A great vision is carried out by someone who imagines and delivers what others have yet to see or consider possible. Translating this vision into something tangible, like visual and graphical components, makes it a reality for others to choose to be informed. When people are convinced that you have worthy goals for the future, they will want to join you.
Successfully translating your vision for the future into a tangible expression depends on working closely with those who design the visual elements and how you anticipate your ministry’s future.
Allow designers to work with leadership.
In order to be able to accomplish all that you desire in terms of branding, your church leadership must be willing to work directly with the designer(s) that are there to help you communicate. There must be open communication and mutual respect. When designers are denied access to those who make the major decisions, work cannot be done easily or efficiently. The amount of time it takes to get the project done can increase exponentially when there is no easy back-and-forth discussion.
If your designer is outsourced, the best way to accomplish working together smoothly is to appoint a contact person within your church staff. This person would consistently communicate with the hired designer(s) and keep the process going efficiently.
Anticipate the future.
Where would you like to be next year? In five years? Visualize where you would like to your ministry to be and lean into this when flushing out the churches brand visual identity and messaging. This will include the vision of the church.
Ideally, you will begin the branding process with a logo that is essentially timeless. Many brands do not change their logo; rather, they change their approach to communicating. A logo and a creative approach are not the same thing. Take Pepsi, for example; they have kept the same logo but have changed the way they do marketing over the years. They alter their approach to stay relevant, but always remain instantly recognizable.
Example: Church on the Move
Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma updated their brand to better fit their focus moving forward. In the past, the church was focused on having great programs, but moving forward they wanted to focus on developing relationships among their attendees.
The change in focus resulted in a logo update: 2 arrows moving forward within a red circle, combined with a simple font treatment. Facility environments were updated to allow for people to gather more easily. Some programs were discontinued in favor of new ones which encouraged people to engage with each other.
A new graphic approach was defined to be more photo driven and simple. This shift helped to visually reinforce the shift in the churches overall approach to ministry.
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