Your brand is more than just your products. In all likelihood, you also have a vision for how your products will improve customers’ lives and make the world a better place (even if the improvement is incremental). But how exactly do you explain this vision? Some companies createbrand manifestos to explain their brand vision to customers. This tool can help you communicate directly with your most engaged audience, creating emotional connections and inspiring action.
Learn about the key elements of a successful brand manifesto and discover some of the best brand manifesto examples from Shopify merchants.
Table of contents
What is a brand manifesto?
A brand manifesto is a written statement that describes your company’s views, beliefs, and purpose. It explains why your company exists and what it hopes to accomplish.
Brand manifestos serve both internal and external purposes. Internally, this document serves as a guide for employees, providing a reference that ensures your team is on the same page when creatingbrand content. Externally, a strong manifesto helps customers understand your company and connect to it on a personal level. This public-facing document is often found on an About Us page.
Brand manifesto vs. mission statement: What’s the difference?
Drafting a brand manifesto, vision statement, and mission statement are all core components of a company’s branding process. Brand manifestos are the heart of an organization. Mission statements are the brain. The difference is subtle but important:
- Brand manifesto. This is a statement that describes your company’s core purpose, values, and philosophy. It inspires the tone and substance of marketing messages, and in essence explains the “why” behind your brand. It often elicits emotions in readers.
- Mission statement. Mission statements take the ideas in a manifesto and use them to create a plan of action. Mission statements focus more on operational goals and strategies, helping employees make strategic decisions, like which markets to target.
That said, sometimes brands combine the two to create a statement that evokes emotions and sets a course for action.
Strategies for writing your brand manifesto
- Define your values
- Tell a story
- Address your audience
- Establish a larger purpose
- Use emotional language
- Hone your tone
- Write in first and second person
Great brand manifestos are concise and evocative. Use these strategies and real-world brand manifesto examples to start writing your own statement:
Define your values
A company’s brand manifesto is a public declaration of values. Start by making a list of five or more core values or beliefs and thinking about why those values matter to your audience. Keep in mind that brands often choose to focus on unique values that distinguish their company from competitors.
For example, the contemporary jewelry brandAstrid & Miyu offers a clear message about its values in the About section of its website: “More than just a jewelry brand, we are a movement on a mission to revolutionize the jewelry experience.” The statement goes on to describe founder Connie Nam’s inspiration: “Inspired by her local jeweller back home in Seoul, she wanted to offer products that were full of sentiment and innovative in design, together with an experience that was personal and engaging, and most importantly to create a brand that is inclusive and empowering.”
Astrid & Miyu’s brand manifesto explains that the company values more than beautiful jewelry—it values connecting with an audience of socially conscious women.
Tell a story
Use details to paint a picture of your brand. Telling a story about your company’s origins or your brand’s vision for a better world can help reach consumers on an emotional level. Consider including authenticpersonal details, such as a story about your founder’s inspiration or a summary of a challenge your brand has faced to make your brand feel relatable.
The brand manifesto of direct-to-consumer meal company Daily Harvest contains this short description of the brand’s origins: “Rachel Drori dreamed up Daily Harvest to solve two big problems: the lack of healthy, nutritious, easy food, ready when you need it … and the acres of organically farmed soil required to grow it. No big deal. Rachel took Daily Harvest from a tiny smoothie delivery service to a full-on company with team members and an office with office dogs and everything.”
This statement explains founder Rachel Drori’s motivations for creating Daily Harvest and adds additional emotional appeal by using light-hearted language and including a mention of the company’s dog-friendly office.
Address your audience
Address your target audience directly and focus on explaining why your goals and values are relevant to them. Think of your manifesto as a rallying cry—establishing a set of shared values can inspire action from potential customers. Speaking directly to your audience will help them understand the benefits of purchasing your products.
The mulberry silk-focused apparel brand SilkSilky uses its manifesto to connect its choice fabric to consumer benefits: “Experience the allure, embrace the benefits, and indulge in the splendor of silk. Welcome to our world, where dreams are woven, and a luxurious and healthy lifestyle awaits.” This statement is both a call to action and an emotional appeal that invites prospective customers to experience the brand’s high-quality products.
Establish a larger purpose
Consider connecting your brand to a cultural trend or social movement. Voicing a commitment to a social cause can help create a sense of community among your customers, and it can help consumers trust your brand. This practice can also help you establish a brand purpose and brand mission, which can help you send the message that purchasing your products is an act of social good.
For example, Goodfair’sbrand manifesto explains the company’s commitment to sustainable consumption: “Each year, 64% of the 32 billion garments purchased in the US end up in a landfill. We believe that if we change the way consumers think about buying things—buy less, buy used—we can make our planet a better place.” This message clearly communicates the organization’s purpose, while describing how shopping with Goodfair helps to reduce waste and support the environment.
Use emotional language
Your brand manifestocan inspireconsumers, but you’ll need to use the right vocabulary. Consider using emotional language, such as evocative descriptions and colorful adjectives, to elicit your desired reader response.
For example, consider these lines from travel company Monos’ brand manifesto: “To explore places near and far with wonder and curiosity, with gratitude and graciousness. To greet the world with open eyes and arms, and an open mind and heart.” This excerpt is packed with evocative language that plays on the audience’s emotions—it describes a world of opportunities made possible by the right suitcase.
Hone your tone
Even if you use the right words, your brand manifesto can sound off to consumers if you don’t write it with the appropriate voice. For example, a company selling medical supplies probably shouldn’t use a lighthearted tone, and an apparel company selling products with funny viral sayings probably shouldn’t use a serious one.
Writing your brand manifesto in your brand voice will allow readers to get a sense of your company’s personality while learning about your values. Using your brand manifesto to establish your tone will also help establish brand consistency—employees can use this statement as a guide when they develop other written content.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) food company Fly By Jing’s manifesto stays true to its daring brand identity: “Fly By Jing doesn’t conform to anyone else’s notions of value, taste, tradition. It is one person’s recipes, one person’s vision, and one person’s story. With these products, I’m telling you mine,” founder Jing Gao writes on the brand’s about page. This statement uses a bold tone and establishes a strong, spicy brand personality for the brand, which is best known for its chili crisp.
Write in first and second person
Speak directly to your reader by using first- and second-person points of view. Referring to your company as “we” and your reader as “you” will help your statement feel direct and personal. Writing in the third-person perspective and referring to your company by its name could make it feel like you’re speaking on behalf of someone else.
For example, consider this excerpt fromMaguire Shoes’ manifesto: “We get it: when you’re splurging on a new pair of shoes, you want to know where every penny goes.” In the third person, this statement would read, “Maguire Shoes understands: when someone splurges on a new pair of shoes, they want to know where every penny goes.” The first example comes straight from the company and addresses the user. The second feels convoluted and unclear.
Brand manifesto FAQ
How long should a brand manifesto be?
Brand manifestos should be long enough to explain three to five core business ideas but short enough to hold readers’ attention. Follow best practices by ensuring your entire manifesto can fit on one to two pages (200 to 600 words); anything longer could intimidate readers.
What is the difference between a brand story and a brand manifesto?
Brand stories focus on how a company came to be; brand manifestos explain why. A brand story might explain how the founders met and when they had their brilliant idea. A manifesto would describe why their idea matters and how it could change the world.
How do you build a brand manifesto?
To write a brand manifesto, start by identifying your core brandvalues and connecting them to consumer desires. Draft a statement that explains your brand’s purpose. Consider using emotional language to create a compelling story that matches your brand’s tone and resonates with potential customers.
