In this day and age, more and more consumers and clients want to partner with an organization that has clear values and a social mission statement that they align with. Without that, a company could risk coming across as directionless and might end up isolating everyone from potential consumers to employees who want to work for your organization.
Why it’s Important
Many companies go an opposite route and try to avoid taking a stance so they don’t risk coming across as too political or isolating. However, that isn’t all the case. Coming across as a company that’s invested in the environment or your local community can actually make your company look like more a necessary fixture.
This doesn’t just mean slapping a label on your organization’s website under the guise of a forced mission statement. People will be able to tell if your efforts are authentic or not, and that will affect whether or not they use your products/services or want to work with you.
Finding the Right Mission Statement
You’ll want to find the type of social mission for your organization, but that also means weeding out the ones that are a bad idea.
For instance, you’ll want to likely avoid:
- A political stance: unless your organization is politically motivated, it doesn’t really make sense to have a political agenda. It just ends up isolating people and can come across as negative and combative.
- Small, niche causes: making your focus too narrow can have negative effects as well. People want to support your cause and find something that resonates with them, but if you go too narrow, you’ll end up isolating or confusing people.
- A charismatic stance: tying your stance to one person or brand will also be isolating and might require way too much of a long-term overhaul.
Here are a few promising directions that you can go in if you’re looking for a social mission.
- Environmentally-friendly approach: especially in today’s world, it’s almost always a safe bet to take an environmentally friendly approach to business. By implementing sustainable regulations and practices into your own business and then supporting other environmentally-friendly causes, you’ll likely be able to resonate with the greater community.
- Get local: getting involved in your local community will resonate not just with consumers but also with your talent. It shows that you’re committed to the local area—they’re supporting you, after all, so you should support them back.
- Economic impact: by donating profits or resources to charities or give back to your field with research and development will instill you as an invaluable member of the field. In a similar way to being instilled as a member of your local community, you’ll also want to look invaluable and like an expert in your specific area.
By making it a part of your brand—folding it into your mission and tagline, for instance—and ensuring that your team is empowered and interested in engaging in your mission, you’ll be able to instill the mission as a natural part of your company.
