Branding in Churches: What's So Different?

A brand is more than just one thing, for instance, a logo.  A logo is only part of the brand, it's not everything.  Some brands are short term, some are long lasting.  But the biggest distinction I'm interested in is how branding is different for churches.  Kristian Darigan, Vice President and Talya Bosch, Director for Cone Marketing spoke to a room full of religious communicators, telling them that they were indeed very different than any corporation.

Like we didn't know?  

Every person in the room faces the constant struggle of communicating values so central to human understanding that they are tied to every aspect of life.  Every chair was filled with someone who scrimpts and saves their budget each year because non-profit organizations like theirs are constantly battling the bottom line...while also accounting for each penny in a way that upholds the core values of their faith...in accountability to every member of their organization, not just a boss, but many, many bosses.  

But what we didn't fully realize is that those very deeply seeded values that make our religious group special are the same ones that make our "brand of branding" special as well.

McDonald's, Wal-mart, Chili's, Best Buy...they all have to work at taking their profit building business and linking it to actions that do more than make money, but save lives, improve life, and connect with the most precious values of humanity.  (Some call this Cause Branding) While corporations have to attach themselves to a more meaningful cause, in non-profit arenas we are the more meaningful cause.  This makes branding in a church deeply authentic, when the brand truly represents the deepest values of the church members.  But when presented flipantly, this can also make church branding hypocritical and fake.  

William McEwen wrote an article for the Gallup Organization called, "Getting Emotional About Brands."  Consumers care very much about where they spend their money as well as where they invest their other resrouces; time, emotions, and devotion.  Consumers are evaluating companies according to what they are willing to support and promote to their friends and family.  Consumers, or rather potential followers of Jesus Christ, listen to a message because they are actaully looking to support something and wanting something to hold onto that gives deeper meaning to every area of their lives.  

Here's where the problem lies for most mainline protestant denominations today.  Church go-ers are looking for something to support, to follow, to invest time and money and energy into...but churches are not giving them something solid to grab onto!  The Christian church is over 2,000 years old.  Throughout that time, followers of Christ have had to find ways to understand God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as they make sense in the world they live in.  Today is no different.  The message of Jesus Christ must make sense to people.  Otherwise it means nothing.  The responsibility of Christian communities is being clear and direct in conveying this important message.  

Whether you have one already or not, as wornout and overused as this approach may be, it's true...

The first step is making a mission statement.