Mission Statements are not something people usually think about. Traditionally mission statements are long complex paragraphs that you read during orientation at a new organization and forget about that afternoon (assuming your orientation was in the morning). This isn’t always the case but it has been in most places I have been apart of. That is, if your business/organization has a mission statement. I have worked with lots of clients for whom a mission statement has not even crossed their minds. I would propose that mission statements are super important for the organization and can become a really solid part of any marketing strategy.
Why are mission statements so important in marketing?
1.  Mission Statements ground the organization. A good mission statement helps you from chasing whatever might pop up along your path. Imagine you are an Italian restaurant but you just got a great offer to sell fajitas from our distributor. Fantastic price with a great margin. Do you think that could confuse your customers? A good mission statement will help you from diluting your brand by adding products and services that don’t fit. Imagine if a marketing company decided to start doing tree trimming. Would that affect your perception of that marketing company?
2. A well written mission statement is memorable. If you have written a mission statement well, you will be able to use it all the time. It will work its way into your speech and into your marketing. But it needs to be short and memorable. Anything more than a sentence is too much. Being memorable helps your employees focus on the work at hands and reminds them why they are there in the first place.
3. It captures the organization in a few words which helps convey it to strangers. Andy Stanley recently said at Leadercast that “people follow clarity”. If you are able to demonstrate to a client or a donor the clarity that you bring to the table, they will be more inclined to do business with you. A good mission statement becomes apart of your elevator pitch and helps all of your team members share the same info about the organization helping you create a more solid brand.
Examples of mission statements:
Three mission statements I have had a heavy hand in helping write and that I think follow the model above:
1. The Star Center. The Star Center’s mission is to help any person with any disability to realize their potential.
2. Our Jackson Home: The mission of Our Jackson Home is to tell the stories of the people and the city that we all love.
3. Adelsberger Marketing: The mission of Adelsberger Marketing is to help businesses communicate with their current and potential customers.
Like a logo and a website, I think mission statements are bedrocks of any good marketing plan. Let’s lead our employees and customers with clarity!
