Mission First. Brand Second.

Mission first. Brand second. 

By Yetta Blair


Recently I was asked by a young organization to help them with their marketing materials and branding. After meeting with them and reviewing their current materials, they were surprised, when I told them the first step to building their organization’s brand was to fine-tune their mission statement. They had a good start on a mission statement but it still read more like goals to reach a mission, instead of a mission statement itself. It had no passion. It had no direction. It had no soul. It gave no real clue as to the organizations brand.

Your mission statement is the soul of your brand and it should drive everything else your business does. It is your “why”. It is the very reason your organization does what it does. It provides your company direction. It helps you stay focused and clear. It is a reminder to each member of your organization of where you are going, what you are doing and why you are doing it. It keeps you moving in the right direction and it can take your business to the next level.

Up until now, you may not have considered your mission statement to be all that important or relevant to your business brand. But, your mission is your core purpose and it defines your brand. Once your mission statement defines your brand, taking steps to build on that brand and establishing a significant and differentiated presence in the market, should fall easily into place. A highly skilled design company can then easily assist in creating marketing materials, logo designs, website updates and more that reflect your brand. But, first things first.

Here are some tips on how to develop your mission statement

• Start by asking yourself questions such as:

What do we do? 

Who are our customers or the people we aim to help?

What’s our role?

Why did we organize this business? What is our long term and short term plans?

What image do we want to convey? What is our style, culture?

• When writing your mission statement make sure to:

Write it with a goal that’s an action, not a sentiment.

Make it quantifiable.

Use vibrant exciting words but match your company’s personality.

Create dynamic visual images and inspire action.

Keep it short. Leave out the fluff.

Write it in a way that signals what your business is about.

Be clear about your passion and values for operating your organization.

Revise it when necessary.

Believe in your own statement. If you do not, your customers will pick up on that.

Examples of Mission Statements

Facebooks mission 

“Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”

Coca‑Cola Company Mission
 

Our mission is:

· To refresh the world - in mind, body and spirit 

· To inspire moments of optimism - through our brands and actions 

· To create value and make a difference everywhere we engage

McDonald’s mission 

“McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience.”

General Motor’s mission

"G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment."

American Red Cross mission

The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Google’s Mission

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."