Become a Brand That Leverages Stories, Not Mission Statements

For many businesses, much time and effort is spent on developing the perfect mission statement. In fact, some big brand corporations will alter their mission statement again and again, even forcing employees to memorize it for random pop quiz interviews with corporate.

Imagine if the employee instead were emotionally attached and moved by the story of the brand and felt compelled to share it because it touched them in a deeper way? But unfortunately, most companies don’t grasp the difference between mission statements and stories – and they’re only concerned with having a statement to print on paper.

Disney has a theme of “Where dreams come true,” and they try to ensure that visitors to their theme parks experience that. But it’s when you hear the history of how Walt Disney envisioned his brand and why he built it that you realize how touching it is to be a part of that vision.

Maybe part of the problem has to with attention spans and social media. When a world is filled with messages that have been distilled down from stories to short Tweets or 15 second TikToks, it makes it hard to convey more than a mention or catchy phrase.

Still, storytelling can (and should) be used to shape the narrative about your brand. It helps bring a sense of humanity to an otherwise cold and sterile statement. Your story doesn’t even have to be the history of your brand or why you built the company.

The story might be about the people whose lives you’re changing. If you run a gym, you’re not just building a place for people to go work out. You’re helping people get off medications so they can spend more time living for their loved ones.

You’re helping someone be able to walk without a cane. You’re delivering feel-good endorphins for people who live an otherwise stressful day, and your classes create a sense of camaraderie for those who may feel lonely.

Use your storytelling from your point of view to discuss your mission statement more thoroughly. But also encourage any staff or customers to share with you (and others) their own genuine story of why they associate with your brand.

What drew them to you? What do they love about it? Listening to other peoples’ stories and not forcing mission statements into existence can help you grow into something even more powerful than any sentence could bring to life.