What is a Mission Statement and Why do Companies Need One?
A company’s mission statement is its statement of purpose. It serves as a guide for all of the company’s decision-making, operational goals and values. Shareholders, leaders and employees are generally the target of the message though it should help workers within the organization know what decisions and tasks best align with the mission of the company. A mission statement offers insight into what company leaders view as the primary purpose for being in business. Some companies have profit-motivated missions, while others make customers a focal point. Other firms use a mission to point out more altruistic intentions that ultimately lead to profits.
A good mission statement is a short, easy to understand sentence that describes where you are and going and why you are going there.
Here’s how the world’s top 10 brands position themselves in their mission statements:
AMAZON
“Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
APPLE
“Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.”
“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
SAMSUNG
“Our mission is to contribute to a better global society by devoting our outstanding talent, continuous innovation and advanced technology to creating superior products and services.
Samsung aims to continuously revolutionize people’s ways of interacting with technology and facilitate customers’ everyday lives. We prioritize the needs of our consumers, serving as a pioneer in technology industry and leading people into the future.”
“Founded in 2004, Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.”
AT&T
“Our mission is to exploit technical innovations for the benefit of AT&T and its customers by implementing next-generation technologies and network advancements in AT&T’s services and operations.”
MICROSOFT
“To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”
VERIZON
“Our mission: Verizon delivers the promise of the digital world by enhancing the ability of humans, businesses and society to do more new and do more good.”
WALMART
“Saving people money so they can live better.”
ICBC
“Excellence for you. Excellent services to clients. Maximum returns to shareholders.
Real success for our people. Great contribution to society.”
Do you feel they have effective mission statements?
