Anthony Knierim
What makes a good mission statement? Is it a succinct sentence that captures your company purpose, a catchy slogan or perhaps something more? The best mission statements leave a lasting impression of your brand in the minds of your customers – and employees – encouraging them to choose you over another option, whether for employment or business.
A quality mission statement incorporates your company’s core values and reflects your organization’s personality. So, how do you get started with crafting your own? And which companies are doing it right?
Let’s first explore what a mission statement is and then review eight examples of amazing mission statements crafted by leading enterprises.
What exactly is a mission statement?
A mission statement is defined as an action-based statement that declares the purpose of an organization and how they serve their customers. This sometimes includes a description of the company, alongside its business objectives and what it does.
A good mission statement provides clarity behind the “what,” the “who,” and the “why,” of your company. The best mission statements are operational guidelines: Everything you do as a company should work toward your mission statement.
Most mission statements are between one and three sentences, never exceeding 100 words. The best mission statements are typically a single succinct sentence, so keep this in mind when crafting yours.
Reward Gateway’s mission statement is “Let’s Make the World a Better Place to Work!” It’s a lofty goal, but we believe it’s achievable through outreach, thought leadership and our work with our 4,000+ clients all over the world. We prioritize recognition and reward as key drivers of employee engagement alongside five pillars of wellbeing support (mental, physical, financial, emotional and social) and transparent communications.
Your company’s mission statement should be communicated to employees before their first day on the job. It should be highlighted on all your recruiting and onboarding materials, and employees should know it by heart. After all, this is the mission your employees should be aligned with every day. Otherwise, they’ll come into work feeling aimless and struggling to understand their purpose.
Examples of the best mission statements
Now that we’ve examined what a mission statement is and how to create one, we can address the key question of this article: What does a good mission statement look like, and who’s doing it right? Here are eight of the best mission statements for you to review and use as inspiration for your own.
JetBlue
To inspire humanity — both in the air and on the ground.
JetBlue aimed wide with its mission statement, proving that not all mission statements have to be tailored specifically to what a company does. This inspirational statement focuses on JetBlue’s audience, creating an immediate connection with readers, which isn’t surprising considering the company’s history of creative and personal marketing. JetBlue promotes itself as a group of service-oriented people dedicated to “bringing humanity back to air travel,” so this mission statement works well to reflect its branding and company personality.
TED
Spread ideas.
TED’s mission statement is simple, which makes it stand out on this list. While you might find it ironic that a media organization that hosts hours of content would stick to a two word mission statement, it actually fits with its branding. TED exists to share ideas online for free, and talks are usually limited to only 18 minutes. This kind of rapid-fire idea sharing is what makes TED such a lasting presence in American and global culture.
To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
LinkedIn’s mission statement is succinct and descriptive, encapsulating exactly what the social media powerhouse does: connect professionals from all around the world. Its mission statement stands out as one of the best because it quickly and effectively captures the fundamental function of LinkedIn while placing an important emphasis on the users of the platform, who are always the focus of LinkedIn’s design strategies.
PayPal
To build the web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.
PayPal’s values center around being a leader in FinTech to democratize financial services for all. This message is apparent in its mission statement, especially because of the emphasis on being a “cost-effective solution.” Merging security with cost effectiveness accurately sums up PayPal’s central mission to provide affordable services that advance the global economy while protecting people.
Asana
To help humanity thrive by enabling all teams to work together effortlessly.
Asana’s warm and friendly marketing aligns well with its mission statement. It has adapted the common tech-friendly sentiment of “making the world a better place,” but incorporated its own unique spin on this value by turning its focus toward its product. While this mission statement might be vague, Asana narrows its focus just enough to make its mission statement feel personalized to the company.
Nike
Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.*
*If you have a body, you are an athlete.
Nike stands out among the best mission statements for a lot of reasons, but our favorite is the style and tone of this mission statement. The use of the asterisk is unique and gives the audience something to think about. Furthermore, its message is inclusive, which follows notable trends in marketing when reaching millennial and Gen Z audiences.
Patagonia
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
This mission statement is great because it combines all the elements that make Patagonia successful: its high-quality products and core value of putting the environment first. Patagonia is a company focused on selling products and giving back, which is why its core value is a perfectly balanced hybrid of what makes its business stand out from the rest. Plus, its emphasis on its product keeps its mission statement grounded and actionable.
Workday
To put people at the center of enterprise software.
This mission statement is unique for several reasons: it encapsulates Workday’s stance that they are an enterprise software, dedicated to standing out among competitors. Simultaneously, it takes a look at the HR software industry as a whole, making a pointed statement that, ironically, even in the HR space, people are often at the wayside. This is a confident mission statement that not only observes the state of the industry but also supports Workday’s values in tandem.
You’ve crafted your mission statement. Now what?
After you have created your mission statement, be sure to communicate it to your workforce. After all, you don’t want to invest this time and effort only to have your mission statement lose impact.
Meet with your CEO and leadership team to present your mission statement, take questions, and address any feedback. Once leadership has approved your mission statement, begin introducing it into your workplace. Send out a company-wide message to employees; include your mission statement on collateral, make posters to hang throughout your offices, and regularly recognize employees who can recite your mission statement from memory.
This is also a good opportunity to reinforce your company’s core values by identifying and rewarding behaviors that align with them. Your mission statement should align with your core values, so use this chance to reward your team for embodying your company’s purpose and values. This positive reinforcement helps spread awareness about your new mission statement as well as boost morale. As a result, your company culture becomes even more appealing. With time, effort, and a strong mission statement, your company will be on the right track to focus on purpose and meaning.
Editor’s note: This blog was originally published on fond.com, which was acquired by Reward Gateway in March 2023.
Inspired by our mission? Check out our careers page to find your place in our organization today and see how you can help make the world a better place to work.
