Clients often ask me the difference between a Mission Statement and a Positioning Statement. Or a Positioning Statement and a Campaign. I thought it would be helpful to go on record with my explanations and how they apply to our work. It is also important to understand why and when you need to re-visit your strategies.

MISSION:

Your mission statement is the foundation of who you are as an organization. It answers the who, what, where, why, and how of your business. Who you serve. What you do. Where you do it. Why you do it. And how you do it. Simply put it is the purpose or reason for being.

Life of a mission statement: Long term. Unless there is a monumental shift in your business, your mission shouldn’t change.

POSITION:

Your position is a statement of how you want to be perceived in the market. This makes you relevant to your consumer and it should state the message that you are trying to send about yourself. A position (or in a consumers mind an “opinion”) about you is formed whether you are involved or not, so wouldn’t you rather influence that position/opinion?

The positioning statement should be applied to everything you do. Everything. Packaging, website, the way your employees treat and interact with customers, the atmosphere of your office, your blog, advertising. Everything.

 Life of a positioning statement: Mid term. 10 years. It is time to re-position your brand if you have new customers or competitors that make your current statement irrelevant. Or if your brand or image has lost meaning. You experience changes in the patterns of  your customers. Example: Kodak adapting to a digital world. 

CAMPAIGN:

A campaign is the way you show your position in the market.  Ways that you get people to think what you want them to think about you (what you defined in the positioning statement). A campaign spans every form of media that you employ.

Life of a campaign: Short term. 1-3 years. You use a campaign to make a consistent impression on your consumers.