Rev Dr Bruce said, “I am honoured and excited to start this new adventure, to be in this role, and I’m looking forward to helping to bring about the changes our rural communities need. The church is still present in every community, often the only organisation that is still here, and we have in our members and history a wealth of experience in working with people, acting as a community hub, and managing projects.”
Jim, as he prefers to be called, went on to say: “The Church has a wonderful brand, but we need to communicate better what this means and how we can help local people and local businesses. Times are changing so to attract attention today, organisations need to not only promote their business but more importantly to promote their people. You see, people seem to be moving away from liking a brand and are moving more towards liking and dealing with people. For too long the church has held back and may not have helped rural communities as much as they could, but that will change here.”
John Jantsch the author of best seller Duct Tape Marketing, said in an article for Entrepreneur Magazine, “Building personal brand authority is perhaps the most important element of marketing today for a brand, business, or individual trying to gain an edge. It does not matter how big or little an audience you might command, it is all about the right people believing in your point of view or way of doing business.”
A recent story on Fox News stated, “The simple truth is, if you are not deliberately, systematically, methodically — or rapidly and dramatically — establishing yourself as a celebrity, at least to your clientele and target market, you are asleep at the wheel, ignoring what is fuelling the entire economy around you, neglecting development of a measurably valuable asset.”
David Birchall, author and Partner at Artemis Media UK said in a recent book, “We now live in a different century and getting people on your side has to be addressed differently. The nuclear family is used to looking for Trust Triggers before they react positively. Those trust triggers included Newspaper ads, posters and Flyers, Magazine Articles, Newsletters, Websites and Social Media, Coupons and Offers, but now you have to add on Social media, Radio and TV interviews as well. It’s no longer just word of mouth, although that is still of some considerable importance among them and their peers. If a church wants to help its community, it has to make sure it is seen where that community is looking.”
Rev Dr. Jim Bruce finished by saying, “I have a special place in my heart for rural communities who often miss out when compared to their more rural contemporaries. We need to change that by understanding our communities better and gearing what we can deliver for them to their wants and needs. I will be working closely with the Churchwardens, church councils and congregations at St Anne’s, St Peter’s and St Mary’s on the future direction of the church and their mission to, and with their communities.
For more information on What’s happening at St Anne’s and with Jim Bruce please visit the St Anne’s Website on https://stanneshavethwaite.org.uk or phone +44 15395 31338
