develop values as a strategic competitive advantageThere is much talk these days about ethics, values, and corporate social responsibility – and rightly so. These are increasingly important subjects. This is the first of 10 THOUGHTS addressing ethics, values, and CSR in marketing. Contrary to popular belief, ‘trust’ is not a legitimate core value. It is […]

develop values as a strategic competitive advantageThere is much talk these days about ethics, values, and corporate social responsibility – and rightly so. These are increasingly important subjects. This is the first of 10 THOUGHTS addressing ethics, values, and CSR in marketing. Contrary to popular belief, ‘trust’ is not a legitimate core value. It is the outcome of an organisation or individual living by their core values. Consumers trust, not marketers. Business Dictionary defines values, as they apply to business, as follows: ‘lasting beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. Values have a major influence on a person’s behaviour and attitude and serve as broad guidelines in all situations. Some common business values are fairness, innovation and community involvement.’ Values, or at least having and living by values, are the source of consumer trust. In this increasingly…