“We’re in the business to save our home planet.” A short but mighty mission statement. Being someone who loves the outdoors, Patagonia has always been an inspiring brand and industry leader. I discovered the brand Patagonia while reading Let My People Go Surfing by company founder, Yvon Chouinard. He was an avid rock climber and environmentalist. He founded Patagonia due to his passion and love for climbing and the outdoors.
Over the past month, we have talked about the importance of an inspired mission statement. Patagonia’s mission statement is a great example as it truly encompasses who they are and challenges their audience to consider their part. “Save our home planet” seems like an overwhelming goal. However, Patagonia is doing its part in creating a change and making a difference. They were the first business to commit 1% of annual sales to the environment to their holiday marketing campaign, “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” They not only stand firm in their why but also continue to implement their why throughout their entire brand strategy.
Although their mission statement seems short, it catches your attention and, above all, encourages you to consider your impact and how you are making a difference. It sure challenged me.
Read on as we discuss why an inspired mission statement is essential to your brand strategy and to inspire your ideal audience.
Let Inspiration Guide You
Simplicity is Key
Simplifying the common themes of your inspiration and motivation will create a powerful statement that moves people. Patagonia, for example, shows us that your mission statement can remain short and simple but effective in driving people to action. Simplicity helps to draw in your customers and assists you in remaining authentic. In a world full of flashy ads, simplicity often stands out as the most intriguing. Dig into your “why” and let that guide you and your brand.
Strategize Your Design
Bad design is truly evident when it does not align with a company’s mission statement. Patagonia is an excellent example of how design is inspired and influenced by the heart of the company and its mission statement. Utilizing your brand strategy to create consistency will inspire your target market most effectively. This includes in your mission statement, web design, and marketing It’s a double win! Your mission statement will drive your design to reflect your values, but it will also ensure that your core values are consistent across your whole brand.
At this point, you may be thinking, why all the emphasis on a mission statement? The biggest takeaway is this: a mission statement in tune with your brand strategy will inspire the ideal audience you are looking to reach. You were inspired by something to create your organization. Allow that inspiration to motivate a simple yet, powerful mission statement. From that, your overall brand strategy and design will inspire others. This is just like Patagonia has inspired me. Need more help? Connect with us by clicking “get started” below! We would love to help you put words to your inspiration. Let’s inspire others together!
