IMPACT – 8.5/10

In organizational theory, there is a difference between “espoused values” and “values in use.” Espoused values are what we say we care about. Values in use are the rules we actually follow when things are busy, messy, or inconvenient.

Brand storytelling often leans heavily on espoused values. We talk about care, inclusion, equity, and community. We highlight our impact and our intentions. But if the “values in use” tell a different story, people notice.

For a social impact or values-driven brand, that disconnect does more damage than bland copy ever could. It shows up as:

• Staff who feel they have to choose between hitting goals and honoring the values.
• Community members who roll their eyes at campaigns because their lived experience does not match the story.
• Leaders who hesitate to tell bold stories because they quietly know some pieces are not true yet.

When brand storytelling aligns with values in use, everything feels coherent. Your promise, your operations, and your behaviours all reinforce one another, and your community knows they can actually trust you.

Here’s a simple system to test that alignment.

PLAY – 8/10

We’re going to run a four-step test across the places where people encounter you, online or offline.

Step 1: The Promise Scan

1. Look at the places where your brand makes claims:
   • signage, posters, handbooks
   • menus, brochures, class descriptions
   • onboarding emails, intake forms
   • community guidelines, in-person scripts
   • your website or booking system
2. Highlight anything that sounds like a promise or a value in action.
3. Choose just three core promises you want to test today. You now have the three claims your brand is currently making out loud.

Step 2: Evidence in the Wild

1. Under each promise, list the everyday touchpoints where it should show up:
   • Website
   • Onboarding emails
   • Help centre
   • How someone is greeted at the door
   • The accessibility of your space (website, ramps, captions, lighting, seating)
   • How pricing is presented
   • How complaints or confusion are handled
   • Hiring process, etc.
2. Spend 15 to 20 minutes gathering evidence. That might look like:
   • Screenshots.
   • Snippets from company docs.
   • Notes from recent customer interactions.
   • Photos of your space.
   • Transcripts from meetings.
3. For each touchpoint, mark it as:
   • Strong proof
   • Partial proof
   • No proof

Be specific. “We care about accessibility” needs more than a sentence on the About page. It might look like alt text, plain language, captions, or flexible call options.

Step 3: The Mystery Shop

Walk through your environment as if you’ve never encountered it before.

If you’re digital-first, use an incognito window.
If you’re a storefront, walk in from the street.
If you run programs, try “being” a new participant.

Choose one journey that matches your promises:

• Book a discovery call
• Ask a question at the front desk
• Navigate a pricing decision
• Ask for help
• Join a workshop or community drop-in
• Sign up for your newsletter and read the first email.
• Make a donation and see what happens next

Note what it feels like. Where does the experience line up with the promise?

If possible, ask someone outside the team to do the same and record their impressions.

Step 4: One Visible Change

Choose one small gap to close.

1. Review your notes. Circle the moment where the lack of proof felt most likely to erode trust.
2. Decide on one change that would move it closer to alignment. Keep it small and concrete:
   • Rewrite one automated email.
   • Add an accessibility note to your booking page.
   • Update signage or instructions.
3. Make the change live.
4. Add one line in your doc: “What we changed and why,” so you can share this with your team.

You now have one tangible improvement that strengthens your story.

SUSTAINABILITY – 8.5/10

Treat this test like a regular hygiene check for your values. To make it sustainable:

• Create a living Values in Use table. Keep your three promises, key touchpoints, and notes in one shared doc. Add a column for “Last checked” and “Next review.”
• Assign one person to own the doc and invite others in each quarter.
• Add Values in Use Check into quarterly planning.
• Document your changes. Each time you make a visible change, add a brief note: what you changed, who it affects, and how it improves alignment.

The aim is to keep your brand storytelling close to the truth of how you operate so your values don’t become slogans or false promises.

Takeaway

You can have the coolest logo, snazziest website, and wittyest copy, but if your values in use don’t hold up in real life, trust won’t stick.

Brand storytelling only works when your values match the promises you make.

This system gives you a simple way to make sure the story you tell is supported by what you actually do this year.

Did you find this system helpful? Hit reply and let us know!

Until next recess,
Sarah & Jamie

P.S. If you’re enjoying this free newsletter, please share it with others; every single referral helps. Thank you!

P.P.S. Got a system you’d love us to share? Drop it in our inbox and we’ll feature it in a future issue — with credit of course!