United's Strategic Plan makes this statement: "Communicate who we are and what we do to increase audience awareness of the benefits of God's way."

Doing this in today's world is a challenging task. There are a multitude of religious messages that cause a great deal of confusion. Add to this the increasing secularization of society, the anti-God and antireligious messages, and what we have is a world adrift both morally and spiritually.

At this juncture in United's development we have thought it best to take a step back and seek the advice of a professional communications agency that is adept at helping organizations craft compelling messages in today's world. They will not tell us what to believe or what to preach; rather they will advise us on how to communicate the vital truths of God most effectively.

This is not about trying to discover what the gospel is. We know what the true gospel is. No one on the Council or in the administration is uncertain of our doctrinal integrity or the value of God's message of repentance and His plan of salvation in His Kingdom. What this project is about is refining how we frame God's timeless message for a modern world.

Herbert W. Armstrong was a professional advertising man with years of experience in crafting messages and marketing in his day. He brought that considerable experience with him when God called him to preach the gospel. Mr. Armstrong knew how to reach the mind of a listener with an interesting and captivating message. Even though he had personal expertise, he also drew upon the help of advertising firms to assist him at times when it was needed.

Today we have a much different audience. Mr. Armstrong spoke to a Depression era/World War II audience. Ours in the 21st century is different. Audience perceptions of organizations, religion and morals have altered the moral and ethical fabric of our society.

The technology explosion of recent years has not only given us increased opportunity to reach millions, but it has also created different ways of gathering and disseminating information. This knowledge explosion has created an audience that filters the myriad messages they see more rapidly and ignores most of them.

A Brand Recognized in the Dark

Consider for a moment how you and I approach a "brand" that we trust and respect. It can help us understand why we are going through this exercise.

In his book Branding Faith Phil Cooke, an author and branding expert, tells the story of how the iconic Coca-Cola bottle was designed. Understanding this world-famous shape and the product it contains illustrates the powerful connection that can be made among people when successful branding occurs.

Early in the 19th century a glass designer named Earl R. Dean, who worked at the Root Glass Company, was given an assignment to design a bottle for Coke that would do two things.

"First, it could be recognized in the dark. Simply by touching the bottle, the customer would know the brand of soft drink almost instinctively.

"Second, even if the bottle was smashed to pieces, the customer could pick up any broken shard and still tell at first glance what the drink had been" (Branding Faith, p. 223).

Today, more than a hundred years later, the Coke bottle is known around the world. It is unmistakable, possibly the most ingenious piece of market branding in modern times.

What Does United's Brand Look Like?

This illustrates two points for United as we carefully examine the message we take to the world. The recipient should be able to identify it as a message that gives hope, understanding and purpose. It should be clearly identifiable with the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

He or she should be able to look at our Church and say, "That's the people who talk about the Kingdom of God coming to this earth with Christ's return." That understanding gives them purpose and hope. That message must be exact and unrelenting in its clarity. It must be simple, direct and uncluttered.

Speaking of the power of a well-conceived brand, Cooke writes, "Thousands of companies today use the smash test to evaluate their brands. In other words, if your logo was removed from the product, would the colors, graphic or other distinctive images still express the brand? Even better, how much could you smash your organization and still have it reflect your brand? Is your brand so much a part of your organization's DNA that every single aspect of your business reflects the brand?" (ibid., pp. 224-225).

Are God's eternal truths embedded in our spiritual DNA so deeply that we reflect the values of the Kingdom of God today in our lives?

How Will Branding Affect How We Preach the Gospel?

We know today that it takes more than the Sabbath and Holy Days to form our identity. For example, the love among the membership is also a key part of our brand.

There are many consistent features of the United Church of God that help form an identity. The structure of our congregational services, the way we observe the Feast of Tabernacles and the hymns we sing—these, too, help form our brand.

Our message across all forms of media also needs to be one that shows the promise of the gospel of the Kingdom of God for every individual. It must be inviting and convicting, relevant and timely, encouraging and compelling. It must give hope in a confusing world. It must remain true to the Bible, yet be more informative than today's news.

It must be both fresh and consistent for the longtime member who has "heard it all before," while at the same time be compelling for new ears hearing it for the first time. This is a challenge. Getting consultative help for this from an agency outside our walls will be helpful for the entire organization.

We are not branding sales products. We are freely giving the truth of God to a darkened world. We want to be sure that truth is recognizable at all times and under all conditions. UN