A brand’s mission is its reason for existence. A statement of purpose to inspire a loyal community of followers.
— What is a mission statement?
— Dissecting Apple’s Mission
— Mission statement examples
What is a mission statement?
A mission statement is the brand’s reason for existing in the world. The mission statement should communicate the values it stands for aside from profit.
The brand’s core values can be developed into the brand's mission. A mission statement should be the reason that people want to be part of the brand’s journey, as consumers, as a community, and as employees.
Build the mission statement from core values, to communicate your purpose. Communicate how you are changing the world, and for who. Make it concise, engaging, empowering, and inspiring.
Companies communicate to the world by building a brand that communicates their values and culture. A mission statement or brand promise forms a big part of the brand.
Dissecting Apple’s Mission
In a conference call with investors in 2009, Tim Cook, then Chief Operating Officer, offered some further insight:
“We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing. We are constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple not the complex. We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products that we make, and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution. We believe in saying no to thousands of projects, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot. And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change. And I think regardless of who is in what job those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well.”
Let’s dissect this further and we can pull out Apple’s core values.
Innovation — “We are constantly focusing on innovating.”
Simplicity — “We believe in the simple not the complex.” This is in part, a reference to Dieter Rams Principles of Good Design, from which, Apple take a lot of their timeless design references.
Critical focus — “We believe in saying no to thousands of projects, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us.”
Communication — “We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.”
Quality — “And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change.”
We can directly see the link of these values to Apple’s mission:
"…to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals, and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software, and internet offerings."
Consistent brand messaging is key. The brand should be communicating it’s mission and values through each and every brand touchpoint.
Keep your values and mission to heart. Put them at the core of what you say and how you say it. 80% of communication is non-verbal. It is not what you say, it is how you say it. Be consistent with your message.
"Quality and consistency create an identity"
Jony Ive, previously Chief Design Officer at Apple
Mission statement examples
Next steps
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More posts in Brand Strategy 101
Chapter 1 – Why Great Brands Need Brand Strategy
Chapter 2 – How to Conduct a Brand Audit
Chapter 3 – Uncover Your Core Brand Values
Chapter 4 – How to Use Brand Archetypes
Chapter 5 – Craft a Compelling Mission Statement
Chapter 6 – Create Your Brand Name
Chapter 7 – How to Run a Brand Strategy Workshop