A brand mission statement is probably one of the most important parts of business and brand guidelines. They are an essential piece of marketing in themselves. Not having one can make marketing efforts feel like you’re stuck going nowhere, but having a strong one will go a long way in helping businesses grow. We are here to help you create yours.
Some people call it a Brand Mission, others a Purpose. We always call it your Brand Mission. The mission is apt because just like putting people on the moon, you’re answering the question:
“Where are we aiming to be?”
Your Brand Mission comprises who you are, what you do, and where you’re going or what you want to achieve. Typically, your Brand Mission takes your values and turns them into a tangible message that can be transmitted through all of your marketing materials. It takes your values from a list of words on paper and glues them together into one concise message.
Not only is your Brand Mission a powerful marketing tool, but it can help your brand attract the very best talent - and keep them.
Ready to put your Brand Mission on paper? Have a go at the following activity.
Your Brand Mission should answer the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why do you do it?
Remember: you’re not writing War and Peace. A concise Brand Mission is better than a sprawling paragraph of text.
Keep it simple, make it impactful.
Creating Your Brand Mission
People make a big deal about writing a huge mission statement. But it doesn’t need to be an arduous task, and your mission doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) a paragraph of text!
Look at these examples from some of the biggest companies in the world:
- Google: "To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."
- Uber: “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.”
- Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
- LinkedIn: To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
- PayPal: “To build the web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.”
- Nike: Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.
- Twitter: “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.”
- Walt Disney: “To be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services, and consumer products.”
- Microsoft: “To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.”
They’re not sprawling paragraphs of text.
Let’s start by answering the following questions.
Your mission statement should be deliberately concise.
Why are you in business?
Who are your customers?
What makes you different from your competitors / how do you stand out?
Once you’re done answering these questions, it’s time to distill your answers. The statement you’re looking to create should be concise, outcome-orientated, and inclusive. But most importantly it should answer:
- Who you are are
- What you do
- Why do you do it
