You know that having a mission statement is absolutely critical to your business. It's your rallying cry. It's the first step of your Foundational Content checklist. And it's essential if you want to scale your brand.
Mission statements need six elements to be effective. They should:
- Be short and easy to repeat
- Focus on a specific problem
- Use in Plain Language
- Put a stake in the ground by avoiding words like "help"
- Set a big goal
- Start with an action verb
That's a lot to ask from a little sentence, so we've compiled a list of companies that get it right. Not every mission statement listed here meets all six critera, but they come darn close. These are excellent examples for you to use as you write a mission statement for your business.
"We strive to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle!" -Adidas
"We seek to be Earth's most customer-centric company for four primary customer sets: consumers, sellers, enterprises, and content creators." -Amazon
"To inspire and connect with women to put their best selves forward every day." -Ann Taylor
"To connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else." -AT&T
"To care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society." -Aveda
"The world’s leading provider of premium products and premium services for individual mobility." -BMW
"To make people's lives better everyday - naturally." -Burt's Bees
"To champion every client's goals with passion and integrity." -Charles Schwab
"To be the leading brand of quality lifestyle accessories offering classic, modern American styling." -Coach
"To refresh the world; to inspire moments of optimism and happiness; to create value and make a difference." -Coca-Cola
"To be the preferred provider of targeted financial service in our communities based on strong customer relationships." -Commerce Bank
"To help you savor the good life." -Cuisinart
"To satisfy curiosity and make a difference in people's lives by providing the highest quality content, services and products that entertain, engage and enlighten." -Discovery Media
"To passionately create innovation for our stakeholders at the intersection of chemistry, biology and physics." -Dow Chemical
"To give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." -Facebook
"Turning moments into memories for our guests." -Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
"To be the world's favorite for American Style." -Gap, Inc.
"To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." -Google
"Makes the world a more caring place by helping people laugh, love, heal, say thanks, reach out and make meaningful connections with others." -Hallmark
"To be the preeminent global hospitality company - the first choice of guests, team members, and owners alike." -Hilton Worldwide
"To create and promote great-tasting, truly healthy, organic beverages." -Honest Tea
"We enable businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, helping people fulfill their hopes and dreams and realize their ambitions." -HSBC Bank
"To make the world inbound. We want to transform how organizations do marketing." -HubSpot
"To create a better everyday for all people impacted by our business." -IKEA
"To provide superior service in every aspect of our customer's air travel experience." -Jet Blue Airways
"To enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter." -Kellogg Company
"Providing people with essentials for a better life by adding convenience to daily routines with some of the world's most recognized products." -Kimberly-Clark
"To help customers improve and maintain their biggest asset- their home." -Lowe's
"Making the whole planet feel better. One bottle at a time." -Naked Juice
"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world." -Nike
"Committed to providing our customers with the best possible service—and to improving it every day." -Nordstrom
"Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." -Patagonia
"Provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world's consumers, now and for generations to come." -Proctor & Gamble
"Helping pets live longer, happier and healthier lives through proper nutrition and care." -Purina
"We make invention accessible." -Quirky
"Delivers proven solutions that drive innovation and improve performance." -SAS
"To inspire a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations." -Seventh Generation
"Dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit." -Southwest Airlines
"To inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time." -Starbucks
"Spread Ideas." -TED
"To enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information." -The New York Times
"We're in the business to help improve lives. With every product you purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. One for one." -TOMS Shoes
"To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America." -Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
"To be the World’s Greatest Kids’ Brand." -Toys "R" Us
"To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers." -Twitter
"To facilitate the financial security of its members, associates, and their families through provision of a full range of highly competitive financial products and services." -USAA
"To embrace the human spirit and let it fly." -Virgin Atlantic
"Helps people around the world save money and live better -- anytime and anywhere -- in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices." -Walmart
"Makes the world's daily habits inspiring and entertaining." -Yahoo
*"To rid the world of corporate babble, one concise sentence at a time." -YourBrandVox.com
"To provide the best customer service possible." -Zappos
Tell us, what do you like about these mission statements? Are there businesses that should be on here? Let us know in the comments.
P.S. A big shout out to Becky for doing the research!
