Jerry Maguire & the Mission Statement

You obviously recognize Jerry Maguire by "you had me at hello" and "show me the money". But as someone who obsesses over the world of branding and what makes one up, I was really excited to see the vigour with which Tom Cruise drafted his 20 page mission statement in the middle of his iconic breakdown (breakthrough).

Why did he do it?
It's simple. He worked as a sports agent getting as many clients as many deals as he could to make to get his company as much money and himself as much commission as he could. This strategy worked for him as long as he had blinders on and just wanted to pump money. Obviously, this didn't last long (we saw his meltdown in the first 15 minutes itself) because we're wired to want and have meaning.
He recognized what most brands fail to do– their purpose besides making money. And once that happened, there was no looking back.

What was the mission statement really?
His mission statement outlined why he really did what he did, and the impact he wished to make with his work. In his case, it was to protect his clients from harm and injury and give them the attention they deserve.

What does this mean for your brand?
Fortunately, you don't need to go through what Jerry did to have that breakthrough. Take a deep dive into your product, think about the situations in which people want to use your product, and think about how they feel before and after using it. Use these to create your brand story and your mission statement and build a magnetic brand that attracts your tribe.