An interesting article from Fortune.com came out recently about the early days of Pizza Hut. In 1963 the founders, Dan and Frank Carney decided to create a standard building design in order to set a carefully considered standard for future growth. In the next four years the company grew from 43 stores to 300. Queries for new franchises came pouring in. Those familiar buildings helped Pizza Hut became a strong and recognizable brand.

A few years after graduating from college I went to Hong Kong to visit my dad who was working there. I don't enjoy travel much and the first day it was all I could do to walk around the block. The second day I ventured into town. I love Chinese food, but when it came time to satisfy my hunger I went to McDonald's. The irony of the situation is I don't eat red meat and I hate McDonald's. You might wonder why I would go to a place I can't stand. The answer was that it was familiar to me. I knew what I was getting. Chances are you do the same thing when you go to an unfamiliar city - if given the choice you pick a familiar restaurant over the unknown, even if it means passing up a great find.

The seeker church movement has picked up on this thought. The unchurched may not know what the inside of a church looks like. Since traditional churches vary greatly in their design there is no standard, and even if there was, many people would say it's time for an update. People are familiar with shopping though, so architects have taken many of their cues from shopping centers. A church my family attended occupied a converted home improvement center, and the new interior had a lobby and auditorium that felt a lot like a movie theater. Design like this can be comforting to a visitor. Retail design has become the recognizable standard for many churches.

In creating a brand for your church, think beyond architecture. Look at the big picture and strive to achieve a level of consistency with your signage, printed materials, and marketing. I'm working with a church now that realizes the importance of this and is working with consultants on their signage to make sure the fonts, colors, and style are used consistently throughout. Uncoordinated graphics and fonts may feel like a jungle that is difficult to navigate and sort out to those who need the information the most, visitors.

The same thinking is behind the reasoning for using your logo on all of your mail and brochures. As a new person's familiarity with the graphics from your church grows, they can venture further from their comfort zone and use each familiar clue as a stepping stone. In designing your logo, brochures, or even church architecture, consider including recognizable elements from entertainment, shopping or local sources.

A primary goal in marketing is to create name recognition. When I started my business the phone didn't start ringing right away. Without dropping any of the marketing I had started, I began adding magazine ads and resource sites to the mix. Pretty soon I received calls from people saying they saw my company all over the place. They even claimed they saw us in publications we had never been in. The cumulative effect was effective. Get the word out, keep at it and don't stop. Paul Lazarsfeld added a twist to Mark Twin's quote on familiarity. Lazarsfeld says, "In politics, familiarity doesn't breed contempt. It breeds votes." The same thing holds true for visitors to your church. The result might be a new member that says they visited because they felt comfortable at your church, because it somehow felt familiar.

Copyright 2002-3. Michael Kern. All rights reserved.
Please contact Information@churchlogogallery.com for permission to use all or any portion of this.