5 Keys for Great Children's Ministry Branding

What is a brand? The dictionary says it's the name, term, design or symbol that identifies a seller's product. In other words, it's the words, pictures, symbols and logo design that helps kids and families identify your ministry. Your children's ministry branding is a big deal...so you want to make sure it's done well. Let's talk about 5 big keys to making your children's ministry branding excellent. 1. Make it kid-friendly. Remember this. Just because a brand appeals to parents, doesn't mean their children will like it as well. Kids love bright, fun colors. They are attracted to the brightest colors of the color wheel. If you want your branding and design to catch the attention of kids, then you need to use kid-friendly colors. Bright colors and advertising to kids goes hand-in-hand. Some examples are: yellow green blue purple orange red 2. Keep it simple. Today's kids (and parents) are bombarded with information. So much so that it can cause a big, noisy cloud over their head that makes it hard to get your message through to them. The information bombardment has caused kids (and parents) to cope with the noise by scanning for information that appeals to them. You only have a few seconds to catch their attention before they move on to the next thing that is coming at them. But make a note to yourself and remember this.

Simple doesn't mean cheap. You should have your branding logo done by a professional company. Kids and parents will immediately know if the logo was "homemade" or if it was designed professionally,

A simple Google search can connect you with hundreds of freelance brand designers who can help you create an awesome look at an affordable price. 3. Consider just calling it kids. Back in the 90's, many churches decided to call their children's ministries cool names like KidQuest or Planet 45 or JClub or Promiseland or Adventure Island. But in recent years, there has been a shift to branding children's ministry as simply "kids." Here are some examples. Cross Church - Cross Kids First Baptist Church - First Kids Saddleback Church - Saddleback Kids This makes it much easier for parents and kids to remember the name of the children's ministry and obviously it connects to the overall church branding. 4. Use social media. Social media has obviously played a huge part in the rise of intentional branding. This applies to your children's ministry's presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Having a social media strategy is critical if you want today's kids and families to recognize your "brand." Today's kids are being raised with social media as an intricate part of their life. If you want an appealing brand, then you must meet them there. 5. Incorporate a mascot. There is a reason why kids and parents line up (in long lines) to have their picture taken with costumed characters at an amusement park. Kids love cartoon characters. This means you can use cartoon characters to promote your brand and build a strong connection to your ministry. A mascot adds a face to your branding and makes it more memorable. It helps your ministry have a personal connection to kids and families. It adds a face and a personality to your ministry. An example of this is Mario. Nintendo made a smart move when they introduced this beloved character. It tied kids to their brand in an amazing way. You can do the same thing by creating a mascot for your ministry. Some churches have even had a physical costume made of the mascot and he or she is there when kids come in - welcoming them and bringing lots of smiles. That is genius! So there you have it. 5 keys to creating a children's ministry brand. Incorporate these into your ministry and it will help your children's ministry grow while also deepening your ministries connection to kids and families. Your turn. Love to hear about your branding. Do you have a mascot? Have you themed your children's ministry space with kid-friendly colors? Are you using social media? Are you keeping things simple? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.