The Thing About "The Church"

The church is in need of a rebrand. Not "your church" or "my church" per se, but the "the church," as an institution—like higher education, healthcare, and government are institutions. This declaration should not be mistaken for vain clickbait or an attempt to be sacrilegious. Far from it, in fact. As an engaged parishioner, I want nothing more than to see the church succeed. No, this is not an attack; instead, it is a clinical critique of a declining brand that shows signs of a potential resurgence. For evidence of this possibility, look no further than one of its most sacred artifacts—the Bible.

For all intents and purposes, the Bible is the foundational text of the church as a branded institution. It is considered to be the word of God and the cultural production that expresses and reflects the ideological beliefs of the church. According to Circana Bookscan, sales of this sacred document are up 22% in the U.S. compared to last year's sales, while book sales were flat during the same period. Book publishers have attributed this anomaly to social anxieties, the public's want for more certainty in a seemingly unstable world. If we set aside the religious nature of the matter for a moment, a marketer would see this situation as a sign of optimism. People want the benefits of the product, a sense of safety and comfort; they just aren't choosing "our brand." Why? Because of the cognitions and affects the church conjures in the hearts and minds of the people.

That's what a brand is, after all: a vessel of meaning. It's an identifiable signifier that summons a set of thoughts and feelings within us regarding a product, person, company, or entity. It's not the product we buy; it's the mark of ownership connected to that product from which we bestow the product with additional meaning beyond its functionality. With regard to the church, it's not that people don't want what it offers; instead, it's that the thoughts and feelings associated with the church—as an institution—make the product offering less compelling. The church needs to establish new cognitive associations for the brand and catalyze new meanings.

This is a textbook case for a rebrand. Consider Domino's Pizza's comeback some years ago. The brand had been experiencing some troubling headwinds—sales were down, and the stock price was buried below $10 per share. People still wanted pizza. The demand for the product (in this case, pizza) didn't wane; people simply chose a different brand to get it, primarily because of the negative associations that people held in their minds about Domino's.

The brand was in desperate need of some reinvigoration. So, what did they do? They rebranded. Domino's embraced the criticism and augmented their product offering and messaging to signal new meaning—and pizza lovers gave Domino's another try. Within six years, Domino's became the second-largest pizza chain in the world, with a stock price just shy of $160 per share.

This is the opportunity for the church. The surge in Bible sales suggests that people are seeking solace, security, and perhaps even spiritual fulfillment—all of which are the tangible value propositions of the church. A rebrand could help the church establish new meaning and solidify its place as the categorical authority.

This wouldn't be the first time the church underwent a rebrand. Theologically speaking, in the Old Testament, the people of God once considered the physical temple to be "the church." However, in the New Testament, the church was refashioned as the people themselves—the body of Christ, not the four walls where they assembled. This reimagination of the church birthed new meaning for the brand and, subsequently, helped acquire new parishioners.

Moreover, this new spiritual reworking of meaning established the brand as a social undertaking (i.e., "neglect not the fellowship," as the Bible says), which proved to be very compelling—to no surprise. As Aristotle once postulated, we are social animals by nature, and since we are wired to be connected, we tend to value cultural vehicles that bring us together. Sports and music are both proof points and beneficiaries of this axiom.

Therefore, the church's rebranding satisfied those early parishioners' social needs and their emotional and functional jobs to be done that the original version of the church addressed. One might even argue that community and support are a part of the core value propositions of the contemporary church's product offering. However, here, too, people have also turned to other alternatives to satisfy their jobs to be done—most recently with TikTok, one of the foremost places where culture is made.

There are millions of posts related to the Bible on the platform. These posts range from theological breakdowns to translating scriptures in colloquial GenZ language, visualizing Bible stories through AI technologies, and customizing bible covers. In fact, as of today, there are roughly 150 million posts alone related to decorating the Bible. Wow. Undoubtedly, there is a demand for the product, and people are simply choosing other options to get their jobs done.

And who can blame them? The church has warranted the criticism that the brand has endured over the years. From child abuse scandals to financial fraud and the deterioration of clergy perception, there is an alarming erosion of brand trust among the public. That's enough to sink most Fortune 500 brands. It's no wonder people are looking for alternatives.

The decline of organized religion and the simultaneous rise of Bible consumption is an intriguing cultural phenomenon that reflects a broader shift in how people engage with spirituality. Traditionally, religion has been central to shaping cultural norms, beliefs, and practices. It provided a framework for understanding the world and one's place in it. However, we're seeing a trend where fewer people, especially younger generations, are affiliating with organized religious institutions.

This decline doesn't necessarily mean people are becoming less spiritual. Instead, it suggests a shift towards more personalized, individualized forms of spirituality—an alternative to the church. People are seeking understanding and guidance to the mysteries of life, but they're doing so outside of the traditional institutional structures of the church.

Overall, this trend signifies a changing relationship between individuals and traditional institutions. I liken it to the institution of higher education. Just as the church has experienced a steady decline in consumption over the years, fewer and fewer people are attending college than they previously were. However, people still want knowledge; they still want to learn; they're just seeking information elsewhere, like podcasts and social media platforms.

Likewise, people still want what the church has to offer; they just don't find the brand relevant to them. Of course, that's nothing a little rebrand can't fix.