Your church needs a logo mainly because it’s the most crucial visual representation of your church brand. There are still numerous churches that don’t really think their church has any branding and thus they don’t think they need to worry about their church logo much. Everyone does.
The truth is every single organization has some branding even if they don’t purposefully design it. Because branding is not about the design but it’s about your identity. Brading is who you are and more importantly – what other people say you are. This is why we say every church has some branding. You can find out more about church branding in this article.
Your church is a brand. And if your church is a brand it needs a logo which is probably the most instrumental and strategic tool of your visual communication and does a few things we might not be aware of. It seems obvious for most of us that we need a logo because… Well, almost everyone has one. The fact someone else has something isn’t the greatest reason we need the same thing. When we clearly understand some of the insights why we need it, we will make sure our church logo does its communication work it is supposed to do.
- Church logo makes the first impression
- It is everywhere
- It helps you get recognition
- It builds credibility and trust
- It invites new people to get to know you
- It reveals your identity and communicates your values
- It sets you apart from other organizations
- It’s what people expect
- It enhances the community and builds church brand loyalty
1. It makes the first impression
You must have heard that “you only have one chance to create a first impression.” When a new person meets your church first it might not necessarily be through a pastor, a person from the staff or a church member that you know would make a fantastic first impression. It will most often be through visual communication. People might be walking past your church, see a promotional banner, see an ad, or notice their friends share a social media post. There is a good chance that each of these interactions will have them see your church logo and leave an impression.
According to Institute for Color Research (CCICOLOR) people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.
We put our church brand out there for people to have a chance to spot it every day. And with each form of communication usually, there is someone new that has a chance to notice your church logo for the very first time. There is still a long way to have them think about meeting you in person as on average it takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to be able to remember your church according to Pam Moore. We want to make sure the very first impression people have will help us prepare them for more meaningful interactions in the future. Your first impression sets a tone for your relationship.
2. It is everywhere
Your logo is the foundation of your church’s visual identity. You probably already have your church logo on almost all visual materials you use. And if you don’t you should. There is no need to add a logo to everything that is displayed on the screen or in the venue but when it comes to promotional materials there is no reason not to use your logo (unless it’s a bad church logo). It should easily be implemented into your print and digital material or even more. If there is a chance the visual asset will be able to introduce your church for the first time, it’s a good idea to include a logo in some form based on your church brand book.
We can be smart and strategic about how we use our church logo. It can be a vital part of people’s lives outside your church building and digital presence. Think about how much more your logo can communicate when you have your own merchandise people use daily.
3. It helps you get recognition
Imagine someone who drives past your church every single day when they go to work. The see the name of your church or even better the logo. That is enough for them to create a mental idea of who you are even if they have never visited you in person.
What kind of impression would you like to leave them with? What do you want them to know your church is like only based on the logo that is on your church building? When you think how many people drive past your church daily you are aware that these are all people your church has already started preaching to with what it represents outside. Depending on how busy the community where your church exists is there might be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of people that “meet” your church every day. That takes it back to the key elements of timeless church logo design but there is still more to that.
4. It builds credibility and trust
What do would you think about a business that has a logo that looks like it’s designed in Microsoft Word? Would you be willing to become their clients? I don’t think so. It is true that it might turn out that the organization is truly amazing but if what people see looks unprofessional they might wonder if that’s how you would treat them if they decide to come to know you. And they will have all the right to feel that way.
At the same time what a professionally designed logo can do it to create trust and credibility. When someone new sees your church logo they can immediately feel that you care and that we are ready to welcome them as well.
When it comes to the general business world 70-80% of people research a company before they decide to make a purchase or visit the business offline. The majority of them simply want to know if the business is reliable and whether they can trust it. That’s what a logo on your church website can do – make people feel they can trust you and that’s what we are supposed to represent.
5. It invites new people to get to know you
We live in a noisy world that is full of design and color. You probably have already experienced a sudden rise in your curiosity when you noticed and beautiful and interesting design. When you have a professionally crafted logo with a carefully curated color pallet you can easily make people stop and wonder who you are. Wouldn’t it be great if a person who sees your church logo for the very first time starts to wonder who you are based on the logo design they see? This unexpected moment can start a new relationship that hopefully will lead them to get to know Jesus and your church. If logo design can become a relationship starter we should put more thought into how our mark will help people get to know us as a church.
Almost 93 percent of purchasing decisions are made based on visual perceptions according to Colorcom
When we make sure people connect with our logo well they will be less likely to forget the church and more likely to invest in building a positive relationship in the future.
6. It reveals your identity and sets you apart from other organizations
There might be probably even more reasons why your church needs a logo but this is probably the most important. Your logo should clearly communicate who you are because you and your church are unique. There are no two churches that are identical. Even when you think about churches that have campuses each campus will have a different feel depending on the venue, demographics that come on Sunday, neighborhood, and many more. There is absolutely nothing wrong about the fact churches are different because we all can effectively reach out to different people. Some are more traditional, some contemporary. There are churches that young people are absolutely crazy about and others that address the needs of families with young children really well.
What your logo can do in this context is to reveal what is unique about you. Even though the logo might seem just a small visual element it can carry a lot of meaning. You don’t have to try to convey some secret messaging in your logo but still, you can easily communicate who you are.
If you were to pick a set of adjectives that is the closest to who you are as a community what would you pick?
- Sincere – Down-to-earth, Honest, Wholesome, Cheerful
- Exciting – Daring, Spirited, Contemporary, Imaginative
- Competent – Reliable, Intelligent, Successful
- Sophisticated – Classy, Glamourous, Charming, Smooth
You can easily see that there is a unique vibe your church has that helps you attract a particular group of people. Make sure your logo communicates that.
7. It’s what people expect
I know it might sound a bit harsh but it’s true. People expect businesses, organizations, ministries, and churches to have a logo. Think about how many brands you interact with every day. When you hear their names you are most likely to have an image of their logo. When someone says Apple, or Nike, or IBM, Amazon… We think in images. Even though these are just names our brains match the names with something visual and that’s what a logo does. It ads the most important visual aspect to your church brand people expect. We might not like it. We might try to fight it but that’s what happens.
If your church doesn’t have a logo you can forget about all the points listed above. They won’t mean much if we lack the most strategic visual asset. And some people might have an opinion about an organization that doesn’t put enough effort to get a logo. What would you think about a local business that doesn’t have that? They don’t care? They’re not good enough? Even we don’t think it’s true the lack of a logo might have a huge impact on how people see our church.
8. It enhances the community and builds church brand loyalty
People like communicating who they are and Christians are no exception. If you are a part of a church that makes a huge difference in your life you want this church to be a part of your life more often than only on Sunday mornings. You don’t only want to attend church meetings to you want to have a part of your church in your car, in your house. You want something physical that will constantly remind you who you are. If your church has a great and effective logo that communicates your values and your identity your church members will be proud to show it.
Summary
You probably already see how much your church logo design can achieve. If we don’t already do have a logo that does most of what has been mentioned in this article we should definitely put serious thought into it and invest. The great thing is that usually when the logo is designed well once, it will stay with our church for long years and help us reach more people and build a strong community. If you need more guidance in church logo design check out our comprehensive guide.
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