Retire an old name and rebrand for the future
Compete with world-class financial institutions
Align with the original faith-based mission
A financial services company serving faith-based organizations, the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention faced increasing competition from the likes of Fidelity and Vanguard. With its out-of-date name, the Annuity Board was viewed as an anachronism by a new generation of ministers as well as non-religion-affiliated human resources managers.
After a thorough reexamining of the strategy and an effort that generated thousands of names, GuideStone emerged as the ideal answer. Just as the guide stones of old offered direction along the path, GuideStone evokes trust and confidence. And the name spoke to the spiritual audience, thanks to Biblical references to guidance and rock-like stability.
The five-tiered system served to organize a previously confusing hodgepodge of plans. Salespeople could quickly grasp the tiers and easily explain the distinctions to their customers.
The naming system was created from the consumer’s point of view. Deductibles and other crucial details were integrated into the names themselves, such as GuideStone Health Choice 500.
The naming system reflected the GuideStone personality. Each sub-name helped to convey the concern, empathy, and approachability of the overall GuideStone brand.
