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Our bread and butter is making sure brands hit their mark with strategic and creative wizardry. One place we like to start? Finding a brand’s true identity by ensuring its mission statement accurately expresses the company’s purpose. A well-crafted mission statement gives your company a True North to follow through the ups and downs of life. It’s the battle cry that unites your employees together. It’s like the pump-up mantra before the big game. This statement helps you laser focus on what your company’s primary goal is right now and helps rally the troops to get there.
Tip #1: Remember Your Reader
Do you know who your primary target audience is for your mission statement?
If you answered your potential customers, think again.
It’s the people you hire.
To ensure everyone in your company is working toward common goals, your mission should clearly spell out your objective. Everyone desires a sense of purpose and meaning in their work and understanding your purpose helps people decide if they want to jump aboard or not. We all want a place to belong, and with more hours spent with our coworkers, even remotely, employees want to feel good about their 9 to 5.
To determine if your company clearly shows its purpose, ask these questions: Do my current employees understand—and get excited—about why we do the work (besides a paycheck)? And, do I clearly convey what the company stands for so potential hires can ascertain a good fit?
Textbook Example
At Ardent, we strive to hire for fit over talent in our very own Creative Capital of Texas. (Not that talent doesn’t ooze naturally out of the pores of these glorious weirdos, BTW).
But fit for your particular culture—that’s something you just can’t train for; you want to attract it. No one wants to feel like a square peg in a round hole.
The Ardent mission is pretty clear and we recruit like-minded people to join the herd:
Ardent Creative: Build creative solutions for an evolving world.
Tip #2: Know Your Why
One pivotal piece of strategy we love to help brands discover is their “why.” What’s the underlying reason for your company’s existence? In simple language: Why the heck are we even here? What makes your company different or unique in its offerings, services, or relationships as opposed to the guy who’s doing the exact same thing you do? The official Marketing 101 term: your unique selling proposition (USP). The USP is the first and most important step in determining … well, pretty much everything! Yet, you would be surprised to learn that many companies don’t know what makes them different. Without your “why” factor, it will be difficult for you to easily convey to future employees and customers why you’re better than your competitors.
If you don’t know, neither will they.
Textbook Example
One of our clients, Elite RV, knows how important its USP is when it comes to marketing. Seeing the need for a more customer-centric approach in an outdated RV repair industry that was known for long wait times and bad service, Elite RV set out to change the status quo. You can read more about them here.
Tip #3: Stick to Clear, Simple Language
It is our utmost mission to continue to authoritatively provide a full spectrum of access of diverse service offerings to stay relevant in tomorrow’s world.
Does that mission tell you anything specific? We don’t think so either. Before you’re alarmed that it might be an actual statement; don’t fret, it’s not. It was generated using an automated mission statement website but please don’t attempt to do this.
Many companies do one of four things in the creation of their mission statements:
- Use too many buzzwords/jargon
- Be too convoluted
- Use too many words
- Lack memorability
We’re going to tackle #1 and #2 in this tip and punt #3 to the next one. This quote on writing from a famous author pretty much covers it:
“Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.”
-Mark Twain
In short: Use brief sentences with basic structure and vocab that an eighth-grade graduate could comprehend. Readability is key. Research shows that plain language is for everyone, and even the experts prefer it. If you think you’re dumbing down your statements by not using complex jargon, you’re off the mark. Shoot ‘em straight and you won’t tax your reader. Plus, your short and sweet statement will stick with them longer.
Textbook Example
Tesla makes it really clear to its employees, shareholders and customers that it’s on an Earth-friendly mission with this simple statement:
Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Tip #4: Stand Out from the Pack
You’ve learned why you need to craft a simple, short mission based on easy readability. Now, make it memorable. This is where you get to add in your “wow” factor. Spice it up, add the sauce—however you want to say it—make it yours. Your mission statement is intended to inspire your employees so don’t make it boring. Think back to what gets you out of bed in the morning to run your company. What excites you about the trajectory of the business? Go back to your “why” … and then let your mission express that creatively.
Textbook Example
We think this airline company’s mission is most memorable with its play on words:
Virgin Atlantic: To embrace the human spirit and let it fly.
Tip #5: Revise as Needed
There are multiple examples of successful companies that have lost their compass—and their livelihood—when they didn’t revisit their mission to evolve with the times. *Ahem* Blockbuster. Don’t roll your eyes at this one. We get it—Blockbuster has become a bit of a punching bag when it comes to examples of what not to do in business. Their situation was a bit complex but the bottom line remains: embrace disruptors as opportunities, change your mission when needed, and then manage your people to carry it out.
Textbook Example
TOMS founder wasn’t afraid to revisit his mission when he felt a spark was missing. After taking a sabbatical, Blake Mycoskie came up with a surprising conclusion: “I felt lost because TOMS had become more focused on process than on purpose. We were concentrating so hard on the “what” and “how” of scaling up that we’d forgotten our overarching mission, which is to use business to improve lives… My mission was clear: Make TOMS a movement again.”
Let Us Help You
We hope you found some insight in this blog that inspires you to craft your own unique mission statement. And, if you aren’t for sure how to even get started, we know a few people who can help.
If you’re looking for a branding agency that can help you keep (or get) your brand on mission, you’ve come to the right place. Ardent’s team of writers and strategists have just the right way with words to help you nail your mission statement.
Reach out today to see how we can help.
