Brand vs Branding

Every parish has a brand.

A parish brand is formed by a combination of influences including history, pastor, mission and ministries, culture and audience experience. The parish brand, and where it resides in a person's mental hierarchy of value, is determined by their personal experiences and expectations with the brand (parish). Your parish brand is an important and valuable parish asset that needs to managed and nurtured.

Designing and selecting the right logo mark to reflect a parish brand is an important first step. There are nice logo designs and better logo solutions. The bottom line is that a parish logo needs to be simple and unique. Equally important is that it must be able to be reproduced easily across media platforms without design compromise. On occasion, I see new parish logos that are attractive and nicely designed, but are too detailed and can be difficult to implement. A simple, well-designed logo simplifies design work and will have the longevity and flexibility to grow with a faith community. A parish logo can also become a source of parish pride.

Parish branding is the ongoing process of articulating and communicating, visually and verbally parish mission, ministries, culture and faith and community life to key audiences. Using consistent and common visual assets and messaging, along with following a few basic design guidelines, parishes can create strategic, well-designed communications that send your audiences the message that faith and parish life matter. We are called to be bold in our sharing of the Word and message of the Gospel. With the goal of creating disciples and increasing member engagement, quality branding and communications are foundational to every communications ministry.

People like brands and can have an emotional attachment to them. Think of yourself and your own brand loyalties. People are and can be powerful ambassadors for a brand when they share their experiences - both good and bad. Truth is, people love their parishes, have an emotional attachment, are very loyal and take great pride in their parish membership. Parish branding is the packaging and telling the story of parish life within your faith community.

Today, parishes need communications that align and reflect their mission, community and commitment. A strong parish brand works to unify a faith community, advance your mission, build ministries and volunteer involvement, increase stewardship, and position the parish as a faith leader in the larger community. A vibrant parish communication ministry is essential for new member recruitment, parishioner engagement and financial stability, and it can have a favorable impression on visitors and new members.

Strong parish brands just don't happen, they are intentional, and they require a plan, commitment and nurturing to grow, stay fresh, and aligned with mission. A parish brand is so much more than a parish logo. The key to successful parish branding is keeping your message simple and presentations creative, relevant and consistent. The best part is that It doesn't take a big budget to do great branding, but it does take planning and discipline. Take some time to look around at how other parishes are embracing branding and handling their communication ministries. Basic branding should be the foundation of every parish communication ministry, and parishes are beginning to understand the value of promoting parish life rather than merely announcing it.