Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Nonprofits Impact Culture and Others Don't [Hardcover]

Phil Cooke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2008

Have you hit a wall with your church, ministry or non-profit organization? In spite of a genuine calling, an exceptional team and solid investment in the vision, have you noticed that the spark never catches fire? Media and marketing expert Phil Cooke wants every ministry to ask, Who are we? By identifying what makes your organization different from the thousands clamoring for attention, you can get your message heard. Cooke has consulted with many of the most recognized churches and non-profits in the world, and in Branding Faith: Why Some Ministries Impact Culture and Others Don’t, he shares his road-tested strategies for using media and marketing to make your mark on people’s minds and hearts. Whatever the size of your organization, his helpful hints and insider know-how will give you the tools to set your ministry’s strategies ablaze.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Whether your goal is to share a message of faith, raise money for charity, preach salvation, build an inner-city outreach, or give your audience hope, Phil Cooke describes the new rules for communicating your message in the 21st century. Cooke, a television producer and media consultant, will show you how to cut through the overwhelming media clutter, connect, and then develop a meaningful relationship with your audience. This is an essential book for anyone in the business of communicating a message with the hope of changing the world.

About the Author

PHIL COOKE is the only working producer in Hollywood with a PhD in Theology, according to CNN’s Paula Zahn. Through his company, Cooke Pictures, Phil advises many of the largest and most effective non-profit and faith-based media organizations in the world, and he speaks internationally at workshops, conferences and seminars on issues related to faith and the media. He has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC and CNN, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Regal (March 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830745637
• ISBN-13: 978-0830745630
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phil Cooke is changing the way business and non-profit leaders influence and engage the culture. A writer, speaker, & filmmaker, network reporter Paula Zahn called him "Rare - a working producer in Hollywood with a earned Ph.D." A description that may not be unusual for someone a major magazine has called a "media guru."

Phil has produced programming in more than 40 countries around the world. He produced and directed "The Better Hour" - a one hour documentary broadcast nationally on PBS that told the story of William Wilberforce leading the campaign to abolish the slave trade throughout the British empire.

His company, Cooke Pictures (cookepictures.com) advises many of the largest non-profit and religious organizations on how to engage today's culture more effectively through media.

He's a founding partner in the media production company TWC Films (twcfilms.com), that produces national advertising and media content for some of the largest companies in the country, including two TV commercials for Super Bowl 2008.

His books and online blog at philcooke.com are changing the way non-profit & religious organizations tell their story worldwide. He's lectured at universities like Yale, University of California at Berkeley, UCLA, and is an adjunct professor at The King's University and Biola University in Los Angeles.

His new book "Jolt!: The Power of Intentional Change in a World that's Constantly Changing" will be published by Thomas Nelson and released in April, 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone who works for a church or non-profit, July 14, 2008

By 

FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Nonprofits Impact Culture and Others Don't (Hardcover)

Marketing and branding all too often are looked down upon --- especially when it comes to issues of faith. In BRANDING FAITH, Phil Cooke explores the dos and don'ts of communicating your message in the modern age. As a television producer and media consultant, he has worked with a long list of clients and has been given a front row ticket to what connects with this generation and what does not.

Cooke recognizes that we're living in a media-driven culture. The ways that people get their information and evaluate it has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. Unfortunately, the church and many non-profits have failed to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of communication and ideas. The result is that many great causes are not only losing their voice, they're getting lost in the shuffle.

Cooke writes, "The key to effective branding is that a successful brand isn't what you say it is; it's what they say it is. For instance, it doesn't matter if the local food bank is the best in the nation if word leaks out that it's giving away tainted produce. It wouldn't matter if you're a brilliant pastor if your congregation thinks you're a hack. And it certainly won't matter that a humanitarian organization is global if nobody's ever heard of it."

These kinds of challenging ideas penetrate the book, causing readers to reflect not only on the organization they want to promote but also the very words, design and ideas used to promote it. One of the best chapters, "Telling Your Story," looks at the taglines of individual advertising campaigns and the importance of understanding who you are so that you can effectively tell your story. Cooke is quick to remind readers that visibility is just as important as ability. After all, if no one knows you exist, it doesn't matter how excellent you are. The beauty of the chapter is that Cooke encourages you to find your "honest voice in the middle of the media madness." He wants you to discover you're real you and make that the basis of your branding and marketing.

Despite all of its strengths, the book does have a few weaknesses. Cooke has a tendency to repeat his information multiple times. At some points, the manuscript feels like it's drawn straight from one of his presentations and didn't make the full translation from spoken word to written word. While some of the conclusions drawn from his anecdotal evidence seem like a stretch, the vast majority offer colorful illustrations that display the issue well. A slight annoyance is that Cooke is all too quick to remind you that he is a speaker and a consultant, and that he has a busy schedule. But maybe that's the nature of marketing, and if so, it's well-displayed.

BRANDING FAITH is a must-read for anyone who works for a church or non-profit; there is much to be gained, discussed and thought about. The truth is that far too many books of this nature are available for non-profit and faith-based agencies. As a result, this title is a much-needed resource and I'm glad Phil Cooke tackled the subject.

--- Reviewed by Margaret Oines

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save years off your ministry!, May 22, 2008

By 

Jason Faber "VP of Marketing Ministries" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Nonprofits Impact Culture and Others Don't (Hardcover)

Ok, I've been in the marketing and branding biz for secular companies for nearly a decade before I began serving faith-based organizations. This is hands down the most foundational book on branding written exclusively for ministries. Phil was able to address one of the most critical areas of Christianity in our mass media culture and communicate how branding is key to a ministries success and its failures. If you are ministry leader, Pastor or media director-- don't bother with other books on branding-- you'll get the education you need to build from this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it has helped me communicate to our ministry clients. Thanks, Phil.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Every Penny, May 7, 2008

By 

J. P. Sindorf "Director of Media & Marketing ... (Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Nonprofits Impact Culture and Others Don't (Hardcover)

I have worked with churches and nonprofits for my entire career and this author knows whereof he speaks. The resulting book is a valuable resource both for those who are marketing / communications professionals and for those who need to get brought up to speed very quickly. This book comes out of the authors real-life, hands-on experience with some of the largest and most successful ministries in the world. He is a guru, and this book is worth every penny.