A great example of a purpose statement is the preamble to the Constitution of the United States, which states:
"We the people of the United States, in Order to form a perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Your Company's Purpose Statement - 1:30 Minute Video
What is a Purpose Statement?
A business purpose statement defines the vision and mission of a company in a brief but comprehensively informative way. While not every detail of the company's infrastructure and history need be included, a summary of the key points and goals as well as a clear picture of the target market are essential.
A business purpose statement will keep a company focused on its goals and on improving and increasing progress and expansion, and will keep in mind the intended audience and customers. A straightforward business purpose statement not only will help the business stay organized and looking ahead, but also will stand as an accessible and professional document with which to attract and inform potential investors.
Your business purpose statement comes down to two simple but VERY powerful questions.
What does your business do? (Identify a sense of mission that drives your company to do what it does)
Why does your business exist? Below are sample purpose statements that work for several public and private companies.
- Nike: "To Bring Inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete"
- Microsoft: "To help people and businesses throughout the world reach their full potential."
- 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 reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices."
- The NFL: "To challenge National Football League players to be lifelong learners while pursuing continuous improvement in family relations, social interactions, personal growth and career development during and beyond their careers as NFL players."
- AFLAC: "To combine aggressive strategic marketing with quality products and services at competitive prices to provide the best insurance value for consumers".
- Hershey Corporation: "Undisputed Marketplace Leadership".
- Disney: "The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world."
- Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: "To make, distribute & sell the finest quality all natural ice cream & euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment."
- Joe Boxer: "JOE BOXER is dedicated to bringing new and creative ideas to the market place, both in our product offerings as well as our marketing events. We will continue to develop our unique brand positioning, to maintain and grow our solid brand recognition, and to adhere to high quality design standards. Because everyone wants to have fun every day, JOE BOXER will continue to offer something for everyone with fun always in mind." (The CEO is called the Chief Underpants Officer!).
- Wal-Mart: "Wal-Mart's mission is to help people save money so they can live better."
Some Useful Guidelines to Follow ...When Developing your company's Purpose Statement
- Determine who is responsible for the completion of the Purpose Statement. This should be the owner of the company.
- Assemble the team and set the deadline for completion.
- Determine your audience: In a shop's case this will be your shareholders, employees, customers, strategic partners, and
- Model and Emulate the Best Businesses: Review the Purpose Statements for other companies outside your industry and the most admired companies in the world.
- Does it pass the Spouse or Mother Test? Run it by your spouse, or better yet, your mother. If your mother doesn't understand it, then it might be time to start over.
- What is Your Communication Plan? Where and how you're your Purpose Statement be communicated - over and over again? How will you keep it alive and well and avoid it from ending up on the proverbial corner shelf of everyone's office gathering dust?
What is your shop's Purpose Statement?
**Blog written by Frank Terlep, CEO of eMarketing Sherpas**
No comments:
Post a Comment