10 Amazing Mission Statement Examples to Inspire Your Own

A mission statement states the purpose of a company. It expresses to the world why your company exists at all. It summarizes your core values with a combination of what your company does, how it does it, and why.

In this article, you will learn from the best mission statement examples to create your own. But first, let’s kick things off by discussing how a great mission statement impacts your company’s growth. We’ll also review some common mistakes you need to look out for while crafting a mission statement.

Why is a mission statement important for your business?

From stakeholders to customers, the content and value of a company's mission statement impact virtually every facet of your business. It serves your company well if your audience understands how your mission statement ties to their work and overall success.

Here are the top reasons every company should have a clear and strong mission statement.

It provides a unique sailing path for the entire company

Having a clear mission statement gives your company a single purpose. Different departments can align their efforts to serve the company’s unique mission.

Your mission statement establishes a foundation for decision-making and fosters unity, support, and collaboration among stakeholders and staff. Thus, it creates a solid brand identity and helps distinguish the company from its competitors.

It fosters a long-term vision

A company's mission statement makes it easier for employees to work and for company leaders to organize. It shows teams how to do things and make the right decisions.

Your mission statement provides meaning to efforts by highlighting clear reasons why daily tasks serve or benefit a greater good. It motivates people to focus on the positive aspects of their daily work, which builds a growth spirit and inspires long-term commitment to the workplace culture.

It shapes company culture

Here is a quote from Nike expressing how they feel about their mission to understand the mission’s impact on company culture.

“Our mission is what drives us to do everything possible to expand human potential. We do that by creating groundbreaking sport innovations, by making our products more sustainable, by building a creative and diverse global team and by making a positive impact in communities where we live and work.”

A company's mission statement helps establish the values, norms, and beliefs necessary to create a unique culture-first environment. It guides your company's philosophy and work environment and shapes the core business principles that inspire the actions and initiatives of the organization.

10 examples of mission statements done right

Here are 10 examples of company mission statements from several business sectors. You can emulate these to inspire and create your own.

1. Lego

Lego’s mission: “To inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.”

‍What it does: Giving hope to parents about the future of their kids

At first glance, one might say that Lego simply produces children's toys and entertainment tools. But their mission statement ties the company to a larger purpose..

In one sentence, the company helps you envision how they are helping to shape your children for a better future. This articulates the values of their products and what the company is really doing—unlocking your child's potential while making them have fun.‍

Key takeaways: Take a deep look at what your company does and showcase how this results in the betterment of your target audience. Using this as a mission statement can validate your business' value and show users/customers what it truly does for them.

2. JetBlue

JetBlue’s mission: “To inspire humanity–both in the air and on the ground.”

‍What it does: Inspiring people and companies to take actions that make the world a better place.

You may be wondering how this mission statement really ties to an airline company. Well, we must note that the company takes its goals beyond an airline.

JetBlue bills itself as a group dedicated to "bringing humanity back to air travel." The airline pushes for initiatives such as charitable partnerships and influence programs, all of which are represented in the one-line mission statement.

So, the language perfectly mirrors the company's brand and identity.

‍Key takeaway: Your mission statement doesn’t have to be necessarily about your business to be effective. If you serve a more significant cause than selling your product or service, you can always make your mission statement about it.

3. Kickstarter

Kickstarter’s mission: “To bring creative projects to life.”

‍What it does: Helping people bring their wildest dreams to life.

Each person in a crowdfunding community has a clear goal: getting their projects funded and brought to life through community support and donations. Kickstarter understands this very well and has designed its mission statement to provide the exact answer.

The mission statement is quite simple and describes the premise behind the company. It is effective in that the company lives by its mission and measures its success on that basis.

‍Key takeaway: It’s always best to keep things simple when possible. You don’t need fancy words to make your mission statement powerful. It’s OK to keep it at what your company does.

4. Spotify

Spotify’s mission: “To unlock the potential of human creativity — by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their arts and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.”

‍What it does: Showing how they bring value to their audiences

Spotify is one of the leading music platforms. The company’s mission statement articulates how it empowers creators’ creativity and brings joy to fans with their tools. More so, it shows how the company makes artists’ life easier and offers fans the opportunity to discover and share.

This mission statement is great because it speaks to both audiences and spells out exactly what the company does, and why.‍

Key takeaway: Figure out how your product or service brings value to your customers and their customers and leverage it to create a unique company mission.

5. Tesla

Tesla’s mission: “To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.”

‍What it does: Solving a worldwide ever-going issue.

Tesla's mission statement goes beyond the quality of its product and the value it brings to its customers. With over 1.3 million Teslas sold just in 2022, the Model 3/Y, Model X/S are among the most popular Electric Cars in the world for a reason. This statement shows the clear difference between Tesla's goals and those of other automotive companies.

Tesla shows its commitment to green energy and protecting our world and its environment. This is a shared goal between Tesla and its customers, and it makes the company’s mission relatable to their audience and valuable to the greater world.

‍Key takeaway: Figure where the world wants to be and how your company fits into reaching there. Then craft a clear and relatable mission out of it.

6. PayPal

PayPal’s mission: “To democratize financial services to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or economic standing, has access to affordable, convenient and secure products and services to take control of their financial lives.”

‍What it does: Democratizing access to financial institutions.

It's hard to come by a financial solution that doesn't make its customers resent their transactions. PayPal positions itself as the perfect modern financial solution and has designed a mission statement that stresses this effectively.

PayPal decentralizes financial services and helps you to really control your money. The statement mentions all the ways the company serves its customers and states what makes it unique.‍

Key takeaway: What is your unique selling proposition? What makes you different from competitors? Figure this out and use it as your mission statement.

7. Nike

Nike’s mission: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.”‍

What it does: Standing for the cause of athletes and what they stand for.

Every Nike action leads us to think that the company encourages people to practice sports more than it encourages them to buy its products.

Indeed, the company's entire marketing strategy revolves around its contribution to the sports sector.

The company's influence in sports helps to stimulate and transform athletes into their best selves. That's why the mission statement describes the company as the ideal friend that every athlete needs.

‍Key takeaway: Understand what your customer’s deepest desire is and make it your mission to facilitate that with your solution.

8. IKEA

IKEA’s mission: “To offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”‍

What it does: Cost-consciousness and caring for people.

IKEA's mission statement is the simplest on the list. This statement allows them to reiterate to their audience why they started the company in the first place. It highlights what they bring to their customers' lives as a company. It also shows the value that the company brings to the table over the competition — which is discounted prices.

‍Key takeaway: State exactly what your company does and add what makes you unique.

9. McDonald’s

McDonald’s Mission: “To make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.”

‍What it does: Making it about the moment rather than the food.

This mission statement emphasizes the importance of the eating moment and that everyone should enjoy it. McDonald's sees itself as the ideal company to achieve this objective. Hence, fast food at a reasonably low price. So whether you’re sitting on a park bench, pacing up and down, or driving, you can have a “feel-good” moment regardless of who you are.‍

Key takeaway: Think about how your product/solution makes your customers feel and use that as your mission statement.

10. Honest Tea

Honest Tea’s Mission: “To create and promote great-tasting, healthy, organic beverages. We strive to grow our business with the same honesty and integrity we use to craft our recipes, with sustainability and great taste for all.”

‍What it does: Bring healthy drinks to people in a highly industrialized society.

Honest Tea begins its mission statement by explaining its product’s natural and healthy properties to the audience. In turn, it opens the door to winning the hearts of their target audience, who have grown tired of artificially enhanced products on the market.

The second sentence takes it a step further and depicts the company's drive to be the most unique and natural in the eyes of its target audience. The goal is to show the audience that they’re transparent about their business practices and live up to their mission. On the flip side, it also helps to articulate the company's name "Honest Tea."‍

Key takeaway: It’s OK for your mission statement to just be the translation/explanation of your brand’s name.

5 steps to come up with an iconic mission statement

Now that you’ve seen enough examples of mission statements, here is how to create your own.

1. Describe what your company does

First things first, your company’s mission statement needs to incorporate what your company does. Focus on the basics (i.e., what your product does and whom you’re selling to), and don't get carried away with the fancy stuff (i.e., Like telling a story about when your CEO went on a sabbatical in India).

2. Describe how your company does what it does

Describing your company’s product or service may bring up many things, so you need to keep it at the core value. It’s best to think of something that makes you unique or gives you an edge on the competition from a given perspective.

So, what is it that makes your company so valuable? Perhaps you provide natural quality products like Honest Tea or perhaps you produce supercars with a keen eye on sustainable energies like Tesla. Figure out what yours is and move on to the next step.

3. Describe why your company does what it does the way it does

What’s your company’s main goal? Think of your company's core purpose and state it clearly. Now, you will need to take this a step ahead to figure this out. Take IKEA, for example. The company’s purpose is to offer low-price home furnishing products.

You need to ask yourself why it offers low-price home furnishing products to truly answer the question. In the latter case, the answer is to allow as many people as possible to be able to afford them. You can portray a more significant and more relatable purpose to your company by doing this.

4. Describe how your products or services make the world better

This may be an answer to the question, “why are you in business?” What are you looking for as far as your company, people, employees, and, most importantly, your customers are concerned?

For example, Lego strives to build the builders of tomorrow. Take a more profound look at your purpose and mirror it to the world as a whole, and describe how your company’s product or service empowers human beings.

5. Combine and condense

By now, you have all the components you need to create your mission statement. All that’s left is to weave them together into one combined and condensed mission statement. Be sure to keep it as short and meaningful as possible.

Your turn to create a mission statement for your company

A company mission statement consists of the company's vision and values. It serves as a tool for internal and external communication. It motivates employees and gives them direction.

The mission statement sets the tone for the your company’s goals and prioritiesIn a nutshell, formulating your company's mission is the best way to make it real and sustainable over your business’s entire life.

Do you want some hand-holding to create your mission statement? Head over to the AppSumo Marketplace to get the resources you need to nail your mission statement.