The world has many businesses, all eager to be unique, recognizable, and appreciated by numerous customers. They want to sell their products or services and stay on the market for generations. But what sets apart famous brands that stand the test of time from brands that can’t get out of anonymity regardless of what they sell or their marketing strategy?
The answer is a set of values that resonates with consumers and makes them feel close and comfortable buying from a particular brand. It’s why people keep buying the same products, trust the same services, and heartily recommend whatever they have been using for years over and over. This set of precious values that makes a business successful reaches the customers through a mission statement.
A mission statement is a short text that lets people know a company's values, why it exists, and its purpose. The statement clarifies what products or services you offer and to whom, where your company is located, and how you make everything happen.
The mission statement is not something you change every day. It needs to stand the test of time and accurately reflect your activity. Therefore, the values you choose have to be authentic and honest.
The mission statement connects your business with consumers, media, suppliers, and stakeholders. It creates a narrative in which each one finds their place and knows what to expect next. The mission statement acts as a guideline for employees and managers, underlines your goals, states your place in the community, and helps you develop your business strategy on solid ground.
Having your values and principles laid down helps you overcome any uncertainty and possible problems. You know where you stand and what you want to do, so everything that follows writing your mission statement can be easily divided into small tasks and conquered.
The hard work isn’t finding what you want to say in a mission statement but making it concise, relevant, and memorable. In just a few phrases (sometimes less than that), you need to encapsulate your values, principles, and goals and also answers to important questions, such as:
Therefore, the best way to write a good mission statement is to be honest. List the values important to you, such as sustainability, social responsibility, health, and innovation. Avoid fluffy language and use your own words. Writing a mission statement is not SEO research. Be authentic and open, even if it takes more words than you have space for. You’ll trim the important stuff later on.
Secondly, consider your employees, suppliers, and partners. You may have a family business, a business based on a group of friends with similar views, or a big corporation. This is who you are and should be in your mission statement.
Last but not least, write down things you will most likely agree on within 50 years. For example, you will probably always love to innovate and develop surprising solutions in your field. Or you will always care for the environment or the people who buy your products. Remember, the mission statement is the foundation of your business. Although you can slightly update it over time, the essential parts remain the same.
Now that you have all the information in front of you, it’s time to put together those memorable few sentences. Start by explaining who you are (e.g., Our family business), your mission (e.g., has the mission to), what you do (e.g., provide organic olive oil produced using traditional methods), and where your business is located (e.g., and olives coming from our grove in Mykonos, Greece). Continue by stating your purpose (e.g., to maintain a hundred years of tradition, support the local community, and provide the best olive oil to our customers).
While the words are yours, you can start your mission statement from a template. Once you figured out what you want to say, try putting everything in a format like the following one:
Of course, you can change the order of the template’s elements to fit your story. Be original and creative, and avoid big, meaningless words.
You can always adjust your mission statement after writing it. Give it some time to sink in, even ask for feedback from your team, then reread it and make minor adjustments based on the following tips:
Long-term thinking – the mission statement is not based on current trends or novel ideas that run out in a month. It’s something that will be valid 100 years from now. Be inspired by Ford’s mission statement: “To help build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.”
In the following lines, you can find below a set of 15 popular mission statement examples from companies in the automotive, tech, fashion, services, hospitality, beverages and foods. We hope we get some of them might have the statement examples that you're looking for.
“To help build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.”
Ford provides an inspiring and memorable one-sentence mission statement. You can do that on its website's dedicated page if you want to read more about its purposes. However, from its short mission statement, it is clear that Ford’s mission is to help the entire world (location) and every person (target customers) move freely and pursue their dreams (what the company does and values).
“Samsung follows a simple business philosophy: to devote its talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society. To achieve this, Samsung values its people and technologies.”
Samsung's mission statement is longer, but again, the main elements are clear. Their values are talent and technology, and their purpose is to create superior products for a better world.
“We bring the IKEA brand to millions of homes, offering well-designed, functional, durable, affordable and sustainable home furnishing solutions to people with big dreams and thin wallets. We’re curious about the world around us, and want to make a positive difference in people’s lives.”
IKEA lists the attributes of its products but also states its global strategy and purpose of making a positive difference in people’s lives. It emphasizes curiosity and sustainability as some of its strengths.
“For over a century, Vogue has empowered and embraced creativity and craftsmanship, celebrated fashion, and shined a light on the critical issues of the time. Vogue stands for thought-provoking imagery and intelligent storytelling. We devote ourselves to supporting creators in all shapes and forms. Vogue looks to the future with optimism, remains global in its vision, and stands committed to practices that celebrate cultures and preserve our planet for future generations. We speak with a unified voice across 26 editions standing for the values of diversity, responsibility and respect for individuals, communities and for our natural environment.”
Vogue is an excellent example of an updated mission statement. The well-known magazine recently adopted a new mission statement across its 26 national editions. Their statement is slightly longer, but it needs to be because it incorporates their past as well as their future. The statement clarifies their values, vision, and commitments.
“Our mission is to drive prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions. Our vision is to be the most desired and successful provider in this sector, across the globe.”
Volvo's mission statement is simple and concise in the usual Scandinavian tone. It states what it does, its purpose, and its vision for the future.
“Our mission to create economic opportunities so people have better lives has taken us so much further. As a result, we’ve become the world’s work marketplace where every day businesses of all sizes and independent talent from around the globe meet here to accomplish incredible things.”
Online service providers have mission statements, too. Upwork focuses on its target customers and the benefits the company brings to the market. It also emphasizes its global approach and purpose of improving people’s lives.
“Committed to significantly improving the lives of as many people as possible.”
Although Google's mission statement doesn’t mention how it intends to achieve its goals, the message is short and memorable. It’s impossible not to remember that Google wants to improve your life and is a global company. This short approach works when the business is already famous, and people know what products or services it offers.
“Bitdefender provides cybersecurity solutions with leading security efficacy, performance and ease of use to small and medium businesses, mid-market enterprises and consumers. Guided by a vision to be the world’s most trusted cybersecurity solutions provider, Bitdefender is committed to defending organizations and individuals around the globe against cyberattacks to transform and improve their digital experience.”
Other technology providers have longer mission statements. Bitdefender’s is different. The company lists its products and services, underlines its vision, and emphasizes its values and commitment. In just one paragraph, it answers all the questions you may have. It’s not a catchy mission statement, but the reader will know what Bitdefender does for them.
“We stand for creating a new type of coffee shops – the creative coffee spaces. For us they mean more than places where specialty coffee is served. Our creative coffee spaces inspire and transform our Team, Guests and Partners. They become more open, connected and creative; they become simpler and greener.”
Tucano Coffee Franchise is not a coffee shop but a franchise business. It sells the idea of an ideal coffee space, and its mission statement is embellished with good vibes and stories. This is a more personal mission statement in which the writer inserts information about the business (coffee shops, partners) but also about its values (creativity, openness, connectivity) and methods (simple, greener).
“With every cup, with every conversation, with every community – we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.”
Starbucks is also a coffee-related company that is much more famous than Tucano Coffee. Therefore, their renewed mission statement only focuses on the values that made Starbucks famous (coffee, conversation, community) and their purpose (to nurture human connection). Although less explicit, the statement is touching and memorable.
“Provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern day explorer, support the preservation of the outdoors, and inspire a global movement of exploration.”
The North Face’s mission statement is as straightforward as the outdoor equipment they provide. It clearly states that its products are for explorers and aims to inspire and support them. They also state their commitment to protecting the environment and preserving natural habitats.
“At The New York Times, our mission and values guide the work we do every day. By acting according to their spirit, we serve our readers and society, ensure the continued strength of our journalism and business, and foster a healthy and vibrant Times culture.”
This is an example of an original and authentic mission statement. The New York Times stays true to its values and culture and reinforces the spirit for which the publication is famous. It’s a courageous and uncompromising mission statement.
“Our mission is 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.”
Spotify uses a standard template for its mission statement: what its mission is, how it will achieve it, to whom it is addressed, and its values. The text is clear, concise, and inspiring. It makes you want to be part of their community of artists and reach your creative potential.
“Our mission: Create more smiles with every sip and every bite.”
In a very short and fun manner, PepsiCo's mission statement tells you that it is in the food and drink industry and that its purpose is to make you feel good. The company has a rich history, is popular, and often finds itself at the center of disputes. But its mission statement is honest and lets you know that all it values is your smile.
“We're an employee-owned company, every one of us bakers at heart. And for generations, we’ve been there with you as you bake. Our mission is to be the ultimate resource and inspiration in the kitchen, to inspire connections and community through baking, and to use our business as a force for good.”
Not as popular as PepsiCo, King Arthur Baking Company opted for a longer mission statement that explains who they are, what they do, their purpose, and their values. In short sentences and common language, the company tells you everything you need to know. And the same mission statement will be true years from now.
How long should a mission statement be?
A mission statement shouldn’t be longer than a few sentences. Popular brands don’t need to explain who they are and often have mission statements of just one or two sentences. New brands, however, need more space to let people know who they are and what they do. But even they should be limited to a short paragraph.
What’s the difference between a vision and a mission statement?
A mission statement describes a company's foundation, values, and main characteristics. It represents the past, current, and future purposes and benefits for your customers. On the other hand, the vision refers solely to the future. It focuses on plans, ambitions, and outcomes in the following years.
Related: 30 additional mission and vision examples.
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