What is a mission statement?
A brand mission statement communicates a brand’s purpose, objectives and how it plans to serve its audience. It is action-oriented and gives clients an idea of what your business does and what impact it wants to make. Furthermore, it sets the approach you’re currently following to achieve success.
Your mission statement defines the purpose of your business for both your employees and your customers. Therefore, it should be able to excite your consumers as well as your employees. Furthermore, it should focus on what your brand wants to achieve and aim straight to that goal.
In short, your mission statement serves as the roadmap to achieve your vision statement. Defining a clear mission for your brand will help you identify your target audience. Once you have a clearly defined mission statement, you can connect everything your brand does to that mission.
Furthermore, it will help you differentiate yourself in the marketplace. The best mission statements are a valuable branding tool that can help inspire your customers, employees, partners, investors and other stakeholders.
Crafting your brand mission statement
Your mission statement should be authentic and representative of your brand. It should also reflect your long-term goals and the larger purpose of the brand. In other words- it should stay relevant for at least 2-3 years.
Answer these questions during the process of crafting a brand mission statement:
- In what ways does the brand add value to its audience?
- What is the larger impact you want to achieve?
- Are these goals actionable and realistic?
- Can the brand embody this mission in every aspect of the organization?
A mission statement articulates a company’s purpose as a way of unifying the organization. Furthermore, your brand mission will be a cornerstone in every aspect of your branding process. It will help your audience understand the purpose of your brand and what it aims to accomplish.
When crafting your mission statement, follow these steps:
Step 1
What does your company do? Describe which services does your business offer.
Step 2
How does your company provide those services? Describe how your business generally operates. Incorporate one or more of your core values into your description. For example, providing high-quality service or superior customer service.
Step 3
Why your company does that business? Describe the passion behind your business. For example, provide legal services that allow clients to solve their problems.
Step 4
Apply your mission statement. Make your mission statement the center in the minds of everyone who works in or interacts with your business. Besides stating why your business exists, explain to them why they would want to do business with you. Finally, make sure your mission statement is highly visible on your website, your business premises and all your marketing materials.
How to write a great mission statement
Your mission statement is your opportunity to define the company’s goals, ethics, culture and norms for decision-making. Typically, it includes general descriptions of your organization, its core function and its goals. Depending on the focus of your business, your mission statement may be broader.
Moreover, your mission statement will likely evolve over time as your business grows and changes. Therefore, don’t avoid making adjustments when necessary. A well-crafted mission statement focuses the business for both employees and the target audience. For consumers, it sets the company apart from the competition without limiting the business purpose.
The Key Elements of a Mission Statement
1. State your beliefs
State fundamental beliefs about the world and your place in it. Those beliefs should filter your view on life and work. For example, you believe that your company’s responsibility is to be part of the change you want to see in the community. Or, you believe small gestures have a big impact. After you have set the foundation for your business’s approach and its place in the world, proceed to the next step.
2. Set your core values
What things do you truly value? Is it integrity, duty or responsibility? Maybe it is hard work, or helping others in need. Give it thoughtful consideration and list out your main values. That way you will be able to understand the core motivations for the decisions you will make in the future.
3. Define your company’s purpose
Why does your organization exist? Combine your beliefs and values in order to clarify your primary motivators. Make a list of your brand’s goals and the impact you hope to make on your audience and in the world. For example, your company might exist to give opportunities where none can be found.
After you’ve answered further related questions to your business, you will discover the deeper purpose for why your organization exists. As a result, you will experience the breakthrough necessary to writing a compelling mission statement for your organization.
4. Decide your action word
What action word is best for your organization? For example, it could be helpful or empowering. Your mission statement should inspire people to action and that’s why it is important to set your action word. Accordingly, include it in your mission statement afterward.
5. Choose how you want your mission statement to be perceived
When crafting a brand mission, involve people from all areas of your organization. Share it with your team members and those who can give you objective feedback. Consequently, it will need to resonate with people inside and outside of your organization. Employee feedback may be able to highlight gaps between the mission itself and the internal culture of your brand.
6. Communicate your mission statement
Build a plan for how you will communicate your mission statement. For example, mention it at meetings, put it on posters, use it as tangible proof of actions happening in your organization. Make sure you share your mission statement with your customers, employees, partners, investors and the public at every opportunity. Communicate it on your website, written materials, marketing documents and internal communications. Even in your office!
7. Review and revise
Your brand mission needs to be reflected in all aspects of your organization. This includes your hiring process, internal communication practices, marketing and everywhere in between. Keep in mind that good mission statements serve multiple functions, define objectives and live for a long time. However, don’t forget to review and revise it if needed in order to reflect your company’s values and goals properly. As your brand changes, the mission statement can shift to reflect that growth and change. Revisit your mission statement every few years to make sure it still aligns with the brand’s goals and purpose.
Conclusion
A company’s mission statement is an expression of its core values and its purpose. It reflects a company’s values, philosophy, and competitive advantages. In other words- a mission statement is a declaration of what makes the business important. It guides the actions of the employees and draws in customers by creating direction by explaining what the company intends to accomplish.
The mission statement can serve as a reminder—for owners, supervisors, and workers—and as a lever for self-enforcement. If you have a special view on your relationship with employees, write it into the mission statement. If your business is friendly to families, or to remote virtual workplaces, put that into your mission. Some of the best mission statements incorporate a much broader sense of mission that includes, or at least implies, the mission of ownership.
Finally, keep this in mind:
- Keep your mission statement short and concise. Sum it in just a few sentences, or even in no more than 20 words. Great mission statements are to the point and say more with less.
- Think long-term. The mission statement is an investment in your company’s future, so keep it open enough to reflect your long-term goals.
- Find out what your employees think of the mission statement. Include them in the process and ask how they would improve it.
- Change it, if needed. If your mission statement no longer represents the company, it’s time to rewrite it!