brand-experience

I wrote a very opinion filled blog post two weeks ago called what church marketing isn’t. Essentially I was writing about the disconnect between the ‘brand’ of Jesus (yes I use that term very advisory) and the disconnect of the experience that people encounter with it’s followers – Christians. You. Me. The simple fact is that to many outside the church, some Christians have have become known for:

Judgement instead of grace.

Triumphalism rather than humility.

Hate over love.

Restrictions rather than freedom.

Love of money, rather than love to help the poor.

Take rather than give. Inequality that equality.

Marketing experts use the term ‘brand experience’, and that is when a customer comes into contact with a brand. For christians, it is when non-christians have contact christians or church on a Sunday. A bad brand experience is when they see a disconnect that doesn’t add up (Here a bad experience I wrote about with a bank).

For the general public there is still a mystery and purity about Jesus that they don’t see in some of His followers. There is something still that resonates with the general public about Jesus, that the corporate body of the church doesn’t stack up to.

Having said that, I know personally of many amazing stories of the incredible initiatives that many Christians locally and globally are involved in and the fact that this good news doesn’t make the headlines is such a shame. Some of the issues are perception driven issues that the media only like to highlight the negatives.

A leader I greatly respect says that ‘good news is constipated, but bad news travels like diarrhoea’.

It’s up to you and me. Leader. Preacher. Communications. Marketing. PR. Designer. Artist. Musician. Illustrator. Animator. To help clear away the clutter and change the perception issues. Are you in? Leave a comment below.