Strategy31 Jul 2025Simon Druery

7 mistakes companies make when developing a CVP or EVP

A strong Customer Value Proposition (CVP) and Employee Value Proposition (EVP) are essential for building a brand that attracts, engages and retains the right people. These propositions go beyond marketing messages or recruitment taglines, they define the unique reasons why customers buy from you and why employees choose to work for you. In other words, they are the foundations of how your brand is experienced both externally and internally.

Yet, many organisations approach CVP and EVP development with assumptions, shortcuts or a one-size-fits-all approach. The result is often confusion, wasted investment and missed opportunities to build real connection. When done poorly, a CVP or EVP can weaken trust, dilute your brand and make it harder to stand out in a crowded market.

When done well, however, they provide clarity, focus and belonging, helping your organisation align around a shared purpose and direction. 

Below, we explore the most common mistakes companies make when shaping each and how to avoid them.

Mistakes when developing a CVP

1. Over-focusing on product features, not customer needs
Many businesses fall into the trap of talking about what they sell, rather than what customers truly value. A CVP should highlight the outcomes and emotional benefits that resonate most with your audience.

2. Lacking differentiation in a crowded market
If your CVP sounds like every other competitor, you will end up competing on price. A successful CVP positions your brand as unique, memorable and worthy of loyalty.

3. Building without market insights
Too often, CVPs are created in a boardroom without listening to customers. Without research and data, you risk missing the very drivers that influence purchase decisions.

4. Forgetting to evolve the CVP over time
Markets shift, customer expectations change and competitors innovate. A CVP that worked five years ago may be out of touch today, leaving your brand behind.

Mistakes when developing an EVP

1. Confusing perks with value
Free snacks and office perks do not make a compelling EVP. Employees want to understand how your organisation helps them grow, belong and make an impact.

2. Lack of alignment with company purpose and culture
An EVP that does not reflect real behaviours, values or leadership creates distrust. Employees quickly see through messages that are not lived out day to day.

3. Ignoring employee input
Just as customers want to be heard, employees expect their voices to shape the EVP. Overlooking their insights leads to promises that do not connect with reality.

4. Treating EVP as a one-off campaign
An EVP is not a project you launch and forget. It must be embedded across recruitment, onboarding, leadership and culture-building to sustain long-term impact in the form of Employer Branding.

The Solution: The Magnetic Brand Builder™

At Belong Creative, we know how challenging it can be to define a CVP or EVP that is both credible and compelling. That is why we created the Magnetic Brand Builder™ (MBB), a four-phase process designed to align brand strategy with your business goals.

The MBB helps Brand, Marketing and People leaders who may be struggling with outdated value propositions, unclear positioning, or reputational challenges. Whether you have merged businesses that need to be unified under one brand or are simply trying to attract and retain the right talent and customers, the MBB provides clarity and direction.

The Four Phases of the Magnetic Brand Builder™

  • Evaluate: We uncover why people want to belong to your brand, and where the gaps may exist compared to competitors.
  • Calibrate: We shape insight-led Value Propositions (CVP and/or EVP), aligned with your objectives, and define a single-minded ‘Belonging’ Brand Essence.
  • Create: We craft a Magnetic Brand, visual, verbal and experiential, that attracts your ideal tribe and naturally filters out the rest.
  • Activate: With our Belonging Growth Engine™, we embed belonging across your organisation, providing content and tools that empower teams to build communities around your brand.
What makes the MBB different?
  • Human-Led Insight ensures every decision is grounded in what truly drives belonging.
  • Purpose-Driven Foundations align values and vision with business goals.
  • Transformational Value Propositions use our 5 + 3 Pillar framework for authenticity and impact.
  • A Single-minded Belonging Brand Essence gives you a lighthouse for decision-making.
  • Ownable Creativity delivers brand assets no competitor can copy.
  • Empowerment Tools make every employee an active builder of belonging.
  • Measured Impact tracks how belonging influences engagement, loyalty and financial performance.

For over 15 years, the MBB has delivered results for leading and challenger brands including Toll, Allianz, CXC Global, Roche, TPG Telecom, Bayer, Sydney Airport and many more.

Why getting CVP and EVP right, matters

Avoiding these mistakes in your CVP and EVP development is not just about polishing brand messages. It is about creating clarity, building trust and inspiring genuine connection with customers and employees. With the right framework, your brand can attract the right people and keep them engaged for the long term.

Let’s co-create a Magnetic Brand that makes your people feel at home, and drives real business impact.
Contact Belong Creative to schedule your free Magnetic Brand Strategy session today.

Article by Simon Druery

Simon Druery is Director and Brand Strategist at Belong Creative. What gets him jumping out of bed each day is helping business owners and marketers craft brands that people want to belong to. When he’s not working you can find him travelling Australia in the family caravan and enjoying a tawny port by the fire. 

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