Building Your Brand, Keeping Your Promise

Building Your Brand: Messaging + Identity Examples of world-class messaging and identity

Building Your Brand: Messaging + Identity “Just do it.” Nike “I’m lovin’ it.” McDonald’s “It’s the real thing.” Coca-Cola (1970) “15 minutes could save you

15 percent or more on your car insurance.” Geico “Think Different.” Apple (1997-2000)

1976-1998

Branding Brand = Messaging + identity But… What if you deliver inferior services? A poor camp/ conference experience? What if your staff are not well trained and become known for treating guests poorly?

What if that reputation starts to get around?

Branding Bad performance can damage a brand quickly and have long-lasting effects.

What is the camp equivalent? What leaves a negative brand impression?

Branding Brand = Messaging + identity + quality/reputation

Brand = promise Your brand is the impression that resides in the hearts and minds of those you do business with, or hope to do business with. It’s what comes to mind when they hear your name, see your logo.

What is Your Promise? 1. What promise could you make now to the person who decides whether to send their child (or bring their youth group or church retreat) to your property? 2. What promise would you like to make?

How do you “build” your brand? Develop processes to get you there. Decide who you want to be.

Discover who you are.

Building your Brand Discover who you are – Organizational assessment • • • • •

Conduct an employee survey. Compile guest surveys, evaluate results. Do a 360 analysis on leadership. Inspect your property “for the first time.” Conduct a SWOT analysis.

SWOT Analysis

Internal External

Strengths • Good staff team • Spiritual emphasis, devotions, worship

Weaknesses • Aging facilities (50 yrs) • Volunteer labor struggling – finding and blessing. Make desirable.

Opportunities

Threats

• Serve special needs population; • Really cool story • Individuals who graduated high school, transition to college

• State rulings – board of developmental disabilities; compliance. • Constant change.

Building your Brand Decide who you want to be • Cast a vision, check your mission statement. • Develop your Unique Value Proposition going forward. • Set SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time-related • Keep the vision, mission and goals in front of the team.

Develop Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) – The definition of your ministry’s identifiable traits and offerings (programs, products or services) that the market does/will/should desire. In business, it’s what sets the company apart from the competition. In ministry, it’s what defines you, attracts the market to you. In essence, it’s the heart of your brand.

Develop Your Unique Value Proposition • Purpose/Mission for our ministry? • Audience? Who are we trying to reach/serve? • What do we offer? • What is our pricing? • What are our specific goals? • Keep SWOT analysis in mind as you develop your UVP.

Building Your Brand Develop, maintain and improve your processes What processes do I need in place to ensure consistent delivery, leading to the establishment of my desired brand?

Focus on Processes Process = A series of actions, each assigned to a person(s), accomplished in the completion of a larger task or project, on time, with quality. Review schedule for major events

Determine articles to write.

Conduct interviews

Write draft article

Incorporate edits

Submit final draft

Identify sources to interview Send draft to expert for review.

Focus on Processes Give an example of a process that helps: Keep you or staff on target/on mission Avoid problems, mistakes, bad guest experiences Provide excellent service Communicate effectively with constituents Generate repeat business Handle complaints

Focus on Processes Define a key process that may need improvement

BONUS SLIDE: Building your Brand Communicate internally/Focus on your team Examples: Ritz Carlton – “Lineup” Chick-fil-A – “Huddle” Core values card – 24 principles of our brand, ministry, business. Every day, at the beginning of the shift – a different core value. “Make eye contact, smile, greet” “The customer is always right” “We always treat each other with dignity and respect”

BONUS SLIDE 2: Building your Brand John Pearson – Weekly update document: “I continue to affirm our core value of Truth-Telling. To my knowledge, I have not shared anything inappropriate with others about you (or another staff person) that I have not shared first with you (or the other person). And, to my knowledge, when others have shared something about you (or others) with me that may be “crossing the line,” I have stopped them in their tracks— and reminded them about our core values—and urged them to share it with you (or that person) within 48 hours.”

Take-Aways • Your brand is your promise. • It resides in the hearts and minds of people you’re trying to reach. • It’s made up of what you say and what you do. Be intentional about both. • To build your brand: – Discover – Decide – Develop

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker

Develop processes to get you there.

• Determine which are the most important processes to your ministry. • Define them well, identify areas for improvement. (SWOT) • Repeat. (Continuous Quality Improvement)

Decide who you want to be.

• Cast a vision. Check your mission stmt. • Set SMART* goals. • Share vision and goals often with team.

Discover who you are.

• Do an employee survey, 360. • Compile guest surveys. • Take a close look at your property and your services. Outside pt of view. • Conduct a SWOT analysis.

*Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time-related

Building your Brand Equips you for marketing your ministry. • First, and most importantly, internally. Everyone bought in to the vision, mission, processes required to deliver quality. • Then, externally. Share your goals, hopes, dreams and accomplishments – who you are.

“Every Life has a Story”

Questions?

Thank you!

ccca.org/seminars/branding.pdf