Church branding: the basics
In this day and age, having a product/service and not branding it online, is as good as NOT having a product/service at all– you simply DO NOT exist if you are not online.
Branding is defined in Marketing terms as: “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” From this definition one can see why it is important for a church to have its own branding. Just like in Public Relations and Media, it is important to remember the 5 W’s & H when considering starting to brand or rebranding your church. They are:
1. Who are you?
2. What is your message and what do you want to achieve through it?
3. When do you want to achieve it by?
4. Why should people come to your church?
5. Where do you want to broadcast your message?
6. How do you want to broadcast your message?
Something to keep in mind is that branding is far more than just a nifty logo and a catchy slogan. It is about your message, your testimony and your influence. It is important for people to be able to recognise your brand at all times.
A few pros of branding:
- It delivers your message clearly and in that the way you desire
- It confirms your credibility
- Connects you to your audience
- Creates loyalty
How will you know if your branding is effective?
The whole idea of church branding is not just to see the numbers in your church rising each week, but ultimately it is to see people’s lives truly transformed. The following extract is from a blog called “Sharefaith”:
“‘How did you hear about us?’ I asked an older couple who came one Sunday night to the church I was visiting. ‘We’ve been out of church for several years and were looking for a new church to attend. We received your post card in the mail about a month ago, and then visited your website. It looked like the type of church we’ve been looking for.’ I smiled. This is what effective branding is designed to do.”
So, at the end of the day, branding will help the world to recognise your church and think of you by simply seeing a logo, colour or slogan. Think Coca-Cola; KFC; Mercedes Benz…we recognise the brand without having to see a name, slogan or website. This is what branding can do for your church.
Remember to always make those who visit your website/Facebook page feel welcome and at home. Make them feel like if they were to join your church, they would not need to look any further.
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