Mission, vision, values, and positioning statements are among the most widely recognized strategic tools for defining a company’s business, objectives, and overall approach to growth. They help leaders align teams, guide decision-making, and communicate intent to the market.

Another strategic statement—one that is just as foundational, yet far less consistently articulated—is the purpose statement.

Many companies either overlook purpose entirely or confuse it with mission, vision, or marketing language. But when purpose is clearly defined and genuinely lived, it becomes the anchor that gives all other strategies meaning and coherence.

Your Purpose vs. Your Mission

A mission statement is often the lead-in to a company’s business or marketing plan. It provides context for what the company does today and how it operates. A good mission statement acts as a rallying point for internal teams and a clear signal of intent to customers and stakeholders.

Mission statements set the tone, stake out territory, and guide planning across an organization’s functions. A straightforward way to think about it is this:

• Your mission describes where you are today
• Your vision describes where you are going tomorrow

A purpose statement, on the other hand, answers a deeper question: Why does this company exist at all?

The simplest definition of a purpose statement is:

A higher-order reason for a brand’s existence that goes beyond making money and adds value to society.

Unlike a mission, a purpose is not something you ever “complete.” It should give rise to an ongoing series of goals and decisions that continually pull the organization forward. Purpose is enduring. Tactics change. Markets evolve. Purpose remains.

Purpose Is Not a Legal Statement—or a Slogan

In the legal filing of a new company, purpose may be broadly defined as any lawful purpose for which companies may be organized. That definition is intentionally expansive and, from a strategic standpoint, essentially meaningless.

In practice, a practical purpose statement must be clear, human, and intentional.

That does not mean it should be overly narrow or tactical. Purpose is not the same thing as positioning or target market. This is where many companies get tripped up.

• Purpose should be broad enough to endure and inspire.
• Mission and positioning should be focused enough to guide execution and differentiation.

If a purpose statement becomes so broad that it could apply to almost any company, it loses power. But if it becomes so narrow that it reads like a service description, it’s no longer purpose—it’s positioning.

A red flag to watch for: purpose statements that try to please everyone, or that collapse into vague claims like “to be the best” or “to deliver value.”

What Makes a Strong Purpose Statement?

A compelling purpose statement usually shares a few characteristics:

• Concise and clear – easily remembered and repeated
• Human-centered – focused on people, not products
• Enduring – not tied to a specific offering or trend
• Action-guiding – helpful when making real decisions
• Authentic – grounded in the company’s origin, values, and behavior

Purpose is not a tagline. It is not a marketing headline. And it is not a promise you can’t live up to.

Examples of Purpose Statements

For inspiration, here are several well-known purpose statements, with brief context:

• Google: “To organize the world’s information.” Broad, enduring, and not tied to a single product.
• Netflix: “To entertain the world.” Simple, human, and flexible as formats evolve.
• Apple (Steve Jobs era): “To create tools for the mind that advance humankind.” Focused on human capability, not devices.
• Adidas: “Through sport, we have the power to change lives.” Purpose-driven, values-forward, and culturally relevant.
• HP: “To foster the human capacity to innovate and progress.” Innovation is framed as a human outcome.
• Red Bull: “To give wings to people and ideas.” Purpose expressed metaphorically, yet consistently lived.
• Zappos: “We deliver wow.” Operationalized purpose—felt in customer experience.
• REI: “To awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors.” Clear emotional outcome beyond retail.

What these statements share is not scale or polish, but clarity of intent.

How Purpose Connects to Brand Positioning

Purpose sits at the core of a brand’s strategic architecture.

Vision, mission, values, and positioning all radiate outward from purpose. When purpose is clear, it becomes easier to:

• Decide which markets to pursue (and which to avoid)
• Shape culture and hiring decisions
• Prioritize innovation efforts
• Maintain consistency as the company grows

For example, two companies may offer similar services, but if one exists to empower independence while the other exists to simplify complexity, their positioning, messaging, and customer experience will diverge meaningfully over time.

Purpose does not replace positioning—it informs it.

A Note on Skepticism and “Purpose-Washing”

It’s worth acknowledging that many leaders are understandably skeptical of purpose language. Too often, purpose is treated as a branding exercise rather than a leadership commitment.

A stated purpose that isn’t reflected in behavior is worse than having no purpose at all.

Purpose must show up in:

• How decisions are made under pressure
• What the company says no to
• How customers and employees are treated
• Where investment and innovation are focused

When purpose is real, it’s felt—not announced.

Why Purpose Matters More Than Ever

Having a clear and compelling purpose is increasingly expected of brands seeking to attract talent, inspire communities, and out-innovate competitors.

Purpose acts as a brand’s true north—a shared understanding of what everyone is there to accomplish. It becomes part of the company’s DNA.

As described in Accenture’s 2018 report From Me to We: The Rise of the Purpose-Led Brand, a company’s purpose—or lack of one—is a significant driver of consumer behavior and revenue. Purpose influences decisions to switch or stay loyal, putting an estimated $5 trillion in global revenue at stake.

Millennials and Generation Z now outnumber all other generations combined worldwide. They are more attuned to whether companies live their stated values—and more willing to reward or punish brands accordingly.

Winning companies bring clarity to what they value, stand up for what they believe in, and apply purpose-led thinking across their organizations. In doing so, they attract customers not just through strong brands but through conviction.

A Simple Place to Start

If you’re unsure what your brand’s purpose is, start here:

If your company disappeared tomorrow, what would the world genuinely miss?

Not your products. Not your revenue.

The impact.

That answer—refined, tested, and lived—is where purpose begins.

If you’d like, next we can:

• Add a short worksheet or prompt box
• Adapt this for solopreneurs vs. larger organizations
• Or align it more tightly with your IdeaStorm / advisory work without making it salesy

Want help clarifying your brand’s purpose?

An IdeaStorm is a focused, one-hour strategic session designed to help founders and leaders articulate what matters most—purpose, positioning, and direction—so decisions get easier and strategy gets sharper.

If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or simply want an outside perspective, an IdeaStorm creates clarity fast. → Learn more about IdeaStorm