12 Signs Your Church Needs A Rebrand

Your church’s brand is an identity that helps you tell the story of your church.

And, whether you think you have a church brand or you don’t– you do.  

That impression that people get when they visit your website, interact with you on social media or show up on a Sunday morning– all of that is part of your current brand.

We dive into more specifics about what a church brand is and why you might want to rebrand in another article.

But if you’re not sure that your church is telling the right story to the people in your community, you should consider rebranding.

Let’s talk through 12 reasons your church might need a rebrand ASAP:

Things Have Changed

1. Your church is changing its name.  If your church changes its name, it’s time for a rebrand.  This helps you differentiate your new name from the old one and gives your new name a better chance of sticking.

2. You’ve had a missional change.  If your priorities and/or mission as a church have changed, it’s time to re-evaluate if the old brand is still sending the right message.

3. Your church is relaunching or you’re recasting vision.  Similarly, if you’re relaunching or if your leadership is recasting the vision for your church, creating a brand that’s in keeping with that new identity can help move the new mission forward.

4. Your current church brand is dated.  Listen, we’ve all been there.  It seems like the 1990s was just yesterday, but that was 30 years ago.  There’s no shame in rebranding to get a fresher look.

You Need Clarity

5. Your current brand lacks meaning.  If there’s no clear answer to why your brand is the way it is, you risk confusing people who would LOVE your church.  Rebranding can help you keep confusion at bay so that you can reach the people you’re best equipped to serve.

6. Your current brand lacks a clear identity.  Similar to the point above, your brand needs to communicate who you are and how God is calling you to make a difference locally.  If it doesn’t do that, you may need a rebrand.

7. Your current brand isn’t resonating with people in your community. This can be the most difficult one to solve.  However, if you get lots of traffic but no one plans a visit or stays around, even when you follow up… your brand might be part of the problem.

There’s No Consistency

8. Your brand isn’t consistent.  If all of your ministries have different names and it’s causing confusion when new people come to your church, you may need a rebrand to create clarity.

9. Your brand doesn’t reflect your church.  If new people feel a disconnect between what your brand promises and what they experience on Sunday morning, that’s a problem.  If you suspect this is the case, it might be time for a rebrand.

Your Church’s Brand Isn’t Doing Its Job

10. Your current visual identity needs to be simpler and/or more flexible.  If it’s difficult to put your logo on both an ink pen AND a large banner and get it to look good, you might need a rebrand.  Trust us- your audience will thank you, and so will the poor soul who has to order your promo materials.

11. Your brand is hyper-specific. Just like “St Louis Bread Co” had to rebrand itself as “Panera” when it expanded, you may need to rebrand if your name, colors, or part of your logo are specific to a particular location or time in your church’s history. If you’ve moved or want to add a campus, it may be time to rebrand.

12. Your brand is generic. If your brand isn’t recognizable or memorable, you’re making your church forgettable.  With a rebrand, you’ll be able to stick in people’s minds, which means they have a better chance of showing up on Sunday.

If Your Church Needs A Rebrand, You Need More Than A New Logo

Your branding goes beyond visuals. Knowing your audience & fine-tuning your messaging are both ESSENTIAL parts of your brand.  If your church’s current brand is only surface-level, you need to go deeper with a rebrand.

If you said yes to any of the items on that list, the chances are pretty good that you need a rebrand.  And if you’d like to talk it through with a professional, we’d love to help! When you schedule a consult, we’ll walk you through the steps of a church rebrand that helps you tell your church’s story and connect with the people you’re best equipped to serve.

For more church branding tips and insights, check out these other posts.