I've been blogging about PR disasters over the last week or so (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4). You know that you have a PR disaster catastrophe on the cards when Greenpeace starts a campaign to redesign your brand. You can see a set of new BP logos here. Often organisations undergo rebranding to lose the move beyond a PR disaster. But in BP's case everyone else is giving them a helping hand. Bless.
There are 3 slick rebranding tips churches can learn from BP:
1) Don't fight the anger – Don't go all legal. No matter what your church has done/hasn't done, people will say nasty things about you. Do nasty things to your logo. Sending in the sharks lawyers* to protect your brand is like throwing petrol on a fire. Focus on fixing the mess. Let the designers have their day. Rebrand once the anger dies down, and the problem has been fixed.
2) Rebranding won't rebuild your reputation - Reputation takes a lifetime to build and a moment to destroy. New colours, new names, new fonts won't get you out of the mess. Fix. The. Mess. (I'm tipping one year until BP rebrands)
3) Apply common sense – When you rename your church make sure you can deliver on the new name. Don't give your project to rename your church 'top hope'. If you fail it makes you look even more stupid.
(I love how one designer renamed BP as Broken Pipe. Summed up how they handled the crisis. To all my online friends who live near the Gulf of Mexico who are affected. I hope you get all the support you need.)
Related posts
How To Avoid A PR Disaster At Your Church: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4
Church – Forget About Your Brand Image. Concentrate On Your Soul
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* Fineprint: I love lawyers and think they are all hold the highest ethical standards. Please don't sue me.
