I saw a great post at Duct Tape Marketing and think it will help us think about the essence and uniqueness of Park Community Church. We are beginning a branding process to better clarify for ourseleves and congregation who Park is and what we are all about as we move into our new ministry center. This sort of exercise requires a discipline to boil it all down to one word and will help us focus on the few key unique values of Park. I think this is a great exercise for any church to go through because it requires ruthless elimination of all items except core values and uniqueness to your church. I don’t believe that we can get down to one word but I think it is a valid exercise to force one’s thinking. John Jantsch asks the following:
What is the Measure of One Word?
He writes for businesses and states that:
It is absolutely essential that you find a way to differentiate your business in a meaningful way. I know I talk about this all the time, but it’s that important. What if you interviewed a handful of clients and asked them this question: “What’s the ONE word you would use that best describes what we do well?” Is it fast, attentive, welcoming, creative, cheap, cool, techie, smart, caring? One word is tough, but you need to get there. One simple word that sums up how you are different. If you can do that, and it’s a word that means a lot to a lot, your marketing job will be significantly easier.
Got your word? Now, how does everyone in your firm define and own that word. Starbucks uses the word welcoming. If you sneak a peak back in the back room of a Starbucks you might find a bulletin board full of “thoughts on welcoming” written by the staff.
One of his ideas is to ask all employees and clients to give their thoughts on what that word means or how they experience that word. He points out that if you did that exercise, you might uncover some incredible marketing material and may even come up with the motivation to inject your word and all its various meanings into everything you do.
So we are asking our elders, staff and leaders — What is the One Word that describes what Park is all about?
Leave your thoughts and comments on Park’s One Word and reasoning here as we think through this issue.
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