What it takes to align many stakeholders around one mission

Around four years ago, I worked on a large-scale project developing a nation branding strategy for Latvia, where I lived before moving to Sweden. Nation branding, in simple terms, is about how a country understands itself and how it presents that understanding to the outside world, with clear objectives in mind.

On paper, this may sound straightforward. In practice, it is anything but. Reaching a shared story required extensive work across public institutions, private companies, industries, and civil society. Each group brought its own priorities, understanding and expectations.

When Latvia set out to develop a new national branding strategy, the task was to strenghten Latvia’s voice internationally and to align that position with national strategies, industrial development, and broader European priorities and sustainability goals. Public engagement was part of the process from the start.

Any story that is told at scale has a purpose. It may seek to attract investment, support innovation, build trust, or strengthen international cooperation. In the case of a country, the challenge is to articulate what it stands for at a given moment, how it contributes beyond its borders, and how this aligns with the lived reality of its people. 

Preparing for a design thinking workshop within the MissionSea

Countries evolve, as do industries and political priorities. Yet there is often a continuity that runs through them. In Latvia’s case, this continuity emerged clearly during the process. Across sectors, people described their work as driven by purpose rather than short-term gain. Whether in science, entrepreneurship, public service, or community initiatives, there was a strong sense of contributing to something larger than oneself. 

Before this could become a story told outwardly, it first had to be agreed upon internally.

The work began with workshops bringing together experts from industry, public organisations, research, and local communities. The task was to identify values that were already present and to understand how they connected to country priorities and European developments.

Over time, a shared theme became clear. Across sectors, people described their work as driven by a sense of mission. This was not an abstract idea. It reflected history, recent experience, and ongoing efforts. At the same time, the team was also developing a new initiative focused on the Baltic sea. This initiative later became known as Mission Sea and served as a pilot mission. It was not separate from the country story. It was an expression of it.

Once the core values and central theme were established, the next step was to translate them into a narrative people could recognise and use. This led to the development of Mission Latvia. Rather than relying on broad statements, the work focused on concrete examples drawn from both history and present-day practice.

Real experiences became central. Stories of innovators,  entrepreneurs, industry leaders, reseacrhers, and community actors were used in onboarding sessions and workshops. They were working examples of how the mission appeared in real decisions and real work. 

This approach is not limited to countries. Organisations, initiatives, and public programmes face similar challenges when introducing something new. People need to understand not only what is being proposed, but how it relates to their own work and responsibilities. Without that, value remains abstract. A mission, regardless of scale, has to feel relatable before people commit to it. This requires showing how it operates in practice, not just describing its intent.

For Latvia, this meant grounding the story in lived experience and work. Scientists working on long-term research. Entrepreneurs building companies with international reach. Industry actors addressing sustainability challenges. Community members contributing quietly through consistent effort. Instead of asserting progress, the work allowed those involved to speak through what they were already doing.

Their experiences became the foundation of the story. This made it easier for others to relate to it and to carry it forward. It also supported the development of ambassador programmes, where people outside Latvia could engage with and represent the mission based on shared understanding. 

This project remains one of the most demanding and instructive experiences I have worked on. It required navigating complex institutional settings, aligning country and European priorities, and working across sectors with very different logics. It also involved extensive work with data, policy frameworks, and industrial analysis.

What stayed with me most was how innovation actually moved forward. Especially in the context of Mission Sea, it became clear that when something  new is introduced, data and strategy alone are not enough. Real experiences, concrete cases, and examples of work already underway help people orient themselves. They make change more credible and easier to engage with.

Data matters. Lived experience adds context to how it is interpreted.

Innovation — in organisations and at a broader societal level — moves forward when its practical use is understood. This is where real-life experience supports learning and understanding.

For those working with innovation, especially where many stakeholders are involved, this experience points to a simple constraint. Without shared understanding, even well-designed initiatives, businesses or solutions may struggle to scale. Finding ways how to integrate lived experiences alongside data or policy, can open new doors.