Ministry Marketing CoachMinistry Branding and Marketing that Works

Logos are everywhere, on our clothes, the computer we use, the radio playing on the table. Looking out the window we see cars, billboards—logos are here to stay! But do you need a logo for your church?

First, if you are not going to develop a ministry that cares about people and plugs into community needs, you may be wasting your time getting a logo. No logo can make people feel like you care when you really show you don’t by your actions. (Here is an example of a church with a lousy logo, but great branding.) Having said that. What is the benefit of having a logo for your church?

1. Logos are how we identify things these days: I have never been to the McDonald’s in Tokyo, but somehow, I have a pretty good idea what it looks like there. Why? Because the McDonald’s logo is no doubt on the front of the location and tells me I am looking at a McDonald’s—I know what to do when I get inside—no matter where I am in the world! Logos are how people identify products, ideas, organizations, these days—it is part of the common vernacular of modern communications.

2. Logos connect in our visual generation: They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, a logo is a visual representation of your identity, your vision. Logos are not only words, but also visual communication. By getting a logo, you are doing what many missionaries do, speaking the language of the people they want to reach. Since your church has many things to say to the community, you should consider getting a logo that helps you communicate in the way that is common these days.

3. Logo tells your Story: You have a vision for a certain kind of ministry or outreach and you want to communicate that vision to the people you want to reach. A picture is worth a thousand words. An open door on your logo can tell the story about how your church is open to people. A modern look says you have contemporary vision. A conservative look expresses your traditional values. Images can help you say what you want to say to the people you want to reach.

4. Logo’s Inspire Your Core Group: Sports fans take pride in wearing the logos of their team. Try wearing the logo of the other team on the wrong side of the stadium— you will see how logos build team spirit.

A church logo shouldn’t turn your members into crazed fans. But it will inspire them and get them thinking like a team. When they see their church logo on various media you produce, in advertisements, on brochures, they will feel a sense of belonging and ownership to things your church does.

Also you can speak to your target audience better, when they see how your church projects itself in the community, they will make value judgments about what your church is like. An old out-of-date look in your logo says you are not engaged. Could your logo be sending an unintended message? Is it time for an update?

5. Logos Integrate Your Outreach Efforts: When you have a logo and you use it on your printed materials, signs, ads, people will start to notice you. Imagine if you sent out 100 messages, each with a separate look, you would send out 100 separate attempts to get attention. If you sent out the same 100 messages, only this time each had the same logo—you would be sending a unified message 100 times. The repetition of your messages would be noticed more than the doing it the other way!

A logo can pull all the communication you are doing into an integrated whole. Multiplying the impact of your communications. Then you would be establishing a reputation, or a “brand”. Every time I see a McDonalds reinforces every other time I have seen a McDonald’s.This has happened so much now that the name McDonalds now has more dollar value to that company than the sum total of all the things they own.

Your outreach in the community will have more impact when you have a good logo and you use it consistently and integrate it into all your media. Just by using your logo you can turn all the ads, specialty items like t-shirts and pen,stickers, etc into an outreach tool for your ministry.

Shameless Plug Alert: We happen to design a lot of logos! See a few examples here. If your church needs a logo we will work with you in designing a fully custom design that projects your ministry’s vision and connects with the people you want to reach.

Just click on the Design page and click on Add to Cart next to “Logos.” (Payments are made through Paypal which accepts credit card payments. We do not accept credit cards by phone – only through Paypal. Our terms are 100% payment in advance of design production.)

You will fill out a creative brief that helps our design coach grasp your ministry’s needs. We’ll give you three concepts and can work with you with unlimited revisions until we get your logo the way you need it. Keep us in mind!