If you read Church Marketing Sucks often, then you’ll see the word “brand” come up here and there. It’s used as a noun, meaning the collection of your logo, letterhead, visual identity, design guide, etc. It’s also used as a verb, as in the action of standardizing all those things mentioned above.
Here’s another point-of-view: If traditional marketing is dead (not yet, but almost), then you’re going to have to move beyond the traditional view of branding, which tells you to get a good logo and plaster it everywhere. Your brand needs to become more built-in, natural and part of everything you say, do and think—not just everything you publish.
There are a handful of churches that grasp this concept. You can tell because you know them by more than just their logo. For example, LifeChurch.tv has a brand that reaches beyond their logo, which is nothing spectacular to be honest. Their brand includes their reputation for creativity, innovation, risk-taking and scope of ministry. As another example, Elevation Church’s brand is way bigger than a logo in that they’re known for audacity in a city full of stale religion.
What I’m saying is that your church’s brand has to be bigger than a rock star logo if you expect to be remembered. You have to become your brand and your brand has to become you. Sounds existential, huh?
Chad Wright
April 7, 2008
I actually had to stop and think what Lifechurch’s logo looked like. And yet it’s a church I interact with almost every day in some way, all because of their brand.
Terrace Crawford
April 7, 2008
I so agree, Scott. LifeChurch (by name alone) is more recognizable than their logo.
Benjamin Pfohl
May 8, 2008
I foget where I read this (meaning not my original thought) but I believe that a brand is the distance between what is promised and what is delivered. I always relate it back to the vision (promise) of our church. Poor vision = poor brand.
Rick Baker
October 5, 2011
Agreed with one caviat. We are the firm that created the logo for Elevation and I can tell you that there is a lot of intention behind the design you see there. Just make sure that you don’t forget about the segment of your target audience that knows nothing about you and will make a decision in the moment if they are curious to know more about you based on what they see and read about you. If I was a non-Christian for example, I might see the LifeChurch.tv logo and see that there is not a lot about it that actually communicates who they are. In fact, if I have a negative feeling about large churches, especially the ones on TV, I might disqualify their brand solely on .tv suffix. Something to think about…