Church Marketing Sucks

Here are some of the stories from the past week that have caught our eye but not quite made it all the way to becoming posts, just in case you need a way to sharpen your skills and pass the time.

• Church is sorry. One church is making no secret of their shame with a campaign to say they’re sorry for how they are perceived by many in their community. (Ed. note: That billboard is a broken window.)
• Real church marketing means life change. We’re completely on board here. Cody Thomas shares (via convenient bullet points) his belief that the best form of marketing is changing lives and turning those folks on the loose in your community.
• What do you call your church gathering? Is it an experience? A celebration? A rally? A service? An experience? Kent Shaffer digs into this a bit and what it says, and he even endorses the proliferation of Sunday school! You don’t hear that too much these days.
• Nike and the swoosh. The church and the cross. This might not be a practical day-to-day manifesto, but it’s got great insights into the power of marketing on the brain and the use of symbols.
• On signage. From the folks who asked you, What if the church marketed like Starbucks?, we have a great little exposition on the power of signage. A quick read that could make you think twice when you walk past your own signs.
• When churches close their doors. This big local church closed their doors for a weekend of service. Perhaps not having services for a better purpose will end up growing your church more than having services will.