In the early 1980's the retail playing field in North America was dominated by Sears. In an effort to expand the brand, Sears' decision makers chose to pursue the finacial services market by purchasing Coldwell Banker, Dean Witter and Allstate. Sears seemed poised to use their trusted brand and huge customer base to convince people not only to purchase their clothes and appliances, but their home, morgage, insurance, investments and anything else they might require for long-term security, at a one-stop location.

They failed to realize, however, that these brands would naturally compete. Consumers were uneasy purchasing life insurance from the same people who explained the difference between a Roberstond and Phillips screwdriver. The brand message became confused, and ultimately divided. In less than a decade Sears was forced to sell Coldwell Banker, Dean Witter and allstate at a loss of billions of dollars. While their brand struggled with a confusing message, Wal-Mart was busy taking market share.

By nature, churches offer pretty comprehensive and diverse services. This does not mean, however, that such a presentation should be embraced in the brand. On the contrary, churches often make the mistake of attempting to present everything they are in a simple ad to their community. People tend to discard ads that present mixed or complicated messages, and it is dangerous to include two distinct brands. For example, the average person has some preconceived notion of what it means to be a Southern Baptist. Be it right or wrong, this perception will limit their decision to attend a church service for a new Wouthern Baptist plant.?

What are the brands in your community that obscure your own church identity (preconceived notions of "church", etc.)? What obstacles are created by a limited understanding of your denominational brand? Effective brand management demands simplicity and clarity. You may have to resist the temptation to explain everything that you are and everything that you do until you have established yourself as worthy of the time required to figure it all out.