Church Branding is More than a Logo

Whenever I talk to pastors or church leaders about "branding," one of the most common responses I hear is, "Oh, we already have a logo." That's great, but having a logo is just one small part of branding.

When we talk about brand identity, we’re really talking about the tangible expression of your church’s personality and values. It’s what people see and hear––and how it makes them feel.

People’s awareness and recognition of companies, products, churches and other brands are facilitated by a visual identity that is easy to remember and easily recognizable. And that visual identity influences their perceptions and associations. The words they consistently read and hear impact their opinion. People automatically make judgments—about what your church is like, what your values are, and what kind of people you are—based largely on the brand identity you convey. In other words, whether we like it or not, people do judge books by their covers.

Getting your brand identity right is critical if you want people outside your church to know who you are and what you’re about. It’s also important to continually reinforce those ideas for people who are already a part of your church, in part so that they can easily articulate it to their friends and neighbors. I always recommend creating a Brand Identity Guidelines document to provide consistency in all your communications. (See examples here.)

But creating a brand identity is only one component of branding your church. It’s important to consider all the ways in which people come into contact with your church. What do they experience when they visit your website, or pull into the parking lot, or walk into the lobby, or enter the sanctuary, or take their kids to the nursery? This is why it’s important for your brand identity to be authentic and the brand experience to extend to every touchpoint.

Comments

[John Panico]

Much like any other business, i agree with you that it's more than just a logo. The critical phase of any marketing scheme is to get people curious enough to "have a look". From there, giving your best shot is required if you want them to beyond that. The logo may help, but it's the way your church is projected and the individual's experience that counts.

[Mike Tracy]

Hey rod a member of my church gave me a copy of your book and said that her son helped on the project...so what does it set a pastor/church back to go through the branding process? Is that something you do? I have a buddy that paid to have branding and web done and it looks incredible. We are not heavily resourced. Is there budget options you can do while you save up enough (say, the equivilent for another church vehicle)that you will spend in branding?

[Custom Logo Design]

Hi, i do agree with your perception about branding an identity. nice post dear.