Whether you’re starting a new business or overhauling a current one, having a clear mission statement keeps you true to your business purpose, laying the foundation for everything that influences the way you are perceived in the market place.
One of the major drivers of customer loyalty is appreciation of a brand’s values. The most successful brands use their mission statement to succinctly convey values that align with their target customers.
Mission statement definition.
Let’s start with the fundamentals: What exactly is a mission statement, and how does it differ from a vision statement? In a nutshell, a mission statement is an action-oriented description of the purpose a business serves to its audience.
A vision statement, on the other hand, describes where a business wants to be upon achieving its mission. So, while a mission statement defines a business’ reason for existing, a vision statement describes what the business wants to achieve as a result of its mission.
RELATED: How to get your employees to promote your business.
Mission statement examples.
Let’s take a look at some examples of mission statements from real companies and why they work so well.
1. Sumo Salad
“To make Australia a healthier and happier place.”
Why it works:
- Explains the root of why it was founded while also revealing its vision for a better future
- Hones in on a local Australian market
- The focus is on wellbeing, not just pushing a product
2. Google
“To organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Why it works:
- Succinctly explains the company’s huge scope of service
- Words like “useful” and “accessible” convey inherent value
- Successfully simplifies a complex range of services
3. Optus
“Our mission is to enable communication by breaking barriers and building bonds.”
Why it works:
- Highlights how the company is solving problems i.e. “breaking barriers” while providing a great customer experience i.e. “building bonds”
- “Enable communication” effectively summarises a wide range of services
4. Etsy
“Keep commerce human.”
Why it works:
- Combines simplicity with the company’s purpose to build a statement that can guide the brand’s strategy while appealing to customers
- Transforms the concept of ‘commerce’ from something dry and impersonal to approachable and appealing
5. Jetstar
“Jetstar’s mission is to offer low fares to enable more people to fly to more places, more often.”
Why it works:
- Highlights a key selling point i.e. low fares
- Highlights the value to the customer i.e. more travel to more destinations
6. IKEA
“To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
Why it works:
- The focus is on making “everyday life” better for customers rather than just selling furniture
- The phrase “many people” makes a huge company seem more accessible to a broad range of customers
7. Cochlear
“We help people hear and be heard. We empower people to connect with others and live a full life.
We help transform the way people understand and treat hearing loss.
We innovate and bring to market a range of implantable hearing solutions that deliver a lifetime of hearing outcomes.”
Why it works:
- Successfully demonstrates the company’s major impact on people’s lives
- Highlights the company’s drive to innovate
8. TED
“Spread ideas.”
Why it works:
- Highly effective message conveyed in just two words
- Successfully hones in the core purpose of TED Talks: to spread ideas
9. LJ Hooker
“We are pushing the boundaries, connecting, sharing, learning, creating and doing whatever it takes to be the best in real estate with our customers at the centre of everything we do.”
Why it works:
- The customer is the core focus
- Highlights the company’s ongoing quest for improvement by “pushing the boundaries” and “doing whatever it takes to be the best”
10. Spotify
“To unlock the potential of human creativity — by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.”
Why it works:
- Focuses on both core customer groups: the artists and the listeners
- Takes an abstract concept i.e. “unlocking the potential of human creative” and applies it to the real world i.e. enabling artists to live off their art.
RELATED: 6 New Year’s resolutions for your business.
How to write a mission statement.
When writing a mission statement, remember that it should be tailored specifically to your business. Make sure to:
- Be realistic (and therefore authentic)
- Describe a clear benefit to your target customer
- Be motivational and/or solve a problem
Before you get started, consider the following questions:
What does your business do?
At its core, what is the purpose of your business? Aim to describe the customer need your business fulfils. For example, a garden centre’s mission statement might be “We sell beautiful gardens” instead of “We sell plants and accessories”.
How does your business achieve its goals?
List your business’ core values and how you use them to achieve your goals. For example, a café’s mission statement could be “We use the finest quality fair trade beans to serve the best coffee in Australia”.
Why does your business do what it does?
Think about the passion behind your business and why you started it in the first place. Let’s say you’re a childcare centre owner. In this case, the drive behind your business might be “to provide an educational framework that enables children to experience success in learning and life.”
Answering these questions will help you drill down to the core what, how and why of your business, and pinpoint its fundamental appeal to customers. Once you’ve created your mission statement, you can start to define relevant strategies and processes that apply to everything from your staffing policy to your store design. This all culminates to allow you to abide by your mission statement on a daily basis.
Looking for support with marketing and growing your business? Find out more about Yellow Pages’ services by visiting our product pages or requesting a call back from one of our expert team.
