Emotions are the main reason consumers prefer brand-named products over generics and a key reason they prefer one brand over another. Emotions drive brand loyalty. And the foundation of emotional expression in a business is your core belief.

Do you have a fervent following?

Any business can throw marketing budget to change or influence perception, but if you get the belief right to begin with you are fuelling the brand inherently.

Anita Roddick’s core belief that personal care products shouldn't be harmful to the environment made Body Shop a successful, distinctive brand in a crowded sector. 

Richard Branson founded Virgin Airlines because of a core belief that travel should be easier.

Dove achieved brand differentiation through its core belief that women are more beautiful than they think. 

As you can see, all three of these core beliefs – caring about the environment, making travel less stressful, empowering women’s self-image – inspired marketing campaigns that packed an emotional wallop. 

The core belief grows into a unifying belief to build a tribe around the brand.

If you state it regularly, internally and externally, you will attract a tribe of followers who believe ideologically in what you stand for.

But if you don't have that inherent emotionality, then no matter how much media or marketing budget you have, you are not going to achieve that same level of fervent following.

Is it too late to create a core belief?

But what if you’ve never articulated a core belief? Is it too late to create one?

The good news is that core beliefs aren’t something you create but rather something you discover. It’s already within you, or within your company. You just have to tease it out.

Why was the business started? Aside from making money. What impassioned you, or the owner to do something so ridiculously stupid, like Anita Roddick and Richard Branson? To leave salaried employment, to pitch banks or investors, to work 16 hour days for months on end?

If you’re willing to do that there’s a core belief driving that ambition. You just need to start articulating it.

The people who believe they can change the world are the ones who often do.