1. Companies often list their vision and their mission statements on their sites. The difference between
a mission statement and a vision statement is that a mission statement focuses on a company‟s present
state while a vision statement focuses on a company‟s future. However, some companies tend to blend
these statements. The following are some of the top technology-based company mission statements:
Amazon: Amazon‟s vision is to be earth‟s most customer centric company; to build a place where people
can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. (They list this as their mission as a
combination mission/vision on their site).
Apple: Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators,
creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and
Internet offerings.
Dell: Dell‟s mission is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best
customer experience in markets we serve.
Facebook: Facebook‟s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and
connected.
Google: Google‟s mission is to organize the world„s information and make it universally accessible and
useful.
Microsoft: Microsoft‟s mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their
full potential.
Skype: Skype‟s mission is to be the fabric of real-time communication on the web.
Twitter: Twitter lists its mission as “a work in progress” as it has yet to be fully developed.
Yahoo!: Yahoo!‟s mission is to be the most essential global Internet service for consumers and
businesses
YouTube: YouTube‟s mission is to provide fast and easy video access and the ability to share videos
frequently
For each of the companies listed, I‟ve included comments on the quality of the
statements, and how easy they were to find – this is important, because really,
this sort of information should be front and centre. Any text in purple is a
direct copy from the companies‟ Website and not my own writing – I‟ve even
left in the spelling mistakes and typos.
The Driving Principles of the Top 10 Global Brands
APPLE
I posted this mission statement up on an earlier blog BUT I could not find the
mission statement today on Apple when I went looking for it again… it seems

2. to have disappeared… Perhaps someone at Apple can tell me if this is the right
and current one?
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS
X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music
revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile
phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently
introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and
computing devices.
As far as mission statements go, I find this boring. It doesn‟t talk about its
people, it doesn‟t talk about its environmental aims (something important to
Apple when you review its Website) and it makes no mention of its corporate
responsibility around the world. It talks about the products it has already
created and its leadership position, but it doesn‟t inspire the imagination
about where it‟s going to take us next. This is a shame, and I definitely think
Apple could do a much better job of it, because Apple certainly is inspiring.
The Apple Mission Statement in particular is a highly searched term on my
blog, so marketing folk are interested and looking for inspiration from the
world‟s number one brand.
IBM
When looking for its mission statement, I came across its core valuesand how
IBM went about recreating them – this is great information on the
importance of involving everyone in the process to ensure buy-in. As such, I
didn‟t find a mission statement per se, but this is what drives IBM world-wide:
Today, shared values are more essential than ever before-for enterprises, for
individuals and for the globally integrating society of the 21st Century.
 Dedication to every clients success
 Innovation that matters – for our company and the world
 Trust and responsibility in all relationships
These are the core values that serve as the foundation of IBM‟s culture and
brand and the guide for each IBMer‟s work, decisions and relationships.
PS: there is some pretty useful information on this link for anyone in
marketing today.
GOOGLE
Google‟s is short and sweet, and many would define this as a vision statement
Google‟s mission is to organize the world‟s information and make it
universally accessible and useful.

3. If you‟re wondering what drives Google as a core philosophy, here are the 10
things defined in the early days, which get tweaked occasionally as the
company evolves.
MCDONALDS
Interestingly, I‟ve never looked at the McDonalds Website before, but the
mission statement was easy to find, and if you‟re interested, the values follow
on and can be found here.
McDonald‟s brand mission is to be our customers‟ favorite place and way to eat. Our worldwide
operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an
exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed
to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers‟ experience.
In many ways, this includes the company‟s core drivers, but it lacks passion for me. On the „About
McDonalds‟ page, they had this summary and I actually think this content forms the basis of a much
better mission statement:
At McDonald‟s, we strive to be more than just a restaurant – we‟re a first job for many, a community
partner, a model for other restaurants around the world, and a company seeking new ways to fulfil
our brand promise of Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value.
MICROSOFT
Easy to find and it looks like Microsoft has done a recent revamp of its
messaging since the last time I checked in and blogged about it. Thenew
mission statement I found is this:
At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and businesses
throughout the world realize their full potential.
Great, but more of a vision statement don‟t you think? It‟s definitely not
quantifiable, which is what a vision is?
On this same page, Microsoft includes its values, which are good and probably
closer to a mission statement:
As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness,
personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement,
and mutual respect. We are committed to our customers and partners and
have a passion for technology. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves
on seeing them through. We hold ourselves accountable to our customers,
shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring our commitments,
providing results, and striving for the highest quality.
COCA-COLA

4. Coca-Cola does the whole mission, vision, etc… in a different way again, but
with such a massive global brand, and a vast product range, I figure it‟s not so
easy to come up with a one line vision, and paragraph-length mission
statement? This is how Coca-Cola positions its mission and vision. I‟d swap
mission and vision if it was me, but easy to find this information on the
Website.
Our Mission
Our Roadmap starts with our mission, which is enduring. It declares our
purpose as a company and serves as the standard against which we weigh our
actions and decisions.
 To refresh the world…
 To inspire moments of optimism and happiness…
 To create value and make a difference
Our Vision
Our vision serves as the framework for our Roadmap and guides every aspect
of our business by describing what we need to accomplish in order to continue
achieving sustainable, quality growth.
 People: Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best
they can be.
 Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that
anticipate and satisfy people‟s desires and needs.
 Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers,
together we create mutual, enduring value.
 Planet: Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build
and support sustainable communities.
 Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful
of our overall responsibilities.
 Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization
MARLBORO
I wasn‟t able to find the Marlboro mission statement, because I had to register
on the site as an over 18 year old to get access, BUT as I didn‟t have a PIN
number (which looks relevant only to US residents). Therefore I had to go to
parent company Philip Morris, which then meant going to its operating
company, Altria. As an example of driving principles, this is definitely the
most interesting of the group, because they face massive challenges with
negative public opinion in relation to health concerns, and need to address

5. them within the context of a mission statement. Definitely a good example for
companies looking to define their mission in the context of similar challenges:
Our Mission is to own and develop financially disciplined businesses that are leaders in responsibly
providing adult tobacco and wine consumers with superior branded products. In pursuing our
Mission, we have established the following goals for Altria Group and its subsidiary companies:
Invest in Leadership
We will invest in excellent people, leading brands and external stakeholders
important to our businesses‟ success.
Align With Society
We will actively participate in resolving societal concerns that are relevant to
our businesses.
Satisfy Adult Consumers
We will convert our deep understanding of adult tobacco and wine consumers
into better and more creative products that satisfy their preferences.
Create Substantial Value For Shareholders
We will execute our business plans to create sustainable growth and generate
substantial returns for shareholders.
AT&T
AT&T is relatively easy to find but I think they‟ve got their mission and vision
confused. One is definitely not the other and both are mixed up in this
statement.
Today, our mission is to connect people with their world, everywhere they live
and work, and do it better than anyone else. We‟re fulfilling this vision by
creating new solutions for consumers and businesses and by driving
innovation in the communications and entertainment industry.
VERIZON
I couldn‟t find a mission or vision statement for Verizon as I define them, but
the Website claims a „Verizon Credo’ as its driving force.
“The Verizon Credo guides us in every decision and shapes relationships with
our customers, our suppliers and the communities we serve.”
While a little different and much longer, it demonstrates focus and alignment.
It‟s also the best example I could find for Verizon.
Who We Are
We have work because our customers value our high-quality
communications services.
We deliver superior customer experiences through our products and our
actions. Everything we do we build on a strong network, systems and process

6. foundation. The quality and reliability of the products we deliver are
paramount. Customers pay us to provide them with services that they can rely
on.
We focus outward on the customer, not inward. We make it easy
for customers to do business with us, by listening, anticipating and
responding to their needs.
We know our products and can explain them to customers. We focus on
fundamental execution. We are accountable and we follow through with a
sense of urgency. We know that having the highest ethical standards is a
competitive advantage.
We know teamwork enables us to serve our customers better and
faster. We embrace diversity and personal development not only
because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s smart
business.
We are driven not by ego but by accomplishments. We keep our commitments
to each other and our customers. Our word is our contract. We respect and
trust one another, communicating openly, candidly and directly since any
other way is unfair and a waste of time. We voice our opinion and exercise
constructive dissent, and then rally around the agreed-upon action with our
full support. Any one of us can deliver a view or idea to anyone else, and listen
to and value another‟s view regardless of title or level. Ideas live and die on
their merits rather than where they were invented.
We believe integrity is at the core of who we are. It establishes the
trust that is critical to the relationships we have.
We are committed to do the right thing and follow sound business practices in
dealing with our customers, suppliers, owners and competitors. Our
competitors are not enemies; they are challengers who drive us to improve.
We are good corporate citizens and share our success with the community to
make the world in which we work better than it was yesterday.
We know that bigness is not our strength, best is our strength.
Bureaucracy is an enemy. We fight every day to stay “small” and keep
bureaucracy out. We are more agile than companies a fraction of our size,
because we act fast and take risks every day. We see crisis and change as
opportunities, not threats. We run to a crisis, not away. Change energizes us.
We work hard, take action and take personal accountability for getting things
done. Our actions produce measurable results.

7. Everything we do is built on the strong foundation of our corporate
values.
We work 24×7 because our customers depend on us 24×7. We know our best
was good for today. Tomorrow we‟ll do better.
We Are VERIZON
INTEGRITY • RESPECT • PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE •
ACCOUNTABILITY
CHINA MOBILE
The only non-US company in the Top 10 is China Mobile and unlike the
others, it does not have the slick Website and punchy statements that go with
it. I couldn‟t find anything resembling a mission statement or corporate
values, and the only aspect that clarified its driving principles was under
the corporate governance tab. Of course, the site in Mandarin might actually
include this information, but I could only read the English version.
Our goal has always been to enhance our corporate value, maintain our
sustainable long-term development and generate greater returns for our
shareholders. In order to better achieve the above objectives, we have
established good corporate governance practices following the principles of
integrity, transparency, openness and efficiency, and have implemented sound
governance structure and measures. We have established and improved
various policies, internal control system and other management mechanisms
and procedure for the key participants involved in good corporate governance,
including shareholders, board of directors and its committees, management
and staff, internal auditors, external auditors and other stakeholders
(including our customers, local communities, industry peers, regulatory
authorities, etc.).
We believe that corporate governance goes hand in hand with corporate
culture. High standard of corporate governance is built on the basis of good
corporate culture. Corporate governance principles and policies can only be
applied effectively and consistently with a corporate culture that is premised
on honesty and integrity. By upholding our core value of “Responsibility
Makes Perfection”, we strive to achieve economic, social and environmental
sustainability in a way that coordinates the present and the future while taking
the interests of ourselves and our stakeholders into account.
This is not unusual for a PRC company Website, and while the growth in this
region is on a massive scale, there is still a long way to go in regards to the

8. glossy marketing output of its US counterparts. They will get there in time I‟m
sure.
Conclusion
As you can see, all of these companies go about defining their driving
principles in different ways, but as global brand leaders we should expect it to
be done with exceptional panache. Most have achieved it, but some have not,
and for those looking for information on how to define a company‟s mission
statement, I hope the homework I‟ve done here helps you. If you‟re defining
your mission, vision or corporate values, you‟ve got to make them mean
something, because every employee in the organisation needs to embrace
them and approach their work with them as a core driving principle. I
continue to believe they are that important.