Branding Faith by Phil Cooke

I don't have to tell you that we live in a heavily media-driven culture. The very fact that I'm posting a review about this book on the internet is proof of that. With that we have access to so much information, so many images, so many logos, that many can get lost in the masses. In Phil Cooke's book Branding Faith he really shares his expertise as a media consultant and the experience he's had working with churches and non-profits. Towards the end of the book, he says this and I think it sums it up perfectly:

Branding isn't just a matter of brochures and website designs. It's the story of your organization expressed through customer service, building design, uniforms, procedures and policies, employee training, and much more.

My original thought when I started going through this book is that well, it's designed for media pastors and anyone dealing with coming up new brands, but as I continued in the book, there is so much more information that is great for anyone that is connected with a brand in any way. Especially when it comes to a ministry it's so important to not only know the brand and being able to recognize it, but to be able to share what it stands for. The brand communicates everything about the ministry or company and what they stand for. It's so much more than an image, but as Phil says, it's a story. But for those that are involved in the process of coming up with the brand, there are things to look for and ways to cut through the clutter of all the brands and images that are out there. It's a very practical book filled with lots of great information.

As I was reading this book, the whole time I was thinking about First Baptist Orlando. I had the chance to intern there back in 2007 and during my time there, they were finishing the process of rolling out a new brand. Here is that brand:


It's a great logo, simple and easy to recognize, but it tells a story about who First Baptist Orlando is. Now I had the chance to be there when it was shown and I've heard what it stands for. The other thing about it, is that it is highly talked about at the church. The people there know what it means and are able to share it. If you look at the logo above on the left you will notice the cross inside the three circles. The three circles stand for the vision of the church; A Passion for God, A Passion for People, and A Passion to Serve. The six dots that make up the cross stand for the church's core values; WORSHIP as a lifestyle, EXCELLENCE in all we do, ALL PEOPLE matter to God, Authentic biblical COMMUNITY, Every believer SERVING others, and OBEDIENCE to Scripture. It's a brand and a logo that stands for something and is one that a lot of planning and thought went into.

Special thanks to Regal Books for providing this complimentary book to read and review.