Marketing Strategies for Startups with Richard Reed: Why Your Brand Mission Matters
Innocent Drinks is known for its upbeat, playful brand. Founder Richard Reed offers his thoughts on why giving your brand a clear mission helps guide your business.
Know Your Company Principles
“When it comes to building a brand for your business, I would advocate thinking about the shortest way possible to condense all the principles your company stands for. When me, Adam and John (Innocent co-founders) came up with the idea to make smoothies 16 years ago, we were really clear about what we wanted to achieve. We wanted to make it easy for people to do themselves good by ‘bottling nature’.”
Define Your Brand Mission
“There are a few key questions that can help when you’re defining your brand’s mission. You could try asking yourself: why does my business exist? What is my business trying to achieve that sets it apart from other businesses? What contribution do I want to make to society and the communities I work within?
“You don’t have to be at the beginning of your journey to ask yourself these questions either, it’s always good to reevaluate.”
Gain a Strong Sense of Direction
“Your brand’s mission helps you understand: this is who we are, this is what we stand for, this is why we exist. Once you’re clear on these, they become your North Star, helping you navigate through the thousands of decisions you make on a daily and weekly basis. If you don't have a sense of why you're here, then every time you make a decision, you've got to figure out how to make it.”
Build a Business Worth Believing In
“We all have the freedom to make choices about what we buy and who we work for. When you build your brand around a strong mission, it gives both your customers and potential employees something to be attracted to. Ultimately, we’re going to buy from and work for the companies that we believe in, that we relate to, and that stand for the things we value.”
Having a Reason to Exist Really Works
“If you look at some of the greatest brands throughout history, they've always been able to articulate simply what they stand for. Google's mission is to organise the world's information, and make it universally available – that’s exactly what they're doing. Nike has a purpose to provide inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. And Walmart’s mission is to give ordinary folk the opportunity to buy things that aren’t usually accessible to them.
“So if you’re starting out, or need to take stock, then it might be worthwhile to think: what’s my brand’s mission?”
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