HOLBORN
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3rd June 2019 | 4 min read
How to Write a Mission Statement for Your Brand
Have you ever looked at a business and wondered what they do and why they do it? Do you ever stop to consider what has made them the leaders they are? What is their fundamental purpose?
This is precisely why having a strong mission statement is crucial to the success of any organisation. Whether yours is a start-up working out of a serviced office or an established firm looking to grow, a mission statement can work as an effective tool not only to improve profitability but also to inspire and influence both employees and customers. So, how do you craft the perfect mission statement for your brand? To be sure that you don’t miss any area of your target audience, we’ve put together this helpful guide to outline how best to go about creating a mission statement that benefits everyone.
1. What does your company do?
Answering this question is the first step in getting a hold of your brand vision. And there’s no need to be fancy about it: whatever your business produces or provides, just say. This will come in handy when it comes to defining exactly what your company does and how you operate. Although this may seem a bit basic, it’s worth remembering that breaking things down to their essential elements is a surefire way to reconnect with them and discover ways to be more proactive vis-a-vis getting the best out of all you’re trying to achieve.
2. Create a market-defining story
Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you need to spend hours writing an actual story. But you should think about possible scenarios for customers investing in your product or service. One of the best ways to do this is by imagining a real person making the actual decision to buy what you sell. Ask yourself: ‘Why do they want it’, ‘How do they find you?’, and ‘What’s in it for them?’ The latter is the total market value for your brand; it’s no good offering something no one’s interested in. And keep in mind that the more concrete the story, the better chance you have of people buying into your brand and getting a feel for who you are.
3. Say why your company does what it does
The importance of crafting a perfect reason for why you’re in business cannot be overstated. This is the part that describes the spark – or passion – behind your company. Consumers love getting to know the key drives behind a brand’s ambitions; it helps them connect more deeply and forge a long-lasting relationship. And then there’s the opportunity to go back to why you started your business in the first place. It’s not just about investing in a good product or service; you’ll need to make things as personal and personable as possible with your mission statement if you hope to build trust in your brand.
4. What do the owners and employees get out of it?
Too often mission statements are carefully crafted documents that do nothing to focus the organisation’s efforts towards both owner and employee wellbeing. Good businesses are good for their employees too or they don’t last, and keeping workers – who themselves provide goods and services in the context of the company as a whole – is better for the bottom line than turnover. And then there’s the owner themself: often overlooked as they go about quietly keeping things moving forwards business-wise. Don’t forget to include both aforementioned parties in your mission statement; this will prove invaluable as your organisation builds upon the progress that it’s already made.
5. Discuss, revise, polish, repeat
Be prepared to edit your mission statement. The best ones serve multiple functions, define objectives, and live for a long time as a result. But you must put the work in and prepare for multiple revisions. Keep a sharp eye out for the buzzwords and hype that everybody claims (if you can’t deliver because you’ve overpromised, you start to lose both customers and reputation). Show drafts to your staff, ask their opinions, and really listen to what they have to say; it’s one of the best ways to test your new mission statement before revealing it to the world.
In its simplest state, a mission statement is a declaration of what makes your business important. Explaining what the company intends to accomplish, it guides the actions of employees and draws in customers with a clear direction. As such, there’s nothing more important than getting yours in tip-top shape. We hope our guide inspires you to look at your organisation’s mission statement with fresh eyes and rework it until you feel it’s the best it can possibly be.
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