EVENTS
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IDSA 2008 Conference: Polar Opposites >
Phoenix, Arizona
September 10-13, 2008Chris will debunk 10 design myths at this influential industry event. Learn more.
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Design Research Conference 2008 >
Chicago, Illinois
September 19-20, 2008Lextant will attend this valuable series of meetings held at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Will you be there? Let us know.
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2008 OSU Student Spring Exhibition >
Columbus, Ohio
June 3-13, 2008Lextant’s Justine Carleton will serve as a judge in this annual present of senior thesis projects.
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Our observations of the world around us
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Aligning your mission to your consumers
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Companies spend billions of dollars articulating the “consumer experience” to both the public and their own employees. Some messages are small, one-time efforts; others are campaigns that last for years. Behind those efforts, however, is a key avenue for articulating the consumer experience that is often missed — and with unfortunate consequences. I’m talking about mission statements.
Take a look at the mission statements of two companies that have been in the news lately, and not for good reasons:
“We are a global, diverse family with a proud heritage, passionately committed to providing outstanding products and services.” (Ford Motor Co.)
“Establish [us] as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow.” (Starbucks)
What strikes me about these statements is that they fail to reflect the experience that has historically earned them loyal customers. In the past, Ford’s advertising slogans have clearly touted toughness and quality, while Starbucks’ success is commonly attributed to transforming the coffee house into a “third place.”
Imagine for a moment that you’re an employee at Ford trying to turn things around. Would this mission statement offer any reassurance in a period of uncertainty? Does it suggest a direction forward or guide future innovations? I can’t think it helped substantially. As for Starbucks, efforts to correct their course include retraining baristas, developing a new coffee brand, and purchasing of advanced brewing equipment. There’s consistency there with their mission but not really with the consumer experience they’re so noted for. Will such investments pay off?
These simple questions suggest there may be at least two issues when companies don’t make the consumer experience a part of their mission statements. First, a company’s innovation resources aren’t correctly focused. Investments may not effectively impact the consumer experience and ultimately, the bottom line. Secondly, consumers and employees may be confused, disinterested, or, at best, unaffected.
Am I expecting a simple mission statement to do too much? Possibly. But markets are too competitive today for companies to miss opportunities to inform and inspire their consumers and employees with a shared vision for the future.