By Tony Tiernan

Brand is about meaning. Purpose, vision, mission and values are the four foundation stones on which you build your organization’s meaning. All too often each of those four key elements is crafted in isolation, and with too little ambition or courage.

We define these key concepts as follows: 
•    Purpose is the better world that your organization hopes to bring about as a result of its business efforts. It must be inspirational and speak to all stakeholders
•    Vision is the what your organization ultimately aspires to be in its chosen field. It supports the organization’s purpose
•    Mission is what your organization dedicates itself to achieving through its work in order to realize the vision. It must be clear, specific and inspirational
•    Values are the non-negotiable beliefs necessary to deliver the mission. They should be clear enough to guide behavior and backed up with explicit policies embedded in the key processes of the business.

Brand is the promise of value represented by the sum of these elements. It is conveyed through the behavior of your organization’s professionals at least as much as through your marketing materials

If you develop them thoughtfully and design them to act together then purpose, vision, mission and values can produce a powerfully differentiated brand that is sustainable, meaningful and authentic. How strong are your brand’s foundations?