Billboards, Banners & BrandsHow to Quit Marketing The Church

Billboards, Banners & BrandsHow to Quit Marketing The Church

Michael RobertsDirector, Global Brand & Design StrategyFocus on the Family

The Age of Brand Experience

• Christians are seeking a “Brand Experience”

• Trending toward “consumer-driven” Christianity

• Focus on needs-based church cultivation

• Brand Relativism vs. The Supremacy of Christ

• Increase in church attrition among young adults

• Rise of the discontented Christian

• Churches “swell” not grow

The Brand Promise

TRUE

MEADINGFUL DISTINCTIVE

Brand Experience

Creating Brand LoyaltyPurchasing the Experience of Brand

Why Are We Loyal to Brands?

• Associate personal identity from brand promise

• Based upon value perceptions, awareness and favorability

• Emotionally driven—how they make us feel, about ourselves

• Customer Satisfaction

• Predisposition: Cultural or Family influenced

• Promise Exclusive Community

Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson

• Prior to 1981 considered the most “unreliable” Motorcycle

• Considered by many to be “poorest engineered motor engine”

• Average cost of a new Harley Davidson: $16,436• Estimated Brand Value: $7.7 billion (BusinessWeek-AUG 2007)

The Rise of the Branded ChurchThe Christian as Consumer

A nation of consumer-base Christianity

• Christ becomes another consumer option

• Consumerism becomes spirituality—Programs-driven

• Encourages the Discontented Christian “planned obsolescence”

• Exclusive Worship—Segmentation

• Gospel of Accommodation

• The rise of Church Marketing

•Consumers of Christianity vs. Christianity consuming them

The Branded Church

• Brand Experience: Segmented

• Brand Message: Something for everyone

• Brand Image: Organic

• Brand Personality: Messenger Driven

• Brand Promise: Christianity made to order

• Brand Extensions: Merchandised

Saddleback ChurchBrand Personality: Rick WarrenBrand Promise: Purpose Driven ChristianityAttendance: 20,000

SADDLEBACK CHURCH

Willow Creek Community Church

Brand Personality: Bill HybelsBrand Promise: Comprehensive ChristianityAttendance: 23,000

100 ministries that meet a

wide range of needs

Lakewood ChurchBrand Personality: Joel OsteenBrand Promise: Your Best Life NowAttendance: 45,000

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 1 Corinthian 3

Loyalty to Christ vs. “Brand Loyalty”

• May look like passionate faith, may not rooted in relationship with Christ—but with self

• As long as “felt needs” are being met, loyalty continues—does not ensure faithfulness thru difficulty

• Arbitrary choice based on current need, crisis or life-stage—not authentic conversion

• Christ is not diminished even if loyalty is

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. (Matthew 13)

• Bringing others into a relationship with Jesus Christ— not primarily to “acquire” Church membership

• Creating Value FOR the prospect is not the same as Identifying the Value OF the prospect.

• Evangelism is about Transformation, not Accommodation. (Romans 12:2)

• Inclusive, not Exclusive

Acquisition vs. Evangelism

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 15:15-16

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:18

Cultivation vs. Discipleship

• Putting Christ first (Mark 8:34-38)

• Following Jesus teaching (John 8:31-32)

• Fruitfulness (John 15:5-8)

• Holiness (James 1:27)

• Making Other Disciples (Matthew 28:18-20)Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:13

Logo vs. Logos In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1

• Equity in the Mark of Christ. From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the

brand-marks of Jesus. Galatians 6:17

• The Distinctive Mark of Christ:Obedience—so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19).Love for lost —as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God..." (Ephesians 5:2)Humility—And, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:6-8)

Where does Marketing Fit in the Church?

• Consider how we present of the Gospel-Audience Consideration—Synoptic Gospels-Illustration, Demonstration and Validation—Christ as model-Present a clear Value Proposition—John 3:16

• Promote the church and Christ in the community-Through traditional promotion-(Mass Market)-Through one-on-one-(Targeted) -Through personal holiness and service-(Awareness)

Do:

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5

Billboards, Banners & BrandsHow to Quit Marketing The Church