Brand vision, mission, values: what’s the difference?

Done right, these brand elements act like an internal compass – shaping everything from your organisational culture to your external tone of voice, messaging and brand positioning.

Done badly, the compass is broken. Which means it’s hard to tell other people where you’re headed, why you’re here and what you do. It also makes it harder to ensure everyone in your organisation feels united behind the same ambition.

So, what are some good examples of a charity’s vision, mission and values?

Below, we’ve gone back to basics to explain what each means – and how to apply them in practice.

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is your bold, blue-sky ambition. It tells people about the world you want to live in and you the ultimate goal. In other words, it’s the reason why your organisation exists. So it could be ‘A world with clean water for everyone’ or ‘Finding a cure for childhood leukaemia’.

What makes a good vision statement?

First, it needs to be specific; anything too woolly like ‘A future free from ill health’ could apply to many other organisations, it’s hard for stakeholders to get behind.

Brevity is king too – anything too long just won’t be remembered. When we run brand workshops (and slightly cruelly ask teams if they can recall their organisation’s vision, mission and values), this is often one of the reasons why many don’t.

What is a mission statement?

Your mission statement should explain how you’re going to achieve your vision. What are you doing today to help you reach that goal? Again, keep it specific so your staff and supporters all understand what your organisation is working towards.

Your mission statement is not interchangeable with your vision statement – if your mission starts with ‘A world…’ or ‘A future…’ this is probably your vision. Your mission statement should answer your vision statement, not get confused with it.

It’s what you’re focused on, the work on the ground. You could think of your vision as the moon, and your mission as the rocket you need to get there.

What are brand values?

Your values define the kind of organisation you want to be; they’re a set of beliefs and behaviours for everyone to follow. They should guide all the decisions and actions you take, internally and externally, and help to form your company culture.

Brand values are not a set of generic buzzwords, like ‘excellence’, ‘passion’ or ‘respect’, but they support the work you do: ‘curious’, ‘challenging’ or ‘compassionate’ are far more specific, for example. You should be able to see them in action every day, across your organisation.

Reaching back to the moon and the rocket analogy, your values are the stars that keep you on the right path, as you collectively work to achieve your shared goal.

Not sure how all this applies to you? Talk to us. Our workshops have successfully helped many brands define, refine or enhance their vision, mission and values.