Be Careful about “Over-Branding”
There’s a great joke from an old Reader’s Digest magazine: Cruising through Texas, a tourist asks a cattleman the name of his ranch. “It’s the Bar Seven, Double-O, Rocking J, Flying M,” said the rancher. The tourist responded, “Do you have a lot of cattle?” “Nope, he said. “Not too many survive the branding.” It’s not that different in some organizations. Remember, branding is a tool to help you tell your story more effectively.
It brings clarity to your message, and helps establish a strong identity in the minds of your customers, donors, or audience. But the truth is, if you don’t have a great product, or create original content, then all the branding in the world won’t help.
The greatest brand of all comes from having a powerful, compelling, and original product, organization, or idea.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
