The Real Difference Between Brand Mission, Vision, and Purpose.
I get this question a lot… “Steven, what is really the difference between Mission/Vision/Purpose, and can’t I use them interchangeably in my business?”
Great questions with a very succinct and clear answer. No!
You cannot use them interchangeably (why would you want to anyway?) as they have different meanings and usage. There’s a different strategy that comes with each statement and to use them willy nilly could easily cause more harm than good.
It’s like following instructions for assembling a baby stroller and changing out screws for nails and thinking “hey, what’s the worst that could happen?”. I highly discourage that kind of carelessness and I’m sure your child would too. (this is by no means a reflection of how I assemble furniture, especially with a newborn). 🙃
So let’s dive into the world of Mission/Vision/Purpose and gain some clarity once and for all.
With many schools of thinking on these core brand concepts, I’d like to mention that my school is pretty similar to that of Marty Neumeier – the Godfather of modern-day branding (and author of many amazing books I’ve recommended in the past and will do so below).
While always a student, I’ve certainly spent enough time guiding brands in establishing their strategic pyramid that like with anything, I’ve personalized and customized to fit my approach.
Looking at the strategic pyramid graphic above, you see the core 4 areas that make up the beginnings of a brand strategy.
Let’s begin to define them below.
Purpose: Your reason for existing beyond making money. This never changes and should always be revered as the north star. It’s aspirational yet achievable. I like to say, if this was artfully decorating the walls of your office, would you feel inspired every time you read it? Would it serve as an employee call to action?
Mission: This is your master plan for creating value in X number of years. I’d say 10-15 years is a good starting place but depending on your business and industry, that could certainly change. The goal is to make the mission a large goal that can be very clearly be articulated with numbers or words to represent it.
Vision: Next is the vision, and this is the one most brands get wrong. The vision is a visualization of the mission, meaning if you achieve the mission what does the world look like? As Marty says, the vision is a fraternal twin with the mission.
Goals: Under the mission/vision in a way that is almost supporting them are the goals. These goals or ‘strategic imperatives’ change (yearly/quarterly) but are always in place to support the mission, vision, and purpose. These could be sales goals, campaign emphasis goals (focusing on a certain audience segment), or even partnership goals.
The trick in ensuring success with proper usage of your strategic pyramid comes to a few factors including:
Being precise in language and terms used. Does everyone understand the definitions and are we all aligned with how to use them? Is it clear and concise? Is it memorable?
Creating a culture that values its Mission/Vision/Purpose and is active in living it every day. The most influential organizations have this deep in their DNA.
Having internal brand ambassadors continuing to ensure all activities are aligned with the strategic pyramid and that there’s a checks & balance system in place to course correct. When the ship goes off course, which it will, who’s captaining it and pulling it back?
Making these statements accessible through workshops, brand townhalls, and engaging assets such as prints, notebooks, and other valuable swag, just spare us the keychains, USB sticks, or non-BPA free water bottles. 🤦♂️
These statements are mainly internal and rarely do they need to be displayed all over a website or marketing materials, although they can when done right with a designer’s eye.
When done right, it can be a powerful expression of the brand. Some ideas might be your About page, 404 page, or even incorporating it as general social media platform headers even if the marketer in me says to use that real estate for more tactical/targeted messaging, but as general graphic it works great.
A clever way to use your strategic pyramid is with mission/vision walls inside your office or retail location. As you can see from the Microsoft example below, a play of typography gives the statement more life and depth for their employees to engage with.
Another cool example of a mission/vision wall is what Target did at their HQ. Clean and simple, they proudly display their brand intentions while giving employees a rallying cry.
Mission/vision walls aside, your strategic pyramid should be living statements that are put into practice at every touchpoint from deciding on advertising copy to social media responses. It should the magnetic pull of your organization that keeps all facets aligned.
If you find yourself asking “does this fit with our mission or vision” throughout the day then congratulations! 🍾 You’re one step closer to being the Chief Branding Officer for your organization or business, a position that is going to become extremely sought after in the near future because let’s face it, organizations need to have an audience-first perspective that favors experience and design over scummy sales and endless marketing funnels.
That’s it for now on Mission/Vision/Purpose aka your strategic pyramid.
Next time we’re going to be looking at the core values of your brand and how you can use them to help guide your marketing efforts in conjunction with your strategic pyramid.
Have a question about today’s post? Hit me up on Twitter or respond to this email. I’m all 👂’s.
Cheers to aperitivo time!
- Steven