Bible MBASample

The Market Has a Mind of Its Own 

And when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they assembled together with and were guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Acts 11:26 AMPC

Irrespective of your brand messaging, the market will ultimately make up its mind what it believes about your company. Just as the people of Antioch came to the decision to call the early believers 'Christians' as a result of their resemblance to Christ in character, people will eventually see through all your glitzy promotions to the core of what your company really stands for. 

Bearing in mind that your ultimate goal as a believer ought to be that “Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you,” (Galatians 4:19 AMPC), it stands to reason that if you are pursuing this goal as you should, the impression your business leaves in the marketplace should reflect Christ. 

To reflect Christ is not an abstract, theological matter as it might appear at first. When Jesus walked the surface of this earth, He, in reality, lived a life that offered compelling, practical and relevant examples. In particular, His life was characterized by two key virtues: Integrity, and Compassion. Two virtues that are almost entirely missing, yet sorely needed in business circles today. 

Integrity is a much deeper concept than may appear initially. Beyond dealing honestly with others, integrity also means dealing honestly with ourselves, which is the foundation and fuel for excellence. Yet integrity stretched to its fullest can become misshapen and so we require the counterweight of compassion, which is why it says in Proverbs 3:3, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: ...”  (KJV)

The question the Christian business leader must answer then is this, “If the market has the opportunity to observe our conduct for a year as the people of Antioch did the believers in their city, will they form the same impression and similarly name us after Christ?” 

This really is the aim of branding - to conduct our business in such a manner as to leave no doubt in the mind of the market that we have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).