What is This Site All About?

A little over 2,000 years ago, 12 poor men from a back-water town in the Roman Empire founded what was to become the largest, richest, and most influential organization in human history. What steps did the Catholic Church take to become such a powerful brand, and what lessons can be we take from the Church as we look to develop our own brands?

In this look at the branding lessons of the Catholic Church, I will not discuss the spiritual aspects of spreading the faith. Some may claim that it was the Holy Spirit that caused the rise of the church, and I am not going to attempt to dispute that. But even according to the Church, the Spirit acts through men (and maybe even women since Vatican II), and I believe that in investigating the actions of those men and women, we can take away many important branding principals.

Many of the events and decisions that established the Catholic Church brand dominance took place over many, many years and decisions were made by many people over that time. In this BLOG, I am hoping to compress the time and space to distill the most important, real-world lessons that we can learn from the rise of the Catholic Church.

ABOUT MY CATHOLIC ROOTS: I was born and raised Catholic, but stopped practicing regularly when I first attended college. Despite the fall from faith, I have a great deal of respect for the Catholic Church, the good work the Church performs, and the influence that it has had in shaping world history. I have always had a strong belief in the importance of branding, and believe that there are many lessons – both good and bad – that we can take from the experience of the Catholic Church.

Please take a look around the site and feel free to make any comments. I would like to think I am right most of the time, but I appreciate the input (even when it proves me wrong). If you have comments you would like to convey in a more private manner, please email me at Scott@CatholicBrand.com.

Thanks and Enjoy,
M. Scott.

Lesson 8: Know Thine Enemy

When creating a new category and a new brand to lead that category, it is helpful to play off against existing brands and highlight the differences. Potential consumers already have expectations about existing brand, and it will be easier to get into the minds of your consumers if you compare your offering against competitors. Christians began differentiating themselves from Jews as early as the Gospel according to Mark - generally believed to be the oldest gospel.

Many successful brands increase their mind-share by differentiating themselves against existing brands. From 7-up's "Un-Cola" comparing itself to Coke, to Avis' "We try harder." comparing their number two position to Hertz then number 1 position, playing off competitors is a demonstrated way of stretching your brand faster.

Lesson 7: Maintain the Mystery

Often, the hallmark of a great brand is that it does not reveal too much about the product. So it is true with the Catholic Church. While much of what the Church does is well documented and well understood, there are many secrets. From the mysteries of the Rosary to the dogma surrounding the Holy Trinity, many of the beliefs of the Church are considered to be unknowable except as revealed by God.

Many successful companies have used secrets to propel their brands. From McDonald's secret sauce to the Colonel Sander's secret recipe, keeping something behind the curtain can help generate interest and buzz in a brand. As you work to develop your organization's brand, be mindful of managing what you reveal... and what you don't.

What is Victoria's secret, anyway?

Lesson 6: Appeal to Accepted Traditions & Tastes

What does Jesus have to do with a Shamrock or Mary have to do with Guadalupe?

In developing its brand over the years, the Catholic Church has done an excellent job of appealing to (some would say co-opting) local legends and long-standing traditions, and refocusing them on key points of the Church's teaching. While the Catholic Church is rife with many examples, perhaps the most profound is the celebration of Christmas on December 25. The exact date of Jesus' birth remains a mystery, although the references to shepherds herding their sheep seems to indicate that the birth was in the summer or fall. In AD 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christmas would be celebrated on December 25. Why that date? Because it corresponded with an event celebrated by many established religions, the winter solstice. By taking an existing holiday and inculcating it with Christianity's message, the church was able to greatly extend the reach of its brand.

When developing a brand for your company or organization, you should not try to bulldoze existing brands or beliefs, but rather you should focus on how to promote your message while complementing or appealing to those things that the audience already finds comfort in.

Lesson 5: Engage All the Senses

The five senses are the gateway to the inner self. A strong brand should be a promise that appeals the inner self. To touch the inner self, all of the senses should be engaged to their fullest extent. The Catholic Church does a masterful job making the brand promise and then reflecting it in each of the senses. The Church engages the sight in big ways, such as monumental cathedrals with intricate stained glass to small ways, such as the sign of the cross. The Catholic sounds are reflected in Gregorian chants, simple hymns, and the bells. The smell of incense often fills the air during special ceremonies. Baptism and anointing with oils are a couple of the ways that the brand is communicated through touch. (Perhaps one of my favorite examples of touch is the blessing of the throat. What feast day does that represent?) Finally, taste is evoked in the communion, with the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine.

When developing your brand, it is important to understand your brand promise, and then find ways of reflecting that promises through each of the senses.

Lesson 4: Create a New Category

"The New Covenant"

In the early days of the Catholic Church, there was disagreement about whether Christianity would be an off-shoot of Judiasm, or if it would be something completely different. The Apostles were split on this point, and some preached only to Jews, while others preached to Gentiles (I will drop in more detail soon). After some time, it became clear that the Catholic Church was completely different from the traditional Jewish faith. By breaking away from Judiasm, the Catholic Church established a new brand category and was able to grow beyond its roots.

In their book, The Origin of Brands, Al and Laura Ries discuss the phenomenon of Brand Divergence, in which new, often stronger brands emerge from existing brands. In developing a branding strategy for your company or organization, it is important not to think about the current market but the potential future market to be served.

Lesson 3: Provide Consistent Service

A brand is not just a logo or a tagline. I once heard a brand described as a promise that is made to consumers. (Note to self – I will track down the source and properly credit the author). In order to make and keep the promise, it is important not just to have a consistent message, but also to have consistent services delivery.

As with the fragmented message, the early Catholic Church had different rituals and different ways of conducting the Mass. Pope Pius V (1504-1572) during his papacy issued missals that created a uniform way of conducting the Mass, so that worshipers could have a sense of familiarity no matter where in the world they attended services.

The Catholic Church has documented detailed processes and procedures for conducting all major rituals, from the Church’s seven Sacraments to Exorcism. In fact, the church reviews the procedures and will make changes from time to time, as it did in 1998 with Exorcism.

When developing a brand for your company or organization, consistent service delivery is critical to the success of keeping your promise to the consumer.