You’ve invested research and creativity time discovering your church thread. This is huge! No one will fully understand how much is packed in your simple brand story. Or the work that went into it.
Until you unpack it.
But it’s worth it. It will reconnect you to your community and congregation and help them engage with you in a relevant and needed way. You’re revitalizing your reputation.
Next, you’ve used professional designers to establish a logo (that complements your thread) along with brand fences (a graphic standard) so everyone will know the visual controls to your new brand (or rebrand). You’ve done it the correct way. But it’s not over until it’s properly revealed!
Here are the 7 factors to find the best time to launch your new brand thread:
- Decide whether big is better. Occasionally a church will rollout a rebrand/brand slowly, piece-by-piece. Signage, then website, then print, then social, and the church becomes aware of it. But my preferred way? Do it big. The more special the emphasis, the more value your congregation will put on “their” brand. Remember you want them to embrace it because it represents THEM.
- Does your church have an upcoming special day? This is a no-brainer launch day as long as there’s enough time to prepare. Be careful though if it takes away from why the day is special (a Pastor’s anniversary may not be the best time).
- Consult your ChMS for attendance data. If there’s no particular special day to launch on, then look at your attendance analytics in your Church Management System (ChMS). Note trends: is there a typically big attendance day in the year? And also note typically poorly-attended dates.
- Do you want to increase attendance? Now decide. It’s easier to launch on a big attendance day. BUT it may be wise if you feel you can get the momentum and anticipation to increase attendance on a low attendance Sunday. Much like retail sales can boost traffic (attendance).
- Allow for a sermon-series prior. To create anticipation, it’s best to create a sermon series that leads to the scriptural reasons behind your thread. It may never mentions the logo or thread until near the end, or it can tease people that it’s coming. Either way, you need everyone to focus for a few weeks on the research and how it connects with your vision/mission — but most importantly to the needs of the community. And how to use it to connect to Jesus.
- Soft launch to key leadership. During this sermon series, if you haven’t already, let the leadership “in on it” quietly. Tell them to hold it closely to their chests. That will probably help it spread.
- Consider a giveaway that emphasizes the thread. Everyone loves useable or wearable swag! Ensure the quality is to the standard that your audience personas would purchase and use themselves. You want it to feel valuable enough that they wouldn’t throw it away.
