Branding any organization, product, or even person is critical. Hey – I wrote the book on it. I released “Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Nonprofits Impact Culture and Others Don’t” because I saw so many confused organizations, unable to really share their story or vision with their customers, donors, or the general public. After all, if you don’t know your own reason for being, you can’t expect outsiders to figure it out. But since I released Branding Faith a few years ago, it seems like branding companies have popped up everywhere – particularly in the Christian space. It’s almost become a religion in itself. I had one major Christian organization call me last year who said they hired a branding company at the cost of $500,000, went through their process, and now have a 250 page branding document, and have no idea what to do with it.
Branding is critically important, but when taken too far, it paralyzes, and causes organizations to stall. All because “branding agencies” are trying to make it sound more and more important to justify huge fees.
Many branding agencies are doing great work helping organizations define their perception and story. But be careful out there. Branding isn’t a religion. It’s a tool for cutting through the clutter of today’s distracted world, and getting your message heard.
Beyond that – the B.S. factor starts increasing…
