Mission and Message

Message and mission are two important components of brand. Let’s define them and then learn why they are important.

Mission is your reason for being. It is what your organization strives to achieve through its services.

Message is the communication of the mission and vision of your organization. The message becomes tangible through the mission statement and through your communication tools and plans.

The mission statement is a succinct statement embodying your organization’s reason to be. It is a verbal and concrete embodiment of the mission. Here are some sample links to mission statements.

• WholeFoods
• Target
• Library of Congress
• Redcross
• United Way

Here are some standard communication tools for communicating your organization’s message:

• Signage and layout of your library
• print collateral
• web site
• social media (blogs, twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc)
• traditional media (TV and print ads, press releases, etc)

So why are missions and messages important to the success of a brand?

When it comes to the mission, it is important to know your reason for being. You cannot have a clear understanding of who you are and neither can your customers without knowing why you exist.

Without a message, you cannot communicate clearly with your customers. Unclear communication and messages blurs identity and makes a brand a failure.

A strong mission and message are important parts of the core of any brand. If you are beginning your brand initiative, mission and message should be on top of your list.