Brand Purpose Statement Examples

I’ve spent years helping people articulate their personal calling— why they exist, what change they want to create. And here’s what I’ve learned: the same questions that individuals struggle with, organizations struggle with too. What’s our WHY? Why do we exist beyond making money?

A brand purpose statement is a short sentence that defines why a company exists beyond making money— the positive impact it seeks to make in the world. Examples include Tesla (“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”), Patagonia (“We’re in business to save our home planet”), and Southwest Airlines (“To give people the freedom to fly”). Research shows purpose-driven brands achieve 30% higher ad recall and 27% greater customer loyalty.

Key Takeaways:

• A brand purpose statement defines your WHY: It answers why your company exists beyond profit— the positive change you want to create
• Purpose differs from mission and vision: Purpose = WHY you exist; Mission = HOW you operate; Vision = WHERE you’re headed
• Effective purpose statements are concise: The best examples are under 15 words— memorable enough to guide decisions
• Purpose applies to personal brands too: Your individual WHY can be articulated just like a company’s

Table of Contents:

• What Is a Brand Purpose Statement?
• Purpose vs. Mission vs. Vision
• 20+ Brand Purpose Statement Examples
• What Makes a Brand Purpose Statement Effective?
• Brand Purpose for Personal Brands
• How to Write a Brand Purpose Statement
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• FAQ

What Is a Brand Purpose Statement?

A brand purpose statement is a concise declaration of why your company exists beyond making money— it’s your organization’s WHY and the positive impact you seek to make in customers’ lives.

Here’s the thing about purpose. It’s not about what you sell. It’s about the change you want to create in the world.

According to Qualtrics, brand purpose is the “core philosophy that guides decisions and drives actions.” It shapes culture, influences strategy, and attracts customers, employees, and partners who share your values.

Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle framework puts this simply: WHY is at the center, surrounded by HOW (your process) and WHAT (your product). Most organizations communicate outside-in— starting with what they do. The most compelling ones communicate inside-out— starting with why they do it.

As Sinek puts it: “People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.”

Every organization has a purpose. The question is whether you’ve articulated it.

Before looking at examples, let’s clarify how purpose differs from mission and vision.

Purpose vs. Mission vs. Vision: What’s the Difference?

Purpose defines WHY you exist, mission defines HOW you pursue that purpose, and vision defines WHERE you’re headed— together they form a nested hierarchy with purpose at the core.

This is where many organizations get confused.

Purpose is your North Star— it doesn’t change. Mission is your current path. Vision is the destination you’re working toward.

According to VSA Partners, these three are nested. Purpose drives vision; mission executes toward vision. But purpose remains constant even as strategies change.

Focus Lab puts it even more simply: “A purpose statement defines ‘why,’ and a mission statement defines ‘how.'”

Getting these distinctions right matters. When you conflate them, you get muddled strategy. When you separate them clearly, each does its job.

Now let’s look at brand purpose statements that get it right.

20+ Brand Purpose Statement Examples

The best brand purpose statements are concise, inspiring, and actionable. Here are 20+ examples from companies across industries, organized by the type of impact they pursue.

Notice what these examples have in common: they focus on impact, not product. Tesla doesn’t say “make electric cars”— they say “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

Empowerment and Freedom

Southwest Airlines: “To give people the freedom to fly.”

Nine words. That’s it. And it guides everything from their pricing strategy to their no-change-fee policy.

Microsoft: “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

This purpose statement expanded Microsoft’s identity beyond software into cloud services, productivity tools, and accessibility initiatives.

Nike: “To bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world.”

Nike adds a footnote: “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” That inclusive definition extends their purpose to everyone.

LinkedIn: “To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”

Sustainability and Planet

Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

Notice the verb: accelerate. Tesla isn’t claiming to single-handedly solve climate change— they’re speeding up a transition already underway.

Patagonia: “We’re in business to save our home planet.”

What I love about Patagonia’s statement is its audacity. They’re not hedging. And they back it up— donating 1% of sales to environmental causes and famously running the “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign.

IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”

Seventh Generation: “To inspire a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations.”

Access and Opportunity

Walmart: “To save people money so they can live better.”

Love it or hate it, Walmart’s purpose statement is clear. The “live better” part elevates it beyond mere discounting.

Google: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

This purpose predates Gmail, Android, and YouTube— but it explains why Google expanded into those areas.

Zoom: “Make video communications frictionless and secure.”

Kiva: “To expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive.”

Human Connection and Wellbeing

Coca-Cola: “To refresh the world. To inspire moments of optimism and happiness.”

Notice the emotional focus. Coca-Cola isn’t selling sugar water— they’re selling refreshment and happiness.

Dove: “To help women everywhere develop a positive relationship with the way they look.”

This purpose drove the “Real Beauty” campaign that redefined the beauty industry.

HSBC: “To enable companies, individuals, and communities to thrive.”

Warby Parker: “To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”

Additional Notable Examples

Airbnb: “To create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.”

TED: “To spread ideas.”

Just three words. And yet it perfectly explains why TED expanded from conferences to YouTube to podcasts to educational initiatives.

Sweetgreen: “To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.”

Whole Foods: “To nourish people and the planet.”

These examples share common traits. Here’s what makes them work.

What Makes a Brand Purpose Statement Effective?

Effective brand purpose statements share five traits: they’re concise (under 15 words), focused on impact (not product), emotionally resonant, actionable, and authentically lived by the organization.

Here’s where most purpose statements fail. They describe what the company does instead of why it matters.

1. Concise

According to Focus Lab, the best purpose statements are under 15 words. TED has three words. Southwest has nine. If it takes a paragraph, it’s not a purpose statement— it’s a mission statement in disguise.

2. Impact-Focused

A purpose statement answers: what changes in the world because we exist? Not what we sell. Not how we operate. What changes.

3. Emotionally Resonant

Purpose connects to feeling, not just understanding. “To save our home planet” hits differently than “to reduce environmental impact through sustainable practices.”

4. Actionable

Can your team use it to make decisions? Southwest’s “freedom to fly” guided their low-cost, no-frills strategy for decades. If your purpose can’t guide decisions, it’s decoration.

5. Authentic

A purpose statement that isn’t lived is worse than no purpose statement at all. Customers can spot purpose-washing from a mile away.

Research shows 58% of purpose-driven brands experienced double-digit growth in 2024. But that only works when purpose is genuine. Performative purpose destroys trust faster than no purpose at all.

Authenticity matters more than eloquence.

These principles apply to personal brands too.

Brand Purpose for Personal Brands

The same principles that guide Nike and Patagonia can guide your personal brand— your individual WHY that explains the impact you want to make and the change you want to create.

This is where purpose gets personal.

A personal brand purpose isn’t about positioning yourself in the market— it’s about articulating what you stand for so clearly that it guides every career decision you make.

Your personal values form the foundation. What do you care about most deeply? What change do you want to see in the world? What do you want people to experience after encountering your work?

I’ve been teaching about calling and purpose for years, and here’s what I’ve learned: your calling isn’t a job title. It’s an identity. It’s who you are expressed through what you do. Your personal purpose statement captures that core identity.

A simple formula works for personal purpose statements: “I help [who] [achieve what] by [how].”

Personal Purpose Statement Examples:

• “I help overwhelmed professionals find clarity and direction in their careers.”
• “I help organizations build cultures where people can do their best work.”
• “I help people discover their calling and create work that matters.”

Your purpose doesn’t have to be grand. It has to be true.

If you want to go deeper, write your personal manifesto— an extended declaration of your beliefs, values, and vision that puts a stake in the ground about what you stand for.

Your personal purpose matters as much as any company’s. Maybe more, because you have to live with it every day.

This connects directly to finding your purpose and understanding your life purpose. When you know your WHY, career decisions become clearer.

Ready to write your own? Here’s how.

How to Write a Brand Purpose Statement

To write a brand purpose statement, start with your WHY (the change you want to create), identify whom you serve, and distill it into a single sentence under 15 words that can guide decisions.

Step 1: Identify the Change You Want to Create

Start with impact, not product. Ask: “If we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams, what would change in the world?”

Don’t ask what you sell. Ask what you make possible.

Step 2: Define Whom You Serve

Be specific. “Everyone” isn’t a target audience. Nike serves athletes— but defines athlete broadly. Who specifically benefits from your work?

Step 3: Draft Multiple Versions

Write 10-20 versions. Quantity before quality. Don’t edit yet— just generate options.

Here’s a progression showing refinement:

• Draft 1: “We help companies become more environmentally sustainable through innovative solutions.”
• Draft 2: “We help companies reduce their environmental impact.”
• Draft 3: “We accelerate business sustainability.”
• Draft 4: “To accelerate sustainable business.”

See how it gets tighter?

Step 4: Apply the 15-Word Test

Edit ruthlessly. Every word must earn its place. If you can remove a word without losing meaning, remove it.

This is the step most people skip. They think their first draft is close enough. It’s not.

Step 5: Test with Stakeholders

Share it with team members, customers, partners. Does it inspire? Does it feel true? Does it capture something they recognize?

Step 6: Stress-Test for Authenticity

Can you actually live this purpose? Will it guide real decisions? Are you willing to make trade-offs to honor it?

If you can’t answer yes, revise. A purpose statement you can’t live is worse than no purpose statement.

Here are common mistakes to avoid.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common purpose statement mistakes are being too vague, focusing on what instead of why, using corporate jargon, making it too long, and creating a statement you can’t actually live.

Mistake 1: Too Vague

“To be the best in our industry.” The best at what? For whom? This could apply to any company. If your purpose statement could be swapped with a competitor’s, it’s not a purpose statement— it’s a placeholder.

Mistake 2: Product-Focused

“To make the highest quality widgets.” That’s what you do, not why you do it. What changes in customers’ lives because of those widgets?

Mistake 3: Corporate Jargon

“To leverage synergies and drive stakeholder value through innovative excellence.” No one is inspired by buzzwords. If you wouldn’t say it in conversation, don’t put it in your purpose statement.

Mistake 4: Too Long

If it takes more than 15-20 words, you haven’t distilled it. You’ve written a paragraph. Keep cutting until you hit the essence.

Mistake 5: Purpose-Washing

This is the worst mistake. Stating a purpose you don’t live. Customers can smell inauthenticity instantly. And when they catch you, trust evaporates.

Better to have no purpose statement than an inauthentic one.

FAQ

What is the difference between brand purpose and brand mission?

Brand purpose defines WHY you exist (your reason for being), while brand mission defines HOW you pursue that purpose (your strategic approach and actions). Purpose is enduring; mission may evolve as strategy changes.

How long should a brand purpose statement be?

Aim for under 15 words. The best purpose statements are concise enough to be memorable and clear enough to guide decisions. TED’s purpose is three words: “To spread ideas.”

Can a person have a brand purpose statement?

Yes. A personal brand purpose statement articulates your individual WHY— the impact you want to make and the change you want to create through your work. The same principles that guide company purpose apply to personal purpose.

What is Nike’s brand purpose?

Nike’s brand purpose is “To bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world.” Nike adds: “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.”

Finding Your Brand’s Why

Your brand purpose isn’t about clever marketing. It’s about clarifying why you exist so that every decision, every strategy, and every communication reflects that truth.

The companies with the most compelling brand purpose statements— Tesla, Patagonia, Southwest, Nike— aren’t just reciting words. They’re living their purpose. That’s what makes it resonate.

Whether you’re building a company or building a personal brand, your WHY matters. It guides decisions. It attracts like-minded people. It gives your work meaning beyond the transaction.

You don’t need a perfect statement to start. You need an honest one.

What change do you want to create? That’s your purpose.

I believe in you.