Your logo is not your brand.

Your logo is not your brand.

Fun Fact: Your logo is not your brand. Your logo is just an artistic representation of your brand.

Think about it. Apple is not Apple because of the cool logo, right? They have built a reputation for high-quality computers, amazing customer service, dedication to the user experience and giving customers solutions that fit their lifestyle in ways that they may never have imagined. When you see that white outline of an Apple your mind immediately floods with all of the experiences and feelings you have related to Apple.

If the logo is not the brand, then why do so many people think that a “rebrand” means a new logo and website?

It’s simple.

Literally… changing your logo is the easiest thing you can do. It requires very little effort and it seems like you have done a lot. New signs, new letterhead, new business cards, a whole new website. Some churches even throw parties to celebrate the change.

Here’s the problem.

When people come to your church the next week the only thing different is the logo. People will still experience the same parking lot, building, worship, preaching, greeters, ushers, etc. They will for sure see the new signs, but it won’t really mean much.

So how do you build a brand? Also simple.

  • Focus on the experience that people have when they interact with your church. Think carefully about everything from street to seat and back. Some questions to think about: Is it easy to find your way on campus? Is it easy to check kids in? Is the temperature of the building pleasant? Is the sound level right for the audience? There are dozens of questions you can ask… just choose those that are most important for your community and keep asking them.
  • Boil your core mission and vision down to a simple set of words and phrases that keep your whole team focused and clear. A complicated set of statements may work in the committee room, but in practice, it needs to be simple and repeatable.
  • Define your target audience and get to know them. Understand the demographics of who you are trying to reach so that you can quickly identify if you are hitting your target. Also, understand the needs and fears, hopes and dreams of your target audience. In doing so you can ensure that you can attract and retain your target audience.
  • Be consistent in all of your communication channels. Work hard to produce graphics, content, and video that line up with the brand you are working to create. Every image, word, and video can support your brand or create confusion.
  • Evaluate often. Use visitor surveys, secret shoppers or intentional analysis to make sure your efforts at branding are working.

So do you need a new logo? Maybe.

If you are working to redefine your brand, then a new logo can work to support the direction of change. It is a visual reminder that things are changing. But if you do get a new logo, remember that is the easy part. The real work is defining a brand and making it a reality every day.

Teamwork…

Teamwork…

…makes the dream work, right? Usually.

But how often do we really lean in and work as a team? In many organizations, we talk about teams, but they are just broadly defined organizational structures. Team meetings are for reporting individual work and walk away with more individual goals.

That is just not true for a film crew.

This incredible group of artists and technicians are fully dependent on each other. (more…)

Four leadership nuggets for YOUNG LEADERS from California Governor Jerry Brown

Four leadership nuggets for YOUNG LEADERS from California Governor Jerry Brown

Governor Brown is nearly 80 years old and has been a leader his whole life. He was elected California Secretary of State at the young age of 33. He became governor at 36 and ran for President for the first time at 38. Now at 80 he is serving as Governor again.

Leaders, if you are looking to sustain leadership over a lifetime, take the time to listen to this interview. It is full of nuggets (whether you agree with his politics or not!). Here are four that stood out to me. (more…)

Dublin Bottle Works

Dublin Bottle Works

I have always enjoyed a cold Dr. Pepper. It was always the quirky cousin to Coca-Cola and provided a nice alternative when the old standard sounded dull. But when I moved to Texas I learned that Dr. Pepper is serious business. It was invented in Texas and is a favorite drink in the state.

I was surprised to further learn that not only was Dr. Pepper invented in Texas, but that was a serious controversy over this drink. It all started with a model of distribution for soda that had the company making secret formula syrup at their factory and then shipping this syrup to bottling plants around Texas for final bottling and distribution. Now, this is where it gets interesting… (more…)