Mission Impossible
October 29, 2007 at 6:12 pm tcolbert 1 comment
The New York Times ran an intriguing piece on the ubiquity of corporate mission statements and, in the opinion of many experts, their, shall we say, lack of utility. The salient point here is that Mission Statements are not bad in and of themselves. It’s what you do with them. And it comes down to language. Cliche terms and corporate mumbo jumbo don’t illuminate or inspire one to seek a business path forward — in mission statements, corporate writing, or, in fact, in life.
Focusing on benefits to costumers and clearly articulating the value of your business makes it easier for your customers, employees, and partners to see what the real differences are between you and your competition. Poorly written mission statement make a statement of their own: there is no real difference. We’re just like the other guy offering “innovative solutions with a focus on service.” Sound familiar?
Entry filed under: Advertising, B2B Public Relations, Branding, Positioning / Messaging, Public Relations. Tags: .
1.
bgfeener | October 29, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Mission statements aren’t slogans.
The most effective are the most simple:
To provide____ with _____.
Example: Widget Donuts – “To provide man, woman, and child with the best Donut and Coffee experience in the United states, always putting the customer’s needs ahead of the company’s.”
Simple clean, and you know what type of biz they run…