5 Powerful Branding Lessons from Two Global Brands

Although House on the Rock and Nexford University are two global brands functioning primarily in two different sectors, they both focus on developing the human mind.

Without further ado, let's get down to the five branding lessons you can learn from these two power houses:?

1.?Cultural diversity & gender equality: House on the Rock's?tagline "home for all" isn't merely a brand tagline, it is an expression of the church's warmth and openness to diverse kinds of people. From the rich to the poor, the intellectuals to the layman, and people of all races, the doors of this international church are always open to all. Hence it’s not surprising that it has over 7,000 worshipers in attendance on Sunday mornings with several daughter churches spread over Africa and Europe. Similarly, Nexford University embraces cultural diversity across its staff members and community of over 4,000 learners from over 85 countries. The institution also values gender equality within its teams. According to Nexford's CEO, Fadl Al Tarzi, 67% of its workforce are women.?

2.?Strategic partnerships: If you’ve ever attended (offline/online) the House on the Rock church in Lekki Lagos, one of lines that its Founder and Senior Pastor, Paul Adefarasin uses in welcoming first time visitors is, “There are many great houses in the city of Lagos should the Lord lead you there, and I am happy to recommend a few with whom we collaborate to build one church and one kingdom for our God and Christ. They include The Guiding Light Assemble, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, and The Salem Church literally next door…” While this kind of recommendation and partnership may not be feasible for rival brands like Pepsi Co and Coca Cola, House on the Rock leverages its strategic partnerships with other churches for the greater good of everyone who walks into the church. Coincidentally, Nexford also happens to have a community space in Lekki Lagos, and the higher institution has built mutually beneficial and strategic partnerships with organizations like Sterling Bank, MTN Nigeria, Dangote and IBM Africa – all focused on human capital development.

3.?Excellent human-centered services: From the follow up calls and warm reception that every first-time visitor receives at House on the Rock to its prison outreach and Project FEED outreach , it’s impossible to encounter this church organization and not feel loved. Beyond these expressions of House on the Rock, the church also has be-spoke and an excellent teaching curriculum for its children’s church, teen’s church, and prospective workers. Similarly, from the moment a prospective learner shows interest in any of Nexford University’s MBA , BBA or short courses, they get an automated text with contact details of their dedicated success advisor. Subsequently, a call is placed by this dedicated success advisor for the purpose of answering any enquiries the prospective learner may have. Besides, the higher institution’s competency based curricula which are designed to equip learners with skills that will be relevant in the workplace; Nexford learners also have free access to over 16,000 courses on LinkedIn Learning.

4.?Unique & memorable experience: Whether you attend House on the Rock in Lagos, Abuja or London, the quality of the word, the depth of worship and level of organization are one and the same. From a branding perspective, all of these are a result of the church’s ingrained culture of excellence and user friendliness. The same can be said of Nexford University both in the way it prioritizes its learners’ needs and their learning experience. Regardless of the country you are studying from, the online learning experience at Nexford University is specifically designed to accommodate the learning and developmental needs of busy corporate professionals and business leaders. With its user-friendly mobile learning app, Nexford learners are able to access quality and affordable American education and study from anywhere without having to pay crippling student loans . ??

5.?Commitment to continuous improvement: While some other churches were struggling to reach their audience during the heat of the pandemic, House on the Rock didn’t. This is partly because the church organization had been leveraging technology to reach an online audience long before the outbreak. Hence, it was easier for it to adapt and scale, thereby reaching more people online. On the other hand, Nexford was born online, and nothing – not the pandemic or ASUU strikes – could stop learners from completing their programs in record time. Furthermore, Nexford conducts periodic learner satisfaction surveys to ensure that its curricula are regularly updated for real-world relevance.

With their similar organizational values and culture, these two global brands may soon enter into a partnership. Who knows?

Now, you know what it takes to build a strong and lovable global brand. ????