasons they make decisions, what they use and how they use it.
You can build trust with your followers while living your company values by staying away from vague answers. Instead, underline the hows and whys of your brand.
Too often, brands forget this important step, but it’s at the forefront of each of these 10 brands approach to company values. Educating your followers on new facts or engaging new perspectives is a surefire way to earn respect and loyalty.
Plus, with gentle education around your values and missions, whether it be for sustainability, women empowerment or simply good fashion, you can activate your followers to be a force for good in the world.
We often look for ourselves in the content that inspires us, and it has less chance of landing and creating an impact if we just can’t see it. Several brands on this list (except for perhaps the bee influencer!) are well-known for embracing diversity, self-love, and authenticity.
Shy away from the need to be perfect – and have your content be perfect! Show a real perspective that your followers can relate to. One handy way to do this? By generating user content – and letting your follower’s images speak for themselves – and other people!
See something that caught your eye? Share your brand love (for these ten, or any other companies living their values that come to mind!) in the comments.
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