Creating a succinct and meaningful company description can costs tens of thousands of dollars either in internal resources or fees to consultants. Or you can do it on the
cheap.
Software from MissionExpert (http://www.missionexpert.com) costs $20 to $500 and offers a semi-automated process through which a communications professional can get
a mission statement in order. It streamlines the process of gathering input and provides a template for compiling that information into a meaningful statement of purpose. For $50
you can try the e-book Mission and Vision Statements (http://www.missionvisionstatement.com), which likewise offers a ready-made process for crafting an understandable company
description.
Ultimately, though, it is the communications skill of the PR executive that will matter more than any software tool. For that to happen, PR may need to ring its own bell. "I
don't think most companies go to their PR department for help with mission statements. They do it through [other] senior leadership and input from HR," says John Baldoni of John
Baldoni Consulting (Ann Arbor, Mich.). "Therefore, it's up to PR to exert itself and help in the formulation, roll-out and publicizing of the mission."