Mission

When company missions serve merely as verbal altruism (like many do), the outside noise tends to get pretty loud. A better way to build positive equity, is to use the mission as a foundational tool for making business decisions that promote progress, usually pertaining to the the industry, and those people it impacts. 

Here's an example.

Our Charley + Company founder worked in the trenches for a Fortune 100 Financial. Like a North Star, their mission statement acted as a strategic filter for the business. Thus, the company became aware they were undercutting their values by operating under an industry late-fee standard that was taking money out of the pockets of hardworking American consumers.

So, they got rid of it.

The change resulted in a loss of a $150 million annual revenue stream for the business. But, the company made a calculated decision that this would be a forward-progress investment that would:
 

• Make good on their mission

• Create genuine industry progress

• Cash-in on consumer goodwill​

• Generate buzz with national press

In addition, it helped the company:
​

• Assert itself as an industry leader

• Inspire a "Follow-The-Leader" movement (fearing falling behind, competitors followed suit, bringing more press to the original initiative)

This is a good example of how to connect Mission with Business.