Refreshing the Brand Identity of a Local Church
How can a local church effectively update and unify its brand identity to enhance community engagement and visibility?
They hire a brand and communications expert who focuses on partnering with faith-driven organizations.
The Challenge
Like many other churches, the staff at Northcliffe Baptist Church was understandably focused on their ministry and not as focused on communicating about their ministry. However, the church’s fragmented brand perception presented a challenge when trying to connect with its surrounding community.
Its existing logo looked outdated and was disconnected from their current identity as a thriving, multi-generational congregation. Each department used a different font and logo, making it difficult for the community to connect the various groups and their work back to the church.
Northcliffe needed a consistent, dynamic visual identity that reflected their core values and spoke to their purpose and mission. We also wanted to make sure that the church not only presented a united front, but that they also shared the story and brand of the church with more intentionality.
The Strategy
After leading the Northcliffe team through the visual identity design process, we focused on communication guidelines that would support immediate brand recognition, including a consistent naming structure for all church ministries. We created a style guide with brand marks, colors, typography and design examples to definitively connect all the different ministries under Northcliffe. We also created accompanying collateral materials to make it easier for staff to promote their ministry activities while staying within the brand guidelines.
Realizing that Northcliffe lacked processes and systems to enforce brand consistency across the board, Guardian suggested establishing a protocol for approving and finalizing all external materials, and appointing a communications gatekeeper through whom all materials would go prior to distribution or use. Creating a clear process for communicating ministry details among the team would reduce confusion and ensure all staff were informed enough to answer questions about other ministries as well as their own.
We also encouraged them to develop a strategic plan for proactively communicating about the church to the congregation and the community, including the implementation of a social media strategy.
The Outcome
People now notice Northcliffe in the community. Establishing and strengthening the brand identity of the church has helped bring increased attention to the church’s location within the community as well as the church’s work throughout the community. The congregation and visitors can see the brand identity reflected inside and outside the church, from directional signage and ministry brochures to the new website and updated exterior.
