Branding Faith

Are we losing our moral authority in the culture, by trying to reach a larger audience?  In my book “Branding Faith” I talk about what I call the “Marketing Conflict.”.  We can plead a life of poverty, until we realize that reaching a mass audience through the media costs millions of dollars.  We can make a hard stand for an issue, until we ... read more

Change happens.  Because culture, media, trends, and styles change, we need to be able to respond to those changes.  Besides, as new information and research gives us more insight into management, leadership, motivation, sales, and more, we need to create organizations that allow growth to happen.  For some, it’s the transition to a second generation leader, for others it’s moving from a publically known or famous leader to an unknown leader, and for others, it’s simply the desire to re-brand.  Whatever transition you face, it’s important that you pull off the change without interrupting or disrupting your organization.  Here are some thoughts to keep in mind: ... read more

Check out this review and recommendation of "Branding Faith" from Youth Worker Journal. ... read more

If you've been reading Collide Magazine, then you'll enjoy their updated, new website. This month it features an interview with me on the book "Branding Faith" and what it means for the church today. ... read more

Here's the review and conversation around "Branding Faith" at Church Marketing Sucks. ... read more

I once heard legendary film director John Huston say something to the effect, “Great movie directing should be invisible. If someone in the audience ever tells you how great a particular shot is, then you’ve failed, because you’ve distracted them from the story.” Huston knew great shooting was there to enhance the film story, never to call attention to itself. I feel the same way about branding. ... read more

If you're coming to the National Association of Broadcasters Conference in Las Vegas, I'd love to meet you. I'll be doing a Branding Faith book signing at the Technologies for Workshop pavilion, so plan to be there. It's the largest media equipment conference in the world, so it's the place to see the newest technology. ... read more

Consider giving "Branding Faith" as a gift to a pastor, ministry, or non-profit leader, or business person you know. It's tough getting the word out to all the right people, and you can really help by pinpointing the leaders or potential leaders in your network of relationships who would really benefit from the book and get it for them. Amazon.com is shipping "Branding Faith," and you can still order from Cooke Pictures if you'd like one of the limited number of autographed copies. You can ... read more

I just arrived in Nashville at the NRB Conference, hosted by the Opryland Hotel. We flew in on the flight from Los Angeles having met up with the contingent of Christian broadcasters from Australia. If you’re on the fence, and can get here this weekend, I would urge you to come. Regardless of what you think about the event, it’s still the only place where the majority of Christian media professionals gather in one place for the week. You can check out the conference and schedule here. There are plenty of highlights. I’ll be doing ... read more

In one of the first reviews to come in about "Branding Faith," David Holland of Holland and Simpson - a highly respected direct response advertising agency for non-profits and ministries, offers his thoughts on the book. David's blog is excellent, it's called "Blather, Wince, Repeat." ... read more

Branding Faith is just out, but now I need your help sharing the message.  Here's the top 10 reasons this is a critical message for anyone concerned about being heard in today's media-driven culture:

1) When researchers tell us that we’re being bombarded with as many as 3,000 advertising messages a day, more Christians need to understand the power of the media and how it impacts our lives.

2) Pastors teach or preach in services for 1-2 hours per week. But in a nation where the average family watches TV and surfs the web 5-7 hours per day – who has the most influence?

3) At a time when Nike, Starbucks, or Apple tell the best stories, how do we re-capture the ability to share the story of our faith with the culture? ... read more

Here are ways you can help spread the story of “Branding Faith” so that more religious organizations and non-profits can learn to share their story in today’s media driven culture. The rules for communicating in the 21st century have changed, and pastors, ministry, non-profit, and business leaders – need this information more than ever. Here’s how you can help: ... read more

Regardless of what you may think of President Bush and his legacy, some really positive things have happened during this tenure that the media isn’t much interested in reporting. Under the direction of drug czar John Walters, teen drug use is down 25% over the last 6 years. There are 860,000 fewer teens using drugs than in 2001. The Medicare drug benefit plan has been a success – enrolling 24 million seniors with premiums running about 40% below projected costs. Even his hard stand on ... read more

With Mitt Romney leaving the campaign trail, I’ve been thinking about Mormon beliefs – especially in relation to branding and identity.  Having had a presidential candidate out there, a lot more people are thinking about the Mormon faith – not necessarily about converting, but asking questions about theological integrity, relationship to orthodox Christianity, and perception in the culture.  This isn’t a doctrinal discussion, but a branding one, and in that light, here are a few thoughts: ... read more

An interview about the book "Branding Faith" on Youtube. ... read more

Here's my column in Ministry Today magazine about branding churches and non-profits. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ... read more

Here's a feature article in this month's Ministry Today magazine on The Art of Branding.  What do people think of when they think of you, your church, or your organization? ... read more

With the upcoming release of my new book, and the more I study branding as it relates to non-profits, churches, and ministries, the more I'm drawn back to religion itself. Over and over, branding experts point to religious faith as the template for real branding. Here's a few interesting insights from Martin Lindstrom on the religious context of branding. I'd be curious about your thoughts on the issue... ... read more