Why you should have a company mission statement.

One of the first steps in the?marketing planning?process is to define the company mission statement. The mission guides the corporate strategy, which in turn guides the marketing plan and everything you do within your marketing will relate back to your mission.

Your mission statement defines the purpose of the organisation and will become the heart of the business. This then needs to be communicated to all key stakeholders including clients, employees, suppliers, board and will be a key part of the marketing plan, corporate strategy and all your key marketing messages.

Mission Definition

A formal summary of the goals and values of a company, organisation or individual. It is a single message or short paragraph that is used by a company to explain its existence.

The importance of a mission statement

The company’s mission statement is a guide for not just your marketing content and business direction but something your employees all sign up for and become invested in.

A mission statement is valuable as it provides a concise strategy and philosophy that applies to any situation within a company. Indeed highlight the importance of a strong mission statement when attracting talent, when looking for a?job?many people use a company's mission statement to decide if they want to apply.

A good example of this is to think of NASA. When President Kennedy visited NASA he went to the bathroom and observed the janitor washing the floor, the President asked him what he was doing, he responded, “putting a man on the moon, sir”.

It just goes to show that a strong mission statement that is communicated throughout the company gives everyone a sense of purpose and they understand that their role, however big or small, contributes to achieving the overall business goal and mission.

A mission statement also brings clarity to your customers, all marketing?messages?should be mission related. It helps customers to understand what you do, how and why.

How to define your mission statement.

Keep it simple, the mission needs to be a short statement. Something that your employees and clients will remember. It can fit into your social media bio if you make it short enough!

Think long-term, you don’t want to confuse people by chopping and changing your mission so consider your business goals and where you want to take your business in the future. Having said that, don’t be afraid to change it if things change. We all know how quickly things move nowadays and your business needs to be flexible to keep up with market and external environment changes.

Target audience, consider who is most likely to use your product or service and ensure that your mission draws the right people in and they connect with it.

Brand purpose, what do you actually do, not what do you think you do – Have a look at the key products/services that you sell, you might need to go back through your invoices to check. You might be surprised by this!

Brand goals, how do you deliver your product/service? Explain how you go about solving your client's problems. Think about what you want to accomplish for your customers, how you want them to feel when they have used your service and why they should choose you over competitors.

Brand values, why do you do what you do and why does your business exist? Think about what it was that motivated you to start your business and communicate this. Often this is the piece of marketing communication that really connects you to your audience.

Mix the above together into a few short sentences and voila, you have your mission statement in the following way:

·??????What – you are offering

·??????Who – you are selling to

·??????Why – your core values you do it for

Here are a few examples of company mission statements:

The BBC -?“To enrich people’s lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain.”

Uber - “Uber is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through our apps, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers.”

Starbucks - “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

As a part of creating a marketing plan for clients, we will cover what you do and your mission statement. To find out more, get in touch with us –?[email protected]