It’s no secret that many theological schools are feeling the squeeze, from declining enrollment to donor fatigue and the rising cost of operations. Leaders often respond with new campaigns, refreshed websites, or revised logos. But those fixes rarely touch the underlying issue: brand clarity.
That’s the argument Dan Kennedy, vice president of marketing services at The FOCUS Group, makes in a recent In Trust Center webinar, “From Confusion to Clarity: Strengthening Your School’s Brand.” Kennedy reviews the essentials of effective branding, emphasizing that the real problem is not weak marketing, but a confusing message. “Whether in consumer goods or theological education,” Kennedy said, “the pattern is the same: when the promise is unclear, every effort struggles.”
According to Kennedy, brand impacts everything: development, enrollment, alumni relations, even staff recruiting and retention. “Brand lives in the minds of your audience. It’s not the paint; it’s the foundation.”
Kennedy urges schools to resist defining brand as a graphic exercise and instead start with listening. His first recommendation: conduct a brand audit. “It’s really critical to recognize when you have become inconsistent in your visuals and messaging,” Kennedy said. “My tip is to step back and squint (to review all materials) that represent you.”
Next, he encourages schools to replace outdated assumptions about their audiences with real, current insights gathered through interviews, focus groups, and surveys.
“You can’t manage your brand without current audience insight and a simple, written brand strategy,” he says. He recommends drafting a one-page strategy that identifies priority audiences, clarifies the promise to each, and lists the proof points, which “will do more for you than another brochure.”
Strategic timing also matters. Kennedy advises leaders, especially boards, to invest in brand work, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups, before launching strategic plans or capital campaigns. “A strong, clear brand multiplies the effectiveness of everything else you’re doing,” he said. “If you get the promise right — and consistent — all your other efforts go further.”
Watch the on demand webinar: Click here
