“There’s a problem that each person in this room shares: we are looked upon with suspicion in a lot of Christian circles,” said keynote speaker Paul Braoudakis as he kicked off the CCM conference theme, “Communications and Marketing: Friends or Foes?” on Thursday night. “In the Christian world, marketing is seen as the great compromise,” a “cheapening” of the gospel message, he said.

But is this fair? How did Jesus communicate? How would Jesus market?

Consider how he spoke to the woman at the well, Paul suggested. She was there because she needed water. And so Jesus talked to her about water. “He tailored his message to her temporal need – which led her to engage in a discussion about what she really needed: eternal salvation.”

To offer “living water” to a thirsty woman, to call professional fishermen to become “fishers of men” – “was Jesus cheapening the gospel in this way, to speak to people in the only language they knew?” Paul asked.

The director of communications of the Willow Creek Association told the story of how a neighborhood church in the Chicago suburbs grew to branch off this organization that teaches Christian leaders how to build churches worldwide. Willow Creek’s 2004 Leadership Summit will reach 40,000 people through live satellite feed to 80 cities (and is being marketed with tools including a DVD of testimonies of past attendees).

As he spoke of how Willow Creek markets itself, Paul offered a biblical framework for thinking about branding.

In Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asked two questions that every organization has to ask: Who do we say that we are? And who do they say that we are?

Branding is not a logo, not a product, not a corporate identity system, not something defined by the company, period, Paul said. Rather, it’s the “gut feeling” about a product or service experienced by an individual, and when enough of them feel the same thing, that’s the brand. It’s who they say you are.

To do a quick brand assessment, you can ask people just three questions about your organization: Who are you, what do you do, and why does it matter?

Without a compelling answer to those questions, you don’t have a brand, Paul said. But once you hear those answers, you can be intentional about speaking to where people are.

Paul encouraged even CCMers with the smallest marketing “departments.” “Continue to be diligent and authentic in your marketing efforts, and growth will come,” he said. “When an organization takes on the mantle of trying to move God’s kingdom forward just half an inch a day, that matters.”

Like Moses who used his staff to draw water from the rock, use anything at your disposal, Paul urged. Just do not compromise the Word. And always undersell and overdeliver.

He offered the principles that have guided Willow Creek’s marketing of itself:
•  Stay away from anything that is hype.
•  Authentic understatement with maximum impact.
•  Does it pass the elder cringe test?
•  Could I ever hear Bill Hybels (pastor of Willow Creek Community Church) say this from the stage in front of thousands of people?
•  It has to bleed sincerity, be bulletproof authentic.

Christian marketers have to play by tougher rules than in general society, Paul said, but we have power behind us.  “You can be the greatest marketer, but if your product is weak you will fail,” he noted. “But our content” – Christ’s message for the world – “is strong. Our message is solid. We’re already halfway there.”