Marketing and branding within the Church is done relatively poorly, if I can be so honest.
In fact, I know that most people do not even know the difference between the two; many people use them interchangeably, which just isn’t right.
And it’s confusing. A good post this morning via Matchstic provided a good reminder of the difference:
- Branding defines the core of what makes you different than the competition.
- Marketing is deciding whether or not you are going to have a Twitter feed or not.
- Branding is about laying the visual foundation of what will represent your company.
- Marketing is about how to take that foundation and build a series of print ads around it.
- Branding looks into the future to paint a picture of what we dream this company to be.
- Marketing decides whether the path to that point is either Google Ads, Billboards, Radio Ads, PR, Direct Mail, or just being fun and quirky like this guy from Southwest Airlines.
- Branding is translating a business plan into a brand strategy.
- Marketing is deciding which new markets to penetrate.
- Branding is deciding where you are headed.
- Marketing is telling everyone else what that destination is.
Got any others? Thanks for the great reminder Matchstic!
There are alot of great points here to keep in mind. I think so many times, churches are quick to market before ever really considering their brand. But the market builds on the brand. Good stuff!
“The church” has the greatest story on the planet to tell…yet we are some of the worst storytellers I have ever met. Craig (the writer of the Matchstic post) says that marketing decides how you are going to tell your story. I like that. Many people think marketing is advertising…but that is just a small component of marketing. Essentially all we do in our churches is in some form or another is marketing.
Technically, branding is a component of marketing. Marketing is the whole umbrella canopy, branding is is one of it’s ribs.
Thanks for the explanation man! Im not really a part of either right now but it is good to know for the future! You rock!
Thanks for the explanation man! Im not really a part of either right now but it is good to know for the future! You rock!
sure thing!