Even though mission and vision statements might seem similar, they’re actually two different documents.
Both documents declare the core values of an organization, business, or company, and they’re directly related to the customers and the customer service.
As a customer, it’s important to understand the difference so you can know exactly what to expect in return for doing business with an organization or a company.
In fact, you’re in the right place because you’ll learn the difference between mission vs vision statements in this post. You’ll also see 30 examples to know exactly what to expect.
What is a Mission Statement?
A mission statement is a statement that declares the company’s purpose but also shows how they deal with their customers.
This is an action-based statement, so everything you see in the statement aims to reach a result for both the company and the customer.
Even though a mission statement is often a short statement that’s written in only a couple of sentences, it can also reflect the reasons behind the creation of the organization/company, what is its main goal, what services/products they offer to customers, and also who their primary customer is.
What is a Vision Statement?
A vision statement is all about the company’s or organization’s future, where the company outlines the strategic plans that will help them achieve set goals in the future.
Just like the mission statement, the vision statement can be quite short, but it’s straight to the point where no questions are left unanswered, or no topic is left open for interpretation.
A vision statement is also connected to the founder’s emotional decision, plans, and vision where and how he sees the company in the future.
Therefore, a vision statement is often best combined with a mission statement as these statements help companies know what they work for in the long term, what their long-term goals look like, and how they can achieve them in a certain time frame.
What is the Difference Between Mission vs Vision Statements?
The biggest difference between a mission statement and a vision statement lies in the statement’s approach and objective.
The mission statement reflects on a company’s or organization’s current situation, its objectives, and actions that they can take to improve what they’ve been doing so far.
On the other hand, a vision statement describes the company’s future position after all the actions described in the mission statement.
Therefore, another significant difference can be the goals and value in each statement as these statements might seem similar, yet they’re focused on different company’s situations.
Moving on, we will explore some of the best examples of mission and vision statements from world’s top companies which will give you some great ideas to create your own.
Mission Statement Examples
Tesla
“Our goal when we created Tesla a decade ago was the same as it is today: to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.”
Tesla has a straightforward mission statement where they clearly state their mission regardless of the time they’ve spent working on achieving it. The statement clearly shows what they’ve been up to, but also what they’re up to.
From such a clear statement, there are no unanswered questions left and no open topics for interpretation.
“To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
LinkedIn has a very short statement that tells its mission in only a little over 10 words. However, regardless of LinkedIn’s mission statement length, you can clearly understand what they’re up to and striving to do with their platform.
PayPal
“To build the Web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.”
If you try to think of what PayPal is and why there isn’t any competitor, you could write their mission statement yourself. PayPal’s mission statement doesn’t only tell what the company’s mission is, but it also describes what PayPal is.
Even though it can be hard to write such a short yet concessive mission statement, the years of hard work have paid off for PayPal, and not only does everyone know what they’re up to, but they keep on striving to improve the web’s payment system.
Nike
“Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
Everyone knows Nike, but not everyone might know what their mission is, except manufacturing some of the world’s most-known sports shoes and clothing lines.
In a simple yet straightforward mission statement, Nike explains what they bring to the customers through its products and inspires everyone to become an athlete. That’s great marketing combined with a mission statement that sets Nike apart from its competitors.
Uber
“Uber is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through our apps, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers.”
Uber is a technology company that took over the transportation market. Besides getting rides or getting food delivered to your door, Uber is making a global change which the mission statement describes the best.
Whole Foods
“Our deepest purpose as an organization is helping support the health, well-being, and healing of both people — customers, Team Members, and business organizations in general — and the planet.”
Whole Foods has a clear and transparent mission statement that explains why they exist and strive to do so. It’s the least strategic mission statement, but it’s a straight-to-the-point statement that will help everyone understand Whole Foods on a bigger level.
Amazon
“To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”
Amazon is one of the largest companies globally that sells almost anything that comes their way, so it can be difficult to understand such a company if you knew nothing about Amazon.
That’s why Amazon’s mission statement won’t only state what Amazon can provide to its customers but also what benefits their customers can expect.
Simple, clean, and straight to the point without any strategic marketing is sometimes the best way to go.
Intel
“Utilize the power of Moore’s Law to bring smart, connected devices to every person on earth.”
Intel created a playful mission statement that clearly shows what they’re up to yet entices the customer to do deeper research on the company and even the Moore’s Law they used as a part of their mission statement.
This minimalistic yet strategic mission statement connects the user with the company and keeps the relationship going even long after the customer finishes reading the statement.
“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Large companies such as Google benefit from mission statements the most. Google is a really large company that does many things.
Yet, they combined their mission into a one-line mission statement that explains exactly their mission and what users can expect from Google.
Starbucks
“Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.”
People tend to drink Starbucks coffee because of its taste and its branding, so it’s super important for simple companies such as Starbucks to have a mission statement.
Starbucks’ mission statement tells two things. What they provide to the consumers and how they can benefit by choosing their product is packaged nicely in a simple mission statement.
Coca-Cola
“To refresh the world…To inspire moments of optimism and happiness…To create value and make a difference.”
Everyone knows Coca-Cola, but not many people know what Coca-Cola’s mission is. Coca-Cola’s playful mission statement describes what they do for their customers, how they do it, and what consumers can expect from Coca-Cola.
Interestingly enough, Coca-Cola’s mission statement perfectly fits their commercial ads that run around Christmas time as they perfectly fit Coca-Cola’s mission statement.
American Red Cross
“To prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”
Many people have wondered what the American Red Cross does. However, the American Red Cross’ mission clearly describes what they do the best and what their mission is through their work.
They are the main “middleman” that connects volunteers and donations with the people in need, and that’s exactly what their mission statement describes.
Tripadvisor
“To help people around the world plan and have the perfect trip.”
Tripadvisor is a simple company, yet it can be super useful to people who want to get out of their daily routine and enjoy some time traveling and getting to know a new location.
Tripadvisor’s mission statement is short, simple, and concise as it explains best what they do. However, their mission also explains how they help their customers by sticking to their mission.
Ferrari
“To make unique sports cars that represent the finest in Italian design and craftsmanship, both on the track and on the road.”
Even the world’s most known luxurious brands, such as Ferrari, have a mission statement. Ferrari’s mission statement tells exactly what their goal is and who they are doing it for.
At the same time, you can visually imagine their products which is the true power of such a short yet clear mission statement.
Microsoft
“To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.”
Microsoft is all over the place when it comes to technology, yet they were able to write a simple mission statement that explains what they do and how they help their customers.
Clear, short, and impactful mission statements are sometimes the best way to go.
Vision Statement Examples
Ford
“People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.”
Ford’s vision statement clearly shows what they want to achieve as a global enterprise. In addition, their vision statement makes a great connection between the enterprise and the customer on the other end.
Disney
“To make people happy.”
Disney has one of the simplest vision statements in the world. It’s a four-word vision statement that might not mean a lot at first, but when you consider what Disney is and what they do, you won’t only understand the statement but also feel it.
If you’ve ever been to Disney, you would stop for a second after reading the statement and truly think of what Disney has been doing as an enterprise, and this is the true power of such a clear, concise marketing vision statement.
“Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce”
LinkedIn’s vision statement is very focused on the platform’s members and how the consumers can benefit from their hard work. But, at the same time, this is their vision and almost a wish to help the workers and make the industry a better place to work in.
“To provide access to the world’s information in one click”
Google has a very neat and clean vision statement that is very similar to its mission statement. However, you can see from this vision statement that Google has its goals lined up with its vision to stay on top of the industry while providing the best service on the market.
McDonald’s
“To move with velocity to drive profitable growth and become an even better McDonald’s serving more customers delicious food each day around the world.”
McDonald’s has a very straightforward vision statement that’s focused on goals, incorporating the elements of their mission, and a way to achieve their goals.
Shopify
“To make commerce better for everyone”
Shopify has a humble vision statement aimed at its users and the vision of their company. They’re showing their customers that they’re working hard with a mission and goal in mind to provide the best service to their customers who help keep them in business.
Sony
“To be a company that inspires and fulfils your curiosity.”
Sony is another company that focused its vision statement on how they’d like to make their customers feel. A clear, simple, yet effective vision statement is a good choice for such a tech company.
Tesla
“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”
Tesla is more than a car company, and that’s exactly what their vision statement shows. Even though it’s quite a short vision statement, it’s full of the potential such a company can achieve with a proper mission and plan.
Therefore, being bold is not a bad move, and even if some consider such statements “dreaming”, they’re really important in achieving big goals.
Uber
“We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion”
Uber has a similar vision statement to other large tech companies, and even though it consists of less than 10 words, you might have to read it a couple of times to understand Uber’s vision truly.
When you look at Uber’s beginnings and everything they’ve done so far as a company, can you imagine what their future will look like? That’s exactly what this vision statement makes you think, and it’s the same vision statement that powers companies such as Uber to this day.
Whole Foods
“To nourish people and the planet.”
Whole Foods has a pretty great mission statement, yet their vision statement is a shorter version of what they’re still trying to achieve.
So even though the company might have achieved most of the things, they can still strive to do things differently to improve the company and provide better benefits for the customers.
“Capture and share the world’s moments”
Not everyone thought Instagram would stick around, yet they ended up being purchased by another large company, and they’ve expanded the platform to meet modern social needs.
Instagram’s vision statement is simple, yet it’s a bold vision and goal of what they want to be known for.
IKEA
“To create a better everyday life for the many people”
IKEA has a simple yet effective vision statement that declares the company’s vision and how they want to help their customers.
Combining the mission statement is a great way to stay on the right track by putting the customers first and being as transparent as possible. Sometimes, less is more, and this vision statement is the perfect example.
Oxfam
“To create a better everyday life for the many people”
If you thought writing a vision statement for a company that sells services or products can be tricky, Oxfam might have had it harder since they’re a global movement of people.
Regardless, they came up with a significant vision statement that can serve as a great motivation to achieve their goals and a great reminder of the good they bring to this world.
TED
“Spread ideas.”
TED has possibly the shortest vision statement. In only two words, TED was able to describe their vision, but also one of their main missions.
This vision statement is a perfect example of writing a vision statement no matter the industry or the type of business you are running.
IBM
“To be the world’s most successful and important information technology company. Successful in helping our customers apply technology to solve their problems. Successful in introducing this extraordinary technology to new customers. Important because we will continue to be the basic resource of much of what is invested in this industry.”
IBM has one of the biggest vision statements, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and that’s why this vision statement is a perfect example.
This vision statement explains in detail everything the company looks forward to. But not only do they describe how they see the company’s success in the future, but they also relate to the customers and how the company will be helping customers for years to come.
Lastly, they focus on the industry and make a vision for the industry as a company striving to get to the top once again.
Therefore, this vision statement is full of positivity, boldness, and inspiration, even if you aren’t an IBM customer.
Conclusion
Mission and vision statements are very important, not only for the company but also for the consumers and the customers.
With the help of these statements, everyone can understand the company’s goals and results they would like to achieve and the vision for the company in the future.
It’s not rare for customers or consumers to do business only with companies that have inspiring and motivational statements. They represent how the company works, plans to achieve goals, and even closely portray its future.
These are 30 of the best mission statements, and even though they might seem simple at first, they are brilliantly written.
Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.