How Brand Slogans Would Change If They Suddenly Reveal True Intentions

When a new company is born, brand managers and decision-makers must develop a vision and mission statement that differentiates it from existing ones. The mission and vision usually outline global goals. They help build a reputation and make potential buyers believe that each small input has a huge global impact.

There is nothing wrong with these altruistic statements, but we should not forget that the primary goal of businesses is to generate profit. A truly resonating message is required to gain an army of brand ambassadors and cover the truth behind the curtain.

Here are several worldwide known brands with their stories and vision statements. Let’s be a bit more critical and try to think about what might be lying behind these words. You might be surprised by how helpful this exercise is. It aims to understand the real value of a product and pack its benefits in a convincing story designed with one ultimate goal, to sell more.

What Google Could Say Differently

Google’s corporate mission is:

“We organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Since the beginning, the company has focused on developing its proprietary algorithms to maximize effectiveness in organizing online information. However, a user is in the center of its slogan, making us feel Google cares about our opinions. When we experience attention and care, we trust Google more by providing our valuable personal data.

If Google wanted to communicate its honest slogan, they might have shared something like this:

“We provide you with multiple free services to collect your data and serve personalized ads. We are the biggest advertising platform and we want to keep that status. “

Takeaway

Google makes more than 80% of its revenue from advertisements for the last three years. It always introduces new opportunities for businesses to keep growing their revenue streams.

What is the right way to do it? Achieve a higher level of trust and respect from its users. If they care, they will eventually buy.

McDonald's, “Am I Truly Loving It?”

I always associated McDonald's with joy, happiness, and tasty food regardless of my mom telling me that I should not eat this junk and unhealthy food. Why do millions of people worldwide visit McDonald's every day, although it’s extremely unhealthy? We might find the answer in its mission statement, better to say in the way how masterfully McDonald's positions itself:

“To be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink.”

To become such a favorite place, McDonald’s develops its menu and recipes to meet its consumers’ taste preferences, create a pleasant internal atmosphere, and maintain affordable pricing.

If we let our imagination play a bit with McDonald’s business model, pricing, and food, here is how an honest motto of a fast-food restaurant might look like:

“No more words against our burgers, because you only pay $5.”

Would you agree? I honestly think this is the funniest yet most honest motto McDonald's could have ever made.

Takeaway

The news is full of negative statements against the food quality, artificial meat, preservatives found in Mcdonald’s dishes. But let’s think the other way round. What would you expect for a $5 menu?

A powerful mission statement and marketing do the job well. Even unpopular products can be sold if they are properly advertised.

Apple, “We Know You Can Pay More”

Apple is leading the role when selling products two or three times higher they might worth it. I remember buying a MacBook because it was different from everything else available on the market.

Here is how Apple positions itself:

“Bring the best user experience to our customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.”

Apple has created a prestigious image around its brand. There is a sort of unspoken rule associated with the brand, which states that its products are purchased by self-sufficient, confident, and successful people. It is a rare phenomenon when the sales and the product demand skyrocket with the price increase. And it is not by chance. It is the result of user’s loyalty and unjustified brand love.

What if Apple would show a true picture in its mission statement? The following one may sound a bit sarcastic, but as a fellow Apple devices user, I have no other words to say, just these:

“We know you can pay $2000 for a laptop that’s worth $500. But don’t you think this aluminum design looks just divine?”

Takeaway

Regardless of how much the actual hardware costs, when you purchase Apple devices, you pay for a brand, support innovations, and stand along with other brand advocates.

Apple has also shifted our attention from the price towards the product design, innovations, and brand image.

Zoom, “Life is Not Designed to Be Easy”

The world has recently changed dramatically and forced humanity to adapt to a new reality. Multiple businesses have completely flopped away, while some appeared out of nowhere and conquered the world.

Let me ask you one question, did you know about Zoom before the pandemic? Have you ever used it as a videoconference tool? Zoom was barely known outside of the IT world. But now it is everywhere. In many ways, this is surprising. The market for videoconferencing tools is very saturated, but somehow Zoom managed to break through and become a major player.

Zoom as a brand wants to show the outside world that they build a secured and frictionless environment to chat across different devices and platforms:

“Make video communications frictionless.”

I find it strange that the app famous for its easy usage is not user-friendly at all! Life becomes more complicated when you have to download and install the app, find a meeting ID somewhere, join the right meeting, and figure out how to navigate through the interface.

If Zoom could share its honest motto, here is what they might say:

“Follow what others do, use Zoom. We know it might not be the easiest solution, but you can join a meeting as a potato. Doesn’t it sound cool enough to try? “

Takeaway

Zoom reached its popularity peak while the pandemic hit the world in early March 2020. It used to be popular before, but the ideal conditions have accelerated its growth even more.

In its mission statement, Zoom promises to deliver frictionless video communication to its users. However, its users split into two camps: some are passionate about the tool, while others struggle with its functionality and have no clue why it became so popular.

The question is: once these “exceptional” times are over, will people and companies continue using Zoom or start looking for a new solution?

Final Thoughts

Mission and vision are important elements of the company strategy and the brand story. Businesses try to come up with the right words to trigger human emotions and resonate with our values. This way, they can appeal to a broader audience while keeping their business goals a top priority.

Should you think about your mission statement, make sure to keep in mind the following key principles:

• Regardless of how your business makes money, your customers should associate your performance with a global, positive impact.
• The message should address your users' concerns. Do not outline your business objectives in the brand message and the story.
• Shift your user’s attention towards your strongest sides, communicate your advantages and unique selling points.