Way back in the early 80's I was in a high level meeting with the President of CocaCola foods, the Minutemade brand.  He and his team were pitching their new advertising plan for Minutemade Orange Drink to the CocaCola Chairman.  They had cans all printed up in military camouflage and a strong military tough enough to take it attitude.  They made their presentation and all seemed to be very satisfied with what they had created.  I being the somewhat pessimistic person thought it all through and felt the urge to ask the advertizing executive if with all the news at that time about Agent Orange and its connection to all the Vietnam veterans, did they not think that this would come off as a bit of a stab at them connecting their orange drink to a military theme.  The exec stood there looking at me as if I was from another planet.  He was quite for a bit and then said, We have worked on this for months, and your the first to make that connection.  I never saw that campaign.  I doubt it was my input, but maybe a better plan was put forward.  In that sense, I see way too much bad Church branding by Ministers with egos bigger than their ministry.  Enough said..Don

Frist thing to remember - brands happen!  Whether or not we control the development of a brand is our choice, but every ministry, every minister, every organization, every company has a brand.  It is inevitable.  All too often brands are allowed to develop randomly containing a hodge-podge of information – thereby negating the impact of a well constructed brand.

Secondly, real brand are based on reality! You can't brand something to be something is it not.  Ultimately the facade will crumble and all integrity and brand confidence will be lost.

Thirdly, effective brand development is hard work.  Components like brand personaility, brand attirbutes, etc, need to be clearly defined. THEN – the work begins.  Every aspect of the entity needs to highlight that brand.  Customer service mist reflect the brand; sales must reflect the brand; product quality must reflect the brand, communication devices must reflect the brand; all with consistency, harmony and unity.

Then – - overlay your brand woth these 10 components to maximize it impact.

Also, branding starts at home…

What kind of God-brand do YOU represent at home, neighborhood or workplace.

We are ALL marketing HIM.

R

As such it doesn't bother me to talk about its impact in the Church.  The Church is part and parcel of that branding and identification.  At the highest level, the cross, the dove of the holy spirit, the flames of pentecost etc. when presented in a meaningful context serve as a vehicle to send a message and they have for centuries.  We may raise the level of sophistication in how we attempt to understand and manipulate this dynamic but the fact remains, it is part of our common human experience and identifications.

I like the final comment where the brand transends to a way of life. 

Maybe we're looking at it backwards?

It is the at the highest level of Christian Identification and belief that descends to something as common as a brand to give it meaning and motivate people within to aspire to that lofty standard and when it is consistent and sincere, to attract those outside to become a part of something bigger than themselves.