Echo community church (Nottingham, MD) is passionately committed to being and making disciples of Jesus. Therefore, discipleship was placed at the core of their church branding and brand design. This project aimed to enhance the clarity, cohesion, and style of Echo's communications. They wanted to preserve certain aspects of their existing symbolism and colors to ultimately receive a "revamped" church logo and full church brand identity system. With these specifications and other details, we were able to lock down the service scope to start the creative process.
To bolster the effectiveness of a church branding strategy, we explore a variety of internal-external organizational, uniquely human, and faith-driven factors. Not to bore you with the details, but you're most likely reading this to understand what it takes or what church branding companies do.
The client's unique brand name, initial specifications, mission, vision, location, church needs, leadership's collective tastes, and desired community perception are factors we navigate to build a compelling brand design.
With each project, we're rebranding a church based upon how they nurture faith, shepherd individuals to find their purpose in Christ, and serve. Even components of the logo design could directly represent the core values and mission of their community. Beyond the knowledge we share, we deliver comprehensive communication assets (church logo w/variations, derivative sub-ministry marks, brand identity elements, imagery applications, brand guidelines, and various church marketing materials).
Exploring Echo's unique role and promise (particularly volunteerism), we aimed to craft a visual foundation that is casual, yet highly-identifiable. We leveraged slightly bold and vibrant elements to inspire community mobilization and an "echo of influence." View some of the church branding ideas and design concepts below.
Building a church brand identity system starts with crafting the right logo symbolism.
With the church logo, we reimagined the concept of a traditional combination mark logo. Echo's logo concept consists of a 2-part symbol paired with a clear sans serif, perfectly-round, and handmade geometrical shaped wordmark. We've also crafted a standalone auxiliary wordmark, which carries the symbol's core "e". Overall, this reimagined combination mark concept achieves the following:
// 1. Displays elements with highly specific meaning within the symbol's core "e" and outer rings.
// 2. Presents an implied cross within the negative spaces of the symbol.
// 3. Encourages a legacy duration of use, due to the symbol's timeless design and meaning (particularly the slats within the "e" and values brought to each outer ring).
// 4. Furthers the versatility of a traditional combination mark to expand logo options and types. This is ideal for a community church with various event, outreach, and service initiatives and/or sub ministry brands.
//5. Allows the symbol to be deconstructed to a portable "e," which carries brand DNA into distinctive statements and minimal typography sets (see t-shirt design concepts and auxiliary wordmark).
Church Branding Guidelines equip you with tools to establish a cohesive look, feel, voice, and experience.
The logo identity, brand colors, design elements, imagery applications, and typography, uniquely support the desired brand personality of Echo Community Church. Effective church branding and any church marketing strategy largely boils down to what you do with a cohesive identity system and the brand recognition that transpires. The right church branding package and brand guidelines are tools to reach more hearts and minds with unified messaging and experiences.
Church T-Shirt designs can play a large role in boosting awareness and community solidarity.
Basically, if the design/message is too “cool” or “multipart,” Granny might not wear it. If the design/message is too “churchy” youth might not wear it. If the design/message is clever, simple, and straightforward all-age and personal -style wearability goes up! Church t-shirt design is most effective when they don’t turn people into walking billboards.
What’s difficult is finding the right 1)phrase/message your community will rally around and gladly wear outside of the church, 2) graphics for an all-age and all-personal style appeal, 3) tasteful brand placement (logo) that doesn’t interfere with the statement, design, or “on-brand” style.
Of all the church branding examples presented, this t-shirt concept leverages minimalist-style to bring a singular lifestyle phrase into focus. This allows members to select and wear a phrase that they identify with the most while carrying the church brand- deemphasized (it's about displaying the character of the church, community, and individuals- not the logo).
Church brand materials should have a more cohesive look and feel than one-off church marketing materials.
While one-off event content and designs might explore other styles, the following staple materials are used to carry Echo's brand and desired look and feel on a day-to-day basis.
