Mission and positioning statements are two very different ways to identify your organization. Though both mission and positioning statements can be very powerful, too often the roles of these two statements are confused and fail to reach their fullest potential.

A mission statement outlines what your organization hopes to achieve and how you hope to achieve it. It is future-oriented, imaginative, and idealistic. Most mission statements are created to target employees, stakeholders, and management—stating who you are and why you are here.

A positioning statement, by contrast, is all about where your business fits within its markets. The intention of positioning strategy is to state what you do or deliver and how you differ from your competitors. It verbally expresses your brand in one or two sentences.

An important element of brand identity work is creating our client’s positioning strategy. Initially, we often find our discussions focusing on the attributes of a mission statement versus a positioning statement. Although it is important to establish who you are, why you are here, and where you are going, these are not necessarily the elements of successful positioning strategy.

The positioning strategy should define your brand. Your positioning statement is how your defined market, stakeholders, and employees distinguish you from your competitors. It must be deliverable, credible, distinctive, inspirational and immutable. It should speak to the promise of your brand, rather than product(s) or services you offer.

Have you experienced a similar situation?

Joe is attending a conference and most of the day he has been looking for a specific prospect he’s never been able to meet. When he sees her approaching his booth, Joe stride’s ahead to introduce himself and share his belief that his firm can help her firm. She responds, “Tell me, what does your firm do?” Joe knows he has 30 seconds before he loses her attention to describe what will clearly take 30 minutes to adequately explain. Always a good salesman, Joe responds, “At ABC software, we’ve developed the fastest tracking software of HR records on the streets. We’re 2010 compliant and operate on a UNIX… She abruptly replies, “Joe, it was nice to meet you and it sounds like an exciting product, but we’re set for now” as the polite prospect moves away.

What just happened? Joe knows her company is looking for software like his. However, he failed to communicate his positioning strategy, he focused on features, and he failed to communicate the promise of his brand.

Joe’s prospect isn’t interested in the latest and greatest. It’s common knowledge that today’s software will be eclipsed by tomorrow’s. Perhaps she’s looking for a firm with which to partner, to find solutions to her HR systems issues, employ best practices, and maintain legally compliant records. And that is exactly what Joe’s firm does…

A more effective response may have been to use the company’s positioning statement, found on the first page of the capability brochure or on their Web site’s home page; “As a leading provider of Human Resource transaction recordkeeping systems, ABC Software partners with clients to maintain legally compliant records and employ best practices.” While not speaking to the speed, platforms, or ease of use of the software, the positioning strategy does meet the five metrics of a strong brand: deliverable, credible, distinctive, inspiring and immutable.

Developing proper positioning strategy is one of the cornerstones of a strong brand. Communicating it from the top down to your constituents until it is ubiquitous within your organization will lead to realizing the benefits of a strong brand— shortened sales cycles, improved profitability, and increased enterprise value.

© 2007 ADAMS