In this blog, we’re going to show you how to define your brand mission and come up with a Brand Mission Statement.
Consider this question:
“Why do you do what you do?”
If someone asks you this question about your brand, and it makes you panic, it’s clear you need to create and refine your brand mission statement.
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In its simplest form, your brand mission is why you do what you do, and your brand mission statement is a one or two-sentence statement that tells people the answer to this.
A banging brand mission statement will help to connect your customers to your brand values.
If you’re struggling, then keep reading this blog as we’re walking you through the process step-by-step.
What Is Your Brand Mission?
Your brand mission is, essentially, a concise roundup of your brand.
Your mission should align with your overall brand concept. This serves as the foundation for how your brand is perceived in the market.
Aligning your brand concept and mission with a strong brand growth strategy can help you scale effectively.
But:
Brand missions aren’t just for big brands with hundreds of employees.
Even if you’re a one person team, it’s important for you to have a brief, simple declaration that clearly communicates to people:
- What you do
- The benefit or value of the service you offer
- The vision you have for your brand.
Your brand mission takes your brand values and compresses them into one, easy to digest sentence, without the fluff.
Brand Mission Statement Example
HubSpot is a strong example of a B2B brand with a clear, effective mission statement.
As a CRM and marketing platform, HubSpot operates in a crowded, feature heavy market. Their challenge isn’t just explaining what they do, but why they do it, and who they’re really for.
HubSpot’s mission statement is:
“To help millions of organisations grow better.”
On the surface, it’s simple. But every word is doing some heavy lifting.
Let’s take a closer look:
- Help: This immediately positions HubSpot as a partner, not just a software provider. It signals support, guidance, and collaboration, which are all crucial in B2B relationships.
- Millions: This word establishes scale and credibility without sounding corporate or cold. It reassures buyers that HubSpot understands businesses at every stage, from startups to global organisations.
- Organisations: A deliberately broad term that keeps the mission flexible. It avoids over-specifying industries or company sizes, leaving room for growth and evolution.
- Grow better: This is where the mission really lands. It’s not about growth at all costs. It’s about sustainable, thoughtful growth. It’s a clear reflection of HubSpot’s inbound philosophy and long term view of success.
The result is a mission statement that’s concise, confident, and purpose-led, without slipping into jargon or buzzwords.
And that’s exactly what a strong B2B brand mission should do: communicate value, intent, and mindset in a single, digestible sentence.
Brand Mission vs Other Brand Elements
It can be easy for your brand mission to get confused with other parts of your brand.
This includes your brand’s tone of voice and brand identity, as both of these play a huge part in shaping your brand. However, it’s important to make a very clear distinction between these three things:
- Brand mission – Your brand mission is your ‘why’. It should clearly communicate why your brand exists and the purpose it aims to serve.
- Brand voice – This is the way you communicate with your audience through your tone of voice and brand messaging. It relates to the language you use and your communication style (i.e, serious, humorous, empathetic).
- Brand identity – Visual elements often make up your brand identity, such as colours, fonts, and your logo, which are all easily identifiable.
Brand Mission vs Brand Vision
Brand mission is most commonly confused with brand vision (hence why we’ve given it its own section!)
Essentially, they both get you to the same place: identifying why you exist.
While your mission statement outlines the goals, objectives, and approach of your brand, the vision statement articulates the impact you hope to make long-term through your mission.
IKEA’s brand mission and brand vision statements provide a clear example of this.
IKEA brand mission: Offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.
IKEA brand vision: Create a better everyday life for many people.
In simple terms, the brand mission outlines what your brand aims to do and how, while the brand vision statement envisions the future results of those accomplishments.
Why Do You Need a Brand Mission Statement?
Your brand mission statement communicates your answer to the question ‘What are we aiming for?”.
Remember:
Your brand mission isn’t just for your customers, it also tells your staff what your values are and is a guiding message for the service that they’re going to provide.
Brand consistency between internal actions and external messaging reinforces your mission and strengthens brand trust.
This clear articulation of your brand’s mission is critical because it guides your actions and strategies. When effectively communicated, it resonates with your audience and contributes to long-term brand loyalty and market success.
One of the most important things when creating your mission statement is to make sure that it’s easy to understand so that anyone reading it knows exactly what it is that you do.
Coming up with a brand mission can feel daunting, as though you’re being put on the spot.
It can be easy to get worked up over what is essentially one sentence, but you know what your brand is, and what you set out to do.
We’re here to show you a simple way to get there.
But whatever you do, don’t underestimate this little sentence.
How Do You Make a Brand Mission Statement?
Creating a pretentious brand mission statement because you think it will make you sound better isn’t going to do you any favours.
Instead, it should be a clear, honest reflection of your brand’s goals.
Always keep in mind that you should:
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- Be honest
- Be true to yourself and your brand
- Stick to your word
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If you are providing a luxury service, shout it from the rooftops!
“We produce exclusive items to enhance your life”
However, if your service and prices are more humble, go with just that.
“We provide an affordable service that people can rely on”
Sure, these seem like pretty straightforward statements, but you’re being honest and transparent with people. You’re telling them what to expect, and you’re not overpromising anything.
That said, let’s get started with the basics. Your brand mission needs to answer the following questions.
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- Who do you serve?
- Why do you care?
- What do you provide?
- What benefits do you give clients?
- What do you offer that’s different to competitors?
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Remember, this doesn’t have to be a dissertation. A short and snappy brand mission does the job a lot better than a paragraph that rambles on.
You want this statement to make an impact. Don’t worry that it doesn’t detail every single cool thing that your business does in one go, there are plenty of other ways you can communicate those things. Your Brand Mission is there to say what you’re all about.
Still struggling? Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
Who Do You Serve?
It’s important you think about your target audience as your brand mission statement needs to appeal to them.
To get this right, ask questions such as:
What characteristics do they have? What are their wants and needs? What are their challenges and pain points?
Why Do You Care?
Don’t worry, we’re not asking for an in depth, profound sentiment.
A simple explanation of why you’ve chosen to work in the area you do, will be just fine.
For instance, if you care about the environment and this is reflected in your business, then delve into the passion and commitment driving your sustainability initiatives.
By integrating this into your brand mission, you not only emphasise your dedication to a cause but also create a distinctive identity that resonates with consumers who share similar values.
Similarly, if your business is driven by a commitment to making a positive impact on society, highlight how your products or services contribute to the greater good.
Whether it’s through community engagement or ethical business practices, highlighting your dedication to social responsibility adds depth to your brand mission.
Whatever your business stands for, make this clear in your brand mission statement and set your brand apart from others.
What Do You Provide?
For this point, you can either focus on your personal expertise or the service that your company provides.
If you’re a one man band or a small team, don’t panic – this is actually a great point to focus on!
You provide a personal service, and the customer will always be dealing directly with the person on the job, and the person in charge.
Clients can rest assured that they are not just a number, but are receiving a more hands-on, attentive approach. This not only builds brand trust but also sets you apart from larger competitors.
However, if this is the case, just make sure you don’t solely focus on “we are a one person company” – remember to leave yourself room for future growth!
This demonstrates your scalability to clients and also positions your brand as being ready to evolve in response to their needs.
Balancing personalised service with an eye towards future growth ensures that your brand resonates both in the immediate and long-term context.
What Benefits Do You Give Clients?
What problems do you help customers with when they use your service?
If you were a fast food restaurant, go a bit deeper than “our burgers taste great”.
You should be thinking more along the lines of “you won’t be hungry and we’ll satisfy your cravings for some good ol’ grease!”
You need to think of the emotions they feel before the problem, and then after you’ve come along and solved it for them. Your Brand Story will help you define what emotions your service sparks in people.
Take the key beats from your Brand Story, as these emotive words should feed into your brand mission statement.
What Do You Offer That’s Different to Competitors?
You need to spend some time focusing on your USP; understanding what you do differently and what sets you apart is the heart of this point.
Revisit the insights from your competitor analysis, identifying not only what they excel at but also the aspects where they may have fallen short when it comes to customer needs.
Understanding your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses gives you a strategic advantage when articulating your own USP.
Your Quick Guide to Creating Your Brand Mission Statement
Now you should have quite a bit down on paper to work with, and have made some headway with what you’re trying to get across.
Refine the points you’ve just made by highlighting a keyword or phrase from each point.
For example, using the sections from above:
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- If you’re a B2B business that has identified Marketing Managers as your target audience, then Marketing Managers would be the words to use from the ‘who do you serve’ section.
- If you care about the planet and provide an eco-friendly service, sustainable would be the word to use from the ‘why do you care’ section.
- If you’re a small team and you pride yourself on a one-to-one approach, personalised service would be the words to use from the ‘what do you provide’ section.
- If you’ve identified that you serve up great tasting burgers that satisfy cravings, great taste would be the word to use from the ‘what benefits do you give clients’ section.
- If you’re cheaper than other companies in your industry offering the same thing, competitive pricing would be the word to use from the ‘what do you offer that’s different’ section.
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Essentially, you need to use the information you’ve gathered from the 5 key considerations above to build out your brand mission statement, as this helps you craft something that is concise, tailored to your audience, and designed to make an impact.
Tips for Writing a Great Brand Mission Statement
We’ve compiled 5 top tips to hopefully make the process of writing a brand mission statement a little easier.
Be Concise and Clear
A great brand mission statement is concise and easily understandable, so avoid complex language and jargon. Clearly communicate the core purpose and values of your brand in a way that resonates with your target audience.
Focus on Core Values
Centre your mission statement around the core values that your brand stands for. Identify the principles that set your brand apart and express them in a way that reflects your brand’s identity.
Consider Your Audience
Tailor your mission statement to resonate with your target audience by taking the time to understand their needs, aspirations, and values. A brand mission statement that speaks directly to your audience creates a stronger emotional connection.
Highlight Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Incorporate your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) into your brand mission statement. Clearly communicate what makes your brand different from others in this industry, whether it’s innovation, excellent customer service, or a unique approach.
Inspire and Motivate
A great brand mission statement should inspire and motivate your customers and employees. Use language that instils a sense of purpose and vision. When people are inspired by your mission, it creates a positive culture and reinforces commitment to your brand’s goals.
As you refine your brand mission statement, it’s important to also consider how it fits within your overall brand hierarchy, making sure to align your mission with every level of your brand’s structure.
Launching Your Brand Mission Statement: Your Quick Guide
After creating your mission statement, read it aloud to yourself a few times. Even better, read it to the dog.
Does it feel right? Does it communicate what you want to say accurately? Have friends and family read it? Do they get it?
If you’re looking for additional ways to refine and align your brand mission, consider running a branding workshop. This can be an effective way to gather insights and ensure everyone is on the same page before finalising your mission statement.
Get ready to be hit with some constructive criticism. If they’re looking a bit confused and some extra explanation is needed to get across what you are trying to say, be prepared to go back to the drawing board and refine it once again before finalising.
Remember, your brand mission needs to be understood by everyone who reads it, not just everyone who works in your industry.
From these steps, you should now be left with a concise Brand Mission Statement, ensuring anyone who needs to know about your brand gets it in one. We go more in depth in our downloadable resource Brand Strategy Made Simple.
