Mission Statements of Top Brands
Writing a purposeful mission statement is a valuable skill — check the missions statements of the top brands to get inspired writing yours.
Writing a purposeful mission statement is a valuable skill — check the missions statements of the top brands to get inspired writing yours.
You should define your mission statement before you even start searching for your business name or sketching your logo concepts.
A mission statement is a written declaration of an organization’s core purpose and focus.
Your mission statement comes even before your positioning statementor any other branding initiatives — it’s basically at the very core of your brand.
So if you’re working on a branding or rebranding project, you’re in the right place — start by drafting your mission statement first.
What is a mission statement?
It is a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual.
Or as Simon Sinek defines it — your WHY.
A brand’s mission is to serve as a filter to make decisions that are “on brand” and it normally remains unchanged over time.
The statement should be able to inspire your team and your customers alike to contribute to something larger than themselves.
Why is that some companies seems to have a clear purpose and others don’t?
To answer these questions, let’s look at some of the best brands and their mission statements:
Importance of Mission Statement
Leaders and brands who know their mission:
- Enjoy greater long-term success.
- Command greater trust and loyalty.
- Are more forward-thinking and innovative.
Every leader and team has a deep-seated purpose, cause or belief that is the source of their passion and inspiration.
You may not know yet what’s yours, or how to express it in words.
In his book, Start With Why, Simon Sinek uses the Golden Circle model to explain how legendary leaders such as Steve Jobs or Elon Musk were able to inspire and create iconic brands.
And it all comes down to asking the right questions:
- Why we do it? — What’s our mission or belief.
- How we do it? — What’s the point of difference.
- What we do? — What are the products and services.
You must do this in the right order — from the inside out.
Writing an Effective Statement
When we meet new customers or clients, the first thing we do is we tell them WHAT we do — our products and services.
Then we explain HOW we do it or how we are different from our competitors — things that make us stand out form the crowd.
But very few of us can clearly articulate why we do what we do — what’s our brand purpose, cause or belief.
Why does your company exist?
When we align emotionally with our customers and clients, we create meaningful brands.
Brands that people love and want to be a part of.
Brands that people believe in and trust in their superiority.
So let’s look at some of the best brands and their missions statements to learn what makes them so powerful.
1. Apple
Apple, unlike its competitors, has defined itself by WHY it does things, not WHAT it does.
Apple’s Mission Statement:
To challenge the status quo. To think differently.
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs saw the personal computer as a way for the little man to take on a corporation.
Apple may not always sell the very best products e.g. battery life, high price.
But if you’re someone who wants to “think different”, you probably swear they have the best products.
If people made only rational decisions, no one would ever buy a Mac.
But of course, people do buy Macs and some even love them to the point that they have built a cult-like following.
The design and user interface of Apple products, though important, are not enough in themselves to generate such astounding loyalty among their customers.
People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.
Notice that Apple rarely uses features or benefits in their marketing campaigns (WHAT), but instead they rely on communicating the core brand mission (WHY).
Apple’s mission statement was formed as its founding in the late 1970’s and hasn’t change to this date.
2. Harley-Davidson
There are people who walk around with Harley-Davidson tattoos on their bodies — that’s insane.
Harley-Davidson’s Mission Statement:
To fulfill dreams of personal, All-American freedom.
People proudly wear Harley logo because it’s no longer about Harley — it’s about them.
It’s simple: Harley riders are bonded to each other.
But how can you justify their overpriced motorcycles?
Why other brands like Triumph or Indian are nowhere near in sales?
People who are drawn to Harley — you don’t need to talk to anyone about which brand to choose.
They feel the utmost confidence in their decision and the only question they ask is which Harley.
The rational features and benefits, facts and figures absolutely matter (WHAT), but not to drive the decision to give money or loyalty to the company or brand.
That decision is already made — those decisions started with WHY — the emotional component of the decision.
After years of Harley being crystal clear about their mission and being consistent about everything they say and do, their logo has become a symbol.
It no longer simply identifies a company and its products; it identifies a belief.
The logo caries so much meaning in people’s lives because it helps them express the meaning of their own.
3. Disney
Disney brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world.
Disney’s Mission Statement:
To create happiness for people of all ages, everywhere.
The reason we trust Disney is simple; we know what they believe.
Consider this: you have to babysit a kid and you opt for cartoons.
You have two brand-new DVDs to choose from, one of the DVDs is from some company you never heard of and the other is from Disney.
Which one would you choose? — the truth is we trust the one from Disney.
Disney operates with a clear sense of WHY.
They have been so consistent over time in everything they say and do that parents trust them enough to expose their children to Disney content without vetting it first.
That has nothing to do with quality products (WHAT), this is not rational (WHY).
We make decisions based on out “gut feeling” that is directly connected to a company’s mission, cause or belief.
Knowing you have a loyal customer and employee base not only reduces costs, it provides massive peace of mind.
We trust those with whom we are able to perceive common values.
We want to be around brands who are like us and share our beliefs.
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