EngagingBrands

Church From a Visitor's Perspective

Church Marketing Sucks, has recapped a series of blogs they have done called, "Church From the Visitor's Perspective".  Take some time to read it and see how it applies to you.

Ways churches can learn from bars

It's sad but true.  In terms of building a community, a bar can be better at it than most churches.  I've been told on more than one occasion that if a regular doesn't show up to a bar in a week or two then their friends call to see what's going on.  How many churches have that kind of follow up in place?

The church is trying to create this kind of community via small groups.  And while this is effective is not means to an end, but simply the path to get there.  So what are some ways we can learn from a bar?

• Open, Honest dialog is key to real relationships
• Get to know those around you - forgo the greeting after worship and ask them out for a coffee or lunch
• Quantity can produce quality - spend time together "doing life" - who's going to bring ice cream when your dog dies?

For the sake of making a point bars understand community without forcing the issue.  How can we adapt to build community in churches?  Is the current structure enough?  Are small groups enough?  What are you doing to create community and is it really working or just a perception?

Jesus didn't treat everyone equally

There's a valuable truth here that can apply immediately to branding.  You can't treat everyone equally.  I know there's a few already tuning me out.  But lets look at a couple facts:

• He treated the church (pharisees/saduccees) differently.  He even called them names at one point.
• He allowed only 3 of his 12 disciples to see his transfiguration and only invited 3 of them to pray with him in the garden before his arrest

Sprint recently decided to treat some of its "problem customers" a little different by telling them to find somewhere else to go.

I know this is hard to swallow because we often confuse love others with treat them equally.  A Brand's strength comes from knowing who its customers are.  Does this mean we don't let someone inside the brand community, no. 

A brand is an expectation.  You can't be all things to all people.  You have to decide what your going to be and then deliver on that promise.  The great thing is there is plenty of diversity in the church.  If someone comes to your church and it has great A/V and they want a more traditional service, then they can go find that somewhere else.

So what is your brand's demographic - coffee house, traditional?  Whatever it is your brand must communicate in a way that delivers on the expectation of your community.  If your brand says your one thing and they show up and discover its completely different then all you've done is lie to that potential customer and may not get a second chance.

Relationships are based on trust, tell someone something and deliver on that and you've earned their trust.  Church Brands need to strive to do the same.

Virtuous Mediocrity

A good friend of mine, Scott Fehrenbacher,  coined the phrase virtuous mediocrity.  When I heard him say it the first time, I immediately adopted it into my vocabulary.  Its definition simply put is, settling for less than excellence because it's for a good cause.

Good enough is a dangerous place to be.  Will it get you by, probably.  Will others know you settled, maybe.  But in the end, it wont set you apart. 

Jesus is a great example - take his first miracle, it wasn't just good wine it was the best.

As a brand excellence communicates value. How well you value the relationship with your brand community comes out in your willingness to be remarkable and do everything with excellence.

Some recommended reading for excellence:

Seth Godin - Is good enough enough?

Tom Peters Excellence Blog

Mark Batterson - In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

Open Source Branding

Seth Godin's post on The Irresistible Story is something brands must remember in today's age.  People will write about you, good/bad.  Their information can be based on facts or the lack thereof.  One of the things a pastor or church need to do is deal with the questions or issues at hand. 

I have to agree with Seth,

The real answer is simple: be transparent, do good work, answer your legitimate critics in the same forum or through your actions.

Two other recent blogs have hit this head on: 

FutureAG Blog - dealing with issues that have been "kept quite" for a denomination

And Mark Batterson's Blog entry on The Elephant in the Room

Open Source Branding should be just that.  Answer the questions and provide the information.

Branding and the Church

The church is not immune to the changes in culture and communication methods.  People today are more concerned about can this church meet my and my family’s needs.  In fact, Earl Creps says (as cited in Rapport, Winter 2005) says that one-in-six people will change religious/church affiliations this year. People are no longer choosing a church just because that is they way they were raised or of denominational loyalty.  It takes something deeper, more meaningful.

This is evident as well in a recent trend of churches moving away from traditional, denominational names.   In 1995 64% of the top 100 fastest growing Assembly of God churches used the words Assembly of God in their name.  In 2004 that number dropped by 38% and a little more than one-fourth (26%) of the top 100 fastest growing churches are using Assemblies of God in their church brand.  These churches have not changed their core beliefs or their values, just they way they communicate to their local communities. 

Strong churches must do more than have a great service on Sunday to set itself apart in today’s world.  It must create a deep connection that is developed over time between the attendee and the church (brand) community.  It should evoke feelings of loyalty and passion to from its community.  It should give the attendee a since of belonging to a bigger part of the whole while at the same time feeling he/she is a significant part of the church.  It should create brand evangelists that actively recruit others to join this community of believers.  Times are always changing.  As they do it is imperative that brands (churches) continue to evolve with them.

Assess, Refine, Engage

Every brand has the potential to become stale or outdated.  That's why at EngagingBrands we have established a simple process.  It's not rocket-science, but it's necessary.  Assessing the brand is the first step.  Looking at where you have been and determining where as a brand you want to go. 

Refining is the next step.  This can be anything from simple communication pieces updates to a full scale brand makeover.  The end is the same, make your brand something people want to be a part of.

Finally is the engaging the brand.  As I mentioned in an earlier post this is the most vital step and can be the most difficult.  If you have spent all the money in the world and don't have anyone becoming part of your brand community on a daily basis, then you haven't created a brand.  All you have is a pretty logo and name.

Engaging Brands

How does a company, church, or anything go about engaging its brand in today's market where thousands of messages are heard and even more ignored on a daily basis?

The answer is simple, but not easily achieved.  It must develop a deeply committed relationship with its consumer.  As humans we are wired to be social beings.  Our since of belonging is what motivates our everyday actions.

Everything in life flows from relationships, and relationships take time.  Branding is no different.