- Healthcare
- Life Sciences
- Brand Mission
The first law of branding: define your mission and never lose sight of it
This article explores what we can learn from the wolf when it comes to our brand mission. Wolves work together to achieve their vision, which is clear, simple, and well-defined: to survive. Exemplars of teamwork, every member of the pack understands the shared mission they strive towards in fast, directed unison.
Run with the wolves:
Every wolf understands the role they have to play to achieve their vision.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR VISION AND YOUR MISSION STATEMENT?
First, it’s important to clarify a common point of confusion: the difference between your vision and mission statement. It’s crucial to understand the distinction so you can effectively establish both.
Your vision answers the greatest ‘what’ question surrounding your brand. Your vision is the ‘big picture’ of what you want to achieve or accomplish.
Your mission answers ‘how’ you get there. Your mission provides an active statement as to how you will achieve your vision. This usually starts with a ‘to’.
For example: take a company focused on providing healthcare solutions to those who struggle with hearing.
Their vision might read along the following lines:
Help people hear more, experience more, and connect with the wider world.
Their mission, i.e., how they intend to achieve this, could then be:
To bring cutting-edge hearing aid technology to those in need through industry-leading product innovation and world-class customer service.
Strong vision statements in the Life Sciences sector need to strike a balance between specificity and broader application. They can too narrowly focus on the company’s own goals – and what only they gain from success – or be too vague and general. Envisaging, only, for example, to be an established leader in a certain field, might be too introspective, and fail to state what the brand offers to stakeholders and the wider world. Equally, a statement that only broadly indicates what the brand provides, such as ‘helping to create a healthier world’ fails to identify what is unique and exceptional about this specific brand.
Run with the wolves:
Strive towards your vision in fast, directed unison
WHY IS YOUR MISSION STATEMENT SO IMPORTANT?
First and foremost, a mission statement is the purpose of your organisation. Having this clearly defined will ensure internal and external success in numerous ways.
Externally – give confidence to all that you not only know your goals but have a solid plan for achieving them.
A great mission statement is foundational for future growth and can set the tone in attracting good biotech partners, regardless of your speciality: Biotech consulting, manufacturing, or research and development. Ultimately, a clear and promising mission statement is key, as it demonstrates your brand’s trustworthiness – you know your aims and have realistic, transparent methods in place to achieve them. Essentially, it makes a stakeholder clear about your strategic plans.
Internally – keep your team on track to maximise success.
Internally, a mission statement keeps everyone on the same page, so everyone on the team understands the goals they are jointly working towards. Alike the familial wolves, a core, shared mission directs everyone towards the same vision, facilitating teamwork and providing incentive for motivation. This guides everyday activities for everyone in the company and ensures that the entire team stays on track.
Further still, a good mission statement allows room for growth and change. A company can evolve as it is rooted in the future, yet reminds everyone of the consistent goal throughout adaptation and advancement. This retains your focus and energy throughout both internal and external challenges.
Run with the wolves:
They all share the same values of ‘care’ and ‘inclusivity’
WHERE DOES THE MISSION STATEMENT FIT IN WITH INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME?
Vision, mission and values go hand in hand: reinforcing core narratives to ensure a consistent track towards success.
The difference between these three key aspects can often become confused. They are distinct, but related, tools which must align and work together.
What you want to achieve is your vision.
How you will achieve it is your mission.
How you will behave in the process constitutes your values.
Producing harmony amongst all three is fundamental to shape the culture of your organisation and guarantee achievement.
When wild wolves run headfirst through the snow, their group hone core values to reach a destination. Their vision is, ultimately, to survive. Their missions for doing this will include sourcing hefty supplies of prey and protecting each other from danger. Whilst pursuing these missions, every member of the pack embodies a set of key values: teamwork, strong communication, and determination all contribute to ensuring that the missions are achieved.
Wolves are deceptively caring: never leaving a member of the pack behind. Brand success in the Life Sciences requires a similar ethos – everyone sharing a common understanding of the end goal they are striving towards.
Run with the wolves:
Wolves work together instinctively and harmoniously to achieve their mission
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THUMB FOR WRITING A SUCCESSFUL MISSION AND STATEMENT?
Writing a clear, concise, and motivating mission statement is crucial for getting the greatest impact.
A mission statement must be simple, succinct, and easy to remember.
A strong mission statement is a simple thought that captures the essence of your business. It needs to be unique and reflect your business, specifically.
In order for everyone to remember it – both external clients and members of your own team – it must be concise. Try to write it in as few words as possible.
Run with the wolves:
I hope that you remember their vision and mission by now?
HOW CAN YOU TEST IF YOUR MISSION STATEMENT IS WORKING?
A great way to measure the impact of your mission statement is to test your team! Ask everyone in your organisation to tell you what your mission and vision is. If they can, congratulations! Your mission statement is well-written.
Run with the wolves: wolves recognise the unique howl of their own pack and can suss out instantly what their trusted teammates are telling them. In a few short seconds, wolves send a message which is clear, well-recognised, and a reminder of the overall mission.
This article has been a walk-through of our first Life Sciences branding law: define your mission and never lose sight of it.
Back
