How can you develop a mission statement that truly represents your brand?

Creating a mission statement that truly represents your brand means figuring out what your brand stands for and why it exists, keeping it short and clear, making it inspiring, and making sure it matches your brand's actions and beliefs. Share it with your team, customers, and community, and update it as your brand changes. A good mission statement helps everyone understand what your brand is all about and guides the decisions your brand makes.

To me, I think it's actually best to figure out mission before core values. That way you have your mission as the business's north star of what you do, then the core values follow as a guide for how you'll reach your mission and what actions you will/will not take to reach that mission.

A stellar mission statement is like the North Star of a company's journey. It should be short, sweet, and to the point. Think of it as your brand's compass, showing you where you're headed, what you believe in, and who you're serving. It keeps everyone in the organization on the same page and inspired to conquer the world – one well-defined mission at a time!

Crafting a mission statement that truly embodies your brand requires a deep understanding of your brand's essence and purpose. Stakeholder Engagement & Core Values. Engage with stakeholders, from employees to customers, to gather insights on what the brand genuinely stands for. Reflect upon your brand's core values, vision, and the change it seeks to create in the world. Combine these insights and values to articulate a mission statement that serves as an authentic compass for all brand activities and decisions.

Most essential = not more than 3! It makes no sense having more than 2-3 core values - your communications will be spread thin and you'll just end up making half-hearted brand statements.

According to the author of Deep Purpose, Purpose is a unifying statement of the commercial and social problems that a business intends to profitably solve. The Purpose statement should encompass goals and duties and also communicate what the business is all about and who are the intended beneficiaries. In ancient eastern literature as well, the term dharma that can be loosely translated as a “pillar” or something to uphold. n communicating Purpose, leaders should go beyond slogans and rallying calls to convey a grand meaningful “Big Story” that will evoke a future that reflects moral values and captures how the world ought to be and the role the company aspires to play in it. It should also call others to partner and act.

Your purpose as a brand is a combination of two factors, what problem you solve in the world for your chosen overall audience and how you want to go about solving it. This could be lofty, this could be quotidian, but it needs to be rooted in a need to resonate beyond the founders of the company.

A company isn't to serve the ego of its owner but to offer a solution to those who need it most. - Think of your clients first. Companies are not solely about pleasing shareholders and maximizing profit. - Always remember why you put in the effort and money to build the company. Don't let people or situations influence you easily; have your own advisory board (friends, family, mentors) that you trust and allow them to guide you when things get tough.

Anchor your statement on your North Star or core purpose -- your WHY. Be specific on WHAT value or service you are offering and to WHO you are offering it to.

The purpose is the heartbeat of your brand, it's what makes your brand come alive. Defining your purpose is about articulating the ‘why’ behind your brand’s existence. It’s not just about what you do, but why you do it and why it matters. This step is about crafting a narrative that resonates with the core values identified earlier, and that is at the heart of your mission statement.

Remain realistic while writing your vision statement. Talk is cheap, actions are gold. - Revisit your 'why' and imagine a bigger future for it - Study your market and decide where you'll fit within it in the next decade - Meet with your employees and shareholders to understand how they see the company now and in 10 years, and what they're willing to offer to see that vision come to life

Think of vision as the Utopia of your company. It is often what we desire, the perfect world that we hope to see if our solution is completely deployed and totally effective. Often, it is 'unachievable' alone. Because if your vision is achieved, your organisation would no longer exist. Solving the problem that keeps your organisation relevant is your vision.

Be careful not to confuse mission and vision! Mission = your North Star, it guides your every step and gives you a reason to exist, but it can never be completed. Vision (or 'envisioned future') = It's the aspirational but achievable long-term goal, the mountain you'll be climbing. Once you reach the summit, you'll seek new peaks. For a deep dive into mission, vision, and values, I absolutely recommend reading the article "Building your company's vision" by J. Collins and J.I. Porras. It's an older piece, but still an excellent resource. Sometimes, the wheel doesn't need reinventing to explain timeless concepts.

What does success look like for your brand? Your vision should be what guides your brand, it's about dreaming big but also grounding those dreams in the reality of what your brand aspires to achieve.

It should answer two questions “Why does your company exist?” and “What makes your company different?”, all while adding the following elements to define it more: - Value (What is the value of the business to both customers and employees?) - Inspiration (Why should people want to work for the company?) - Plausibility (Make it sound reasonable) - Specificity (Tie it back to the business)

A good mission statement transcends products, services and individual leaders. Imagine it as a promise that still rings true a hundred years from now, representing your company through its changes and evolution. To achieve this, you need to dig deep into the core of your company. I like using the '5 Whys' technique to guide this exploration. It's simple: 1. Start with a statement that says what you do, why, how, and who you do it for. 2. Then, ask 'why' and write down the answer. 3. Repeat this five times. For instance, a mission statement like "To give founders a platform to build their brands, fast" (Step 1) could evolve into "To make entrepreneurship more rewarding and accessible so more first-time founders can succeed" (Step 5).

A clear vision, paired with a robust set of values, invariably carves out a brand's unique identity in the market. This synergy not only resonates with audiences but also differentiates the brand, creating a legacy that's hard to replicate. It's the DNA of authentic brand identity."

I call the articulation of all these elements "the bounce effect". Purpose is WHY you do what you do – it's the reason for your business' existence, like a compass that marks the direction to take. Vision is WHERE you want to take the business. The long-term aspiration and future state. It's like a destination and should be measurable. Mission is HOW you get there.?The pathway to making your Vision tangible. It guides daily operations to create value. And then it bounces back: If we commit to our Mission and do all that well, we will achieve our goals and realize our Vision. And if we do that, we’ve moved in the right direction. That means we were true to our Purpose. See? It bounces.

Your mission statement should strike a balance between grounded and aspirational. It should reflect your why and what you stand for, where you want to go, but also where you’re at. To make it more impactful, make sure to get internal stakeholder feedback and buy-in and revisit your mission statement on a regular basis to ensure relevancy and accuracy. If your people don’t believe your mission internally, no one else will.

Before making anything public, review and get feedback from those involved and not involved. - Is the copy clear or poetic? - Does it fit the entire brand (tone of voice, style, vision, purpose) - It is relatable to your customers or out of reach/too idealistic? - Is it unique and gets your company to stand out?

An effective mission statement should be authentic. It should reflect the values and culture of the company while being flexible enough to evolve over time. It should also be inspiring, not just for the executives but for everyone in the company. And don't forget, it should be simply and clearly articulated so that everyone can understand it. I am a strong advocate for the "Why" – inspired by Simon Sinek's "Golden Circle." Start by identifying the "Why" of your brand. For example: Why does your company exist? Once the "Why" is clear, the "How" and the "What" will follow. In my experience, developing a mission statement is an iterative process that requires discussion and reflection, from employees and managers.

The main mission of any brand or business is to make profit. All the rest is just PR and branding. Non-profits are an exclusion

There is often confusion around the difference between Mission, vision and purpose. Some see it as the same thing but as this article demonstrates they are 3 separate entities and brands have a key statement for each. I like to summarise each as follows: Purpose: Purpose GUIDES you, it is the reason your brand exists (beyond making money) Vision: Vision INSPIRES you. It's the longer term shared vision of what achieving what you set out to do looks like. Mission: Mission DRIVES you. It backs up your purpose and serves as a roadmap or guiding principle to how you are going to accomplish your vision. It must be something that everyone can buy into internally and externally and aligned to core values.

COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE Once the organisation is clear on its purpose and values, the leader/s must consistently communicate why they’re important, and use tactics that reiterate their distinct attributes. Brands also need rituals and artifacts to bring alive the stories they want to tell, Denise explains. Organizational rituals are nothing but ceremonies, rites, and other regularly occurring events and activities that employees do and celebrate together. On the other hand, objects that the organization creates, keeps, and distributes, such as awards, pictures, and devices, are the artifacts that symbolize what is important in its culture.

Craft a mission statement that authentically captures your brand's core values, purpose, and commitment, aligning it with your company's actions to ensure it serves as a genuine and inspiring guide for both internal culture and external perception.