The Real Power of Values-Based Marketing

Port Flyer
Dec 3
3 min read

Values-based marketing is everywhere right now, but many businesses and brands still treat values as decorative. They sit in brand books, on office walls, or in the “About Us” section of a website, but they’re rarely seen in the real world.

When values are done properly, when they are truly understood, lived, and breathed across a business, they can be utterly transformative.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with two stand-out organisations that totally get this and are brilliant examples of what happens when a brand’s values sit at the heart of how their people think, act, and communicate: Goodwood and The PIG hotels.

Both are shining case studies in what values-based marketing truly looks like, and what other brands can genuinely learn from. Let's dig in and look under the hood....

When Values Shape Behaviour (Not Just Messaging)

At Goodwood and The PIG, values weren’t just the domain of the marketing team. They shaped decisions, hiring, training, tone of voice, experiences, and even small operational details.

Goodwood’s “Derring Do” is a brilliant example of a value that directly expresses the estate’s bold, risk-taking spirit. It’s not “be innovative” (yawn...) it’s create jaw-dropping experiences that feel impossible anywhere else.

“The Real Thing” meant uncompromising authenticity. If something wasn’t historically accurate or perfectly executed, it didn’t go live. Likewise, “Obsession for Perfection” wasn’t aspirational, it was expected. You felt it in every touchpoint; from the polish of the staff uniform to the choreography of major events. It created consistency without killing creativity.

You could feel these values in every event and venue across Goodwood. It was in the tone of voice, how teams collaborated, and in how staff carried themselves. The values lived in the culture.

The PIG’s mantra “We are dedicated to the million details, from plants to people, homegrown in every way”, is similarly unique. It immediately communicates a sense of place, care, and craft.

Their commitment to seasonality and sustainability was equally tangible. Menus changed with the day’s harvest; staff could talk passionately about the provenance of ingredients; even the décor was reclaimed and curated, not cookie-cutter.

The PIG's values shaped service, hiring, sustainability initiatives, menu design, and even interior choices. Staff were encouraged to bring their personality, not hide it. The result was a style of hospitality that felt effortlessly warm and unmistakably “PIG”.

What These Brands Get Right

Their values are specific and totally unique to them. Not generic. Not interchangeable. Not corporate jargon.
Their values translate into actions. Values guided what staff did, not just what the brand said.
Their values are visible to customers. You don’t have to read the mission statement to know what the brand stands for, you feel it at every interaction, online and in-person.

Where Most Brands Go Wrong

Unfortunately, many brands fall into familiar traps. Too broad. Too vague. Too corporate. Too unrealistic. And when values aren’t lived consistently, they can actually damage brand perception.

Vague values (“excellence”, “quality”, “innovation”). Classic non-values that don’t differentiate, guide behaviour, and have no emotional resonance for customers or staff.
Values that contradict reality. A perception gap between what the brand claims and what their customers actually experience.
Values that no one can remember, least of all employees. If your values can't be recited (or recognised) by your front-line team, they will never shape your culture.

What Brands Can Do Today to Turn Values into Real Marketing Assets

Test your values with a simple question: Can your people use them to make decisions at work? If the answer is no, rework them until the answer is yes.

Make values operational, not ornamental: Embed them into training, customer service, performance reviews, and leadership behaviours - not just marketing campaigns.

Translate every value into actions: Take a value like “Spirit of Generosity” (from The PIG). What does that mean in:

Customer service?
Communication?
Pricing?
Internal culture?
Event activation?
Values need verbs.

Show your values in your product and service, not just your messaging: The most powerful values-based marketing isn't advertising. It's customer experience.

Audit your perception gap: What you promise vs. what customers actually experience. The healthiest brands check for gaps and close them fast.

The Final Takeaway

People don’t want perfect brands. They want human ones. Brands with beliefs, personality, and consistency. Brands whose values help them deliver experiences that feel deliberate, thoughtful, and real.

Goodwood and The PIG proved something invaluable: when values are lived (not laminated!) they become some of the most powerful tools a business can have - shaping culture, powering creativity, and helping teams deliver unforgettable experiences.

Most brands write values. The best brands behave them. And that, above all, is what values-based marketing is truly about.