What Is The First Step To Building a Brand?

Marketing Shenanigans (#009)

Authors Note:

My mission in life is to expand the market opportunity for brands that support people, products, and philosophies with a moral compass. Every day, I work with a selective batch of consumer brands, all aiming to achieve a 9+ figure exit. This newsletter is a playground to discuss unconventional approaches I’ve encountered or developed amidst the controlled chaos of modern-day business that we know and love. If anything, I hope this newsletter inspires a generation to pursue those wild ideas that keep you up at night, uncovers the humanity of the business world, and, quite frankly, fosters an elite community of product marketers. See you out there. 😎🤟🏽

Writing a Mission Statment Is a Lost Art

The foundation of any strong brand is its mission statement. Your mission statement is more than just words on paper – it’s the compass guiding every decision, every product, and every campaign. It’s what lets you confidently say whether something is on or off-brand. And trust me, a well-thought-out mission can mean the difference between a brand that resonates and one that fades.

Key Points:

• The Lifeline of Your Brand: Your mission statement isn’t just a box to check. It’s the heartbeat of your brand. Don’t rush it – this is the exercise that aligns your team, shapes your goals, and focuses your vision.

• A Promise and a Benchmark: A mission statement should clarify the problem your brand aims to solve and serve as a promise to your audience. It becomes a litmus test for everything you do: if an idea supports your mission, it’s on-brand; if it doesn’t, it’s off-brand.

• More Than Just Words: Think of it like a full-back tattoo. Would you let AI pick it out, or would you take the time to think about what it means to you now, what it’ll mean in a few years, and what it’ll represent when you’re older? Your mission should reflect that kind of commitment.

• The Key to Culture: Great brands communicate their mission clearly – to their customers, employees, and followers. When a brand’s mission is lived out by its people and infused into every piece of content, it creates culture and momentum that can’t be replicated.

Takeaway: I’ve always made sure the mission statement comes before the product or brand name. Once you’ve put it out there, you can’t take it back – so make it meaningful. Start by asking yourself what you really want to achieve with this venture. It may be hard to see, but if it’s clear enough to believe in, it’s worth the effort.

Closing Thought: If you’re ready to start building your brand, don’t look for shortcuts. Take the time to write a mission that reflects your long-term goals and values. It’s the legacy you’ll leave behind, and there’s no better foundation for success.

And yes this means there’s no taking shortcuts, the process of writing a mission is just as important if not mare important than tangibly having one.

Teddy Giard

In case you don’t already know, my name is Teddy, and I operate a firm that specializes in marketing strategies for outdoor brands. Our approach is simple: align your product development timeline with your marketing production timeline; by doing so, we can own the distribution of our message and our products.

If you’d like to explore working together, feel free to fill out this form, and if we’re a good fit, we can schedule a discovery call. We ask this because we keep a fairly narrow target for whom we work, and we like to be as open about that on the front end as possible. After all, time is life’s most valuable resource.