More than a century ago, cattle ranchers used branding irons to indicate which animals were theirs. As the cattle moved across the plains on their way to slaughter houses, it was easy to determine which ranches they were from because each head of cattle was “branded”. (Jerry McLaughlin, Forbes)
| Your “brand” is what someone thinks of, both factually and emotionally, when he or she hears your name. | /brand/ noun
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When we talk about brand in the context of the local church, we’re talking about identification, not commercialisation.