I have heard this saying for many years. Probably the best analogy to describe when you have things out of logical sequence. I love technology and communication. I love to tell the story through any means but I particularly like digital formats. “What is it I love the tell? Oh yeah, the story. Right. I got keep that in the fore front. I could really tell a good story if my website had a flash component with blue hues. Yeah, blue hues are me. Lets find a good blue design and a catchy URL. Alright, got it. OK now lets design the page and launch it. There, now I like the look of that. Can you imagine the impact I will have with this site. Oh yeah, forgot to actually finish the story. What exactly was the story again? Maybe I could write the story so it fits with the design of this site. Wow this is harder than I thought.” Remember the story it self is the key. If you don’t have the story you need not go any further. The story is your message. The message should drive the tactics…not the other way around. Next time you have a story to tell or a message to get out, perfect the content and then start the tactical planning.
I have posted blogs in the past regarding branding and marketing as it pertains to the church. Some of my thoughts have been well received and others have been very put off by my thoughts. When you get negative feedback about a position you take I think it is natural to re-evaluate that stance. I can honestly say that I am very comfortable with my position. Keeping and protecting the the brand that is the Church of the Nazarene is extremely important. What people think when they hear Church of the Nazarene is what I am talking about. I am not implying that we should advertise with the intent of selling faith in Christ. If you think that, you are completely missing my point. I think we have to look around us and make sure that we are contextualized in a manner that communicates well with our environment. Think of Missionaries that learn a new language so they can reach a certain people group for Christ. In some ways we are reaching out to another people group…the group that has not accepted Christ as their personal savior. Why would we want to disregard the way we communicate to this group? I believe that someone who says that marketing and branding has no place in the church is basically saying we should not care how our message is perceived. Now, just to be clear. If anyone thinks that we need to change the message itself…then I have a major problem with that. Communicating the SAME message but in a contextually relevant way is what I am talking about. Any thoughts?
P.S. So help me, if anyone brings up the need for a new logo in this discussion…well lets put it this way. Go read a beginners guide for marketing and branding. Also, don’t freak out about the cartoon. I in no way think that we have a history of dismal results. Its just a fun cartoon that kind of applies here…kind of. 
