Final answer:
A mission is a definitive statement that presents a company's purpose and values, differentiating it from a vision, which is more aspirational. It informs the organization's actions, brings motivation, and creates a bond with customers and employees.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mission is a clear and lofty sense of why a business exists. It defines the company's core purpose and values, providing a framework for the strategic planning and decision-making process. Unlike a vision, which is about what a company aspires to become, a mission explains the reason for an organization's existence. It can serve as a motivation for employees and a commitment to customers and other stakeholders. When creating a mission statement, companies aim for it to be impactful and memorable so that it can guide the behavior of the organization.
Such clear, vivid, and concrete elements are crucial in marketing and branding, as they help capture attention and facilitate persuasion, as stated by Mckenzie-Mohr (2008). Just like a mission, social marketing campaigns use flagship species or symbols to evoke positive emotions and motivate behavior change. The concept of Pride of place is a compelling emotion leveraged by organizations like Pride to engage communities in environmental action. This strategy underlines how important it is for a business to clearly communicate its reason for existing through a well-defined mission.