How To Define Your Brand Mission in 3 Steps
Jenny Zhao
Brand Strategist
Copy Editor
Copywriter
Courtesy of Inspiretta on iStock Photos
You know what your company stands for.
After hours of ideating, building a product, charting a roadmap, and putting together a brand kit, you know your business front and back. You know your company can differentiate itself from the pack, but how exactly do you characterize its core DNA?
Enter: the brand mission. A brand mission is a crucial piece of a company's brand strategy. It is the topmost piece of messaging on the brand pyramid.
It's the very thing you want your company to be known for in conversations, elevator pitches, and college lectures. It's also one of the most powerful ways to build brand loyalty.
According to Sprout Social:
A brand mission statement clearly communicates a brand's purpose, objectives and how it plans to serve its audience. It is action-oriented and gives readers an idea of what your business does and what impact it wants to make.
A mission statement should contain four elements within it.
1)Value – Contain the value of the business to both customers and employees.
2) Inspiration – State why people would want to work for the company as well as why people would want to support the company.
3) Plausibility – Be reasonable. Does it sound like a worthwhile mission?
4) Specificity – Tie back to the business.
Here are three crucial steps to take in order to define your winning brand mission.
1) Come up with a list of goals.
Before drafting your brand mission statement, take some time to research the mission statements of other brands in the industry and draw inspiration.
Then consider making a list of goals and the impact that you want your statement to have on an audience and in the world. These are some questions to ask yourself to help determine those goals.
What is the impact you want to achieve?
Are your goals actionable and realistic? In what ways does the brand add value to your audience?
Can your brand carry this mission out in every aspect of the organization?
What do you create?
How do you differ from others in the industry and how can we make our mission statement standout from competitors?
What mission statements inspire you and why?
2) Think of what your mission needs to accomplish.
If you know what problem your product is meant to solve then you're already a few steps ahead! Many entrepreneurs have strong marketing and sales centered around solving a problem or filling a market gap; however, this is a general company function and not the only purpose of your brand. The key to this step is to think big.
Beyond anything in front of you, think ahead to 5-10-20 years from now what your company is trying to work towards. Envision your company's core value offering. The task at hand is to expand that into a higher purpose.
3) Find a balance when writing.
Critical to writing a mission statement is to find the right balance of elements. A successful statement will be the following qualities.
1) Short and concise. You'll want to sum up your mission in a few sentences. It should not be a long essay.
2) Don't limit yourself. Will the business expand its reach and breadth of service one day? If so, make sure to broaden the scope of your mission and consider the long-term. This current iteration of the brand mission should stay relevant for at least 2-3 years.
3) Don't be afraid of feedback and change. Chances are things are going to change in the business world so don't be afraid of rewrites. Incorporate feedback from employees and outside perspectives when you can and examine for resonance. Ask them for likes, dislikes, and any qualms.
4) Go through many drafts. Iterate so you have as many viable options as possible. You want to ensure that your brand mission strikes the right amount of value and inspires the audience being targeted.
Here are a few impactful brand mission statements for inspiration.
1) IKEA
Ikea's one-line brand mission is "To create a better everyday life for the many people". They go on to expand further on their mission by stating the following:
We bring the IKEA brand to millions of homes, offering well-designed, functional, durable, affordable and sustainable home furnishing solutions to people with big dreams and thin wallets. We’re curious about the world around us, and want to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Why this works: IKEA's mission statement has all 4 elements of value, inspiration, plausibility, and specificity. They dream big with their first statement before narrowing it down to exactly who they want to reach ("people with big dreams and thin wallets"). They also list the qualities of their furniture that put them on the map (i.e. well-designed, functional, and affordable).
2) TED
TED's mission is simple. It's to "Spread ideas, foster community, and create impact."
Why this works: This statement perfectly encapsulates TED's values and aligns exactly with what they stand for as a company. It's straightforward, practical, and no-fluff. Exactly what a mission statement should be.
3) Apple
Their famous brand mission breaks the typical brand mission formula of describing a company's "what", and instead goes by their "Why" for existing. Since then, it has inspired numerous other organizations to do the same thing.
This tone shift has helped Apple ideate some of its most iconic campaigns to date (i.e. the Think Differently campaign) and center its brand since its founding in the 1970s. This striking difference has generated Apple millions in revenue and loyal fans because audiences were captivated by their "Why" and saw personal value alignment.
Mission Templates
If you're ever stuck on how to start writing a statement, a strong template to use is the following. This setup helps to concretely define your contribution to your audience and underscores the impact on their lives.
Image Courtesy of Simon Sinek
To Summarize
Writing a brand mission is one of the most important things you can do for your brand. It is the defining North Star of your business that customers can anchor to you. To come up with the right statement, you'll need to do the following.
1) Know your goals, values, and strengths.
2) Think and envision your company's long-term roadmap
3) Come up with as many options as possible that are concise, fluff-free, and encapsulate all your key goals, values, and strengths.
4) Look for inspiration and use a foolproof template if you're feeling stuck.
