There exists a blurred line between a brand’s Mission and Vision. Apple’s current CEO Tim Cook speaks of innovation, prioritization, collaboration – and never settling for less. But Steve Jobs had a different thought: he wanted Apple to “put a ding in the universe.” These statements contain the same goal but still serve different purposes. A mission statement involves tactics and executions about how to get a company from Point A to Point B. Brand vision, as Patrick Hanlon puts it in his Medium piece, is an intention about where the company is going.
Vivaldi Founder & CEO Erich Joachimsthaler spoke to Hanlon about drawing distinctions between the two. “The Vision is what we want to be. A brand vision should be an aspiration. Not what you stand for right now, but what you aspire to create. A brand vision has a lot more depth because it draws on the organization, personality, product features, it draws on not just what the customer buys but is more future driven and future aspiration.”
“What some people do not realize,” Erich adds, “is sometimes the brand strategy becomes the business strategy. The brand vision is the face of the business strategy. Brand vision becomes the back page for your business strategy.” What Vision really means is that we are trying to fill an empty hole in the universe and make it meaningful. Some assembly is required.
“When understanding the concept of brand vision properly, it is not only understanding the operational state of your business — but Vision can become your superpower to rethink an entire industry.”