Branding is a major element of your church’s communication strategy. It’s the essence of your church’s identity and should be at the core of everything your church communicates. So what makes a great brand?

Let’s start by defining “brand”. Many think a brand is simply a logo, but it’s actually so much more than that. Branding involves everything related to managing the perception of your church. It includes your church’s voice, visuals, mission, values. It’s the experience people have with your church, how your church is viewed and what your church is known for.
So what are the characteristics that make your church’s brand great?

Here are six attributes that great church brands have in common

1. Meaning – Churches with great brands build them intentionally on the messages and beliefs they stand by. They boil down what they want to convey most and build their brands around it. Every aspect of your brand should have meaning that speaks to who you are and what you want to communicate.
2. Personality – A great brand represents the unique identity of the church. Expressing who your church is and how it’s different than other churches is an essential part of branding. So great brands have a strong sense of who they are and make their personality shine through their branding.
3. Honesty – It’s crucial that a church brand isn’t too aspirational. While your church should have goals, its brand must be a genuine and authentic representation of who your church is, not only what it wants to be. You can’t brand a lie.
4. Commitment – Your church must communicate through its branding a commitment to follow through. Your church exists for a reason. It has a unique mission within the Great Commission and its brand should represent a commitment to it. The very existence of your church represents a promise being made to those who you hope to reach and your brand should deliver on that promise.
5. Memorable – To have a great brand, it has to be memorable. It must transform the complex network of messages, values, personality and promises into a simple and compelling brand that is easily remembered. The more memorable a church brand is, the greater awareness you can expect to have.
6. Consistency – Great brands are unwavering, reliable and steady representations of your church. They are consistent through time, across channels and in all communications. I’ve heard it said that just when you start to get tired of your brand, that’s when others are finally beginning to recognize it. Remember that you are exposed to your church’s brand every day. You live and breathe it, but others are experiencing it in much lower frequencies. Stay the course and keep it consistent!

What do you think about these characteristics of great church brands? What others would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

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