Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Winter 2015 Issue | Page 17

Tackling Branding
Anne Rudig is the communications
director for the Episcopal Church –
an organization that has itself been
through a recent rebranding process.

“The first step is always some
research,” says Rudig. For the folks
at the Episcopal Church Center, this
meant talking to newcomers to the
Church – folks for whom “being in love
with the Church was still really fresh in
their hearts and minds.”

The interesting part of those
interviews, Rudig said, was “what
we heard validated our notion that
our tagline should be ‘The Episcopal
Church Welcomes You.’” She added,
“It’s like a speed ramp to Jesus.”

The interviewees also “said
secondary things that became
extremely useful as we moved toward
art direction.” Things like, “I want to
touch an ancient tradition and I want
to ask a lot of questions,” or, “I love
the Episcopal Church because it’s
steeped in tradition and not mired
in tradition.” That “happy tension”
between the old and the new became
the foundation of the Episcopal
Church’s graphic strategy.

So how can a congregation apply
those same concepts on a smaller
level? “A local church can talk to three
or six people who’ve been involved in
the last 12 months and say, ‘What’s
your take on this place? What really
stands out to you? Why do you keep
coming back?’” said Rudig. Those are
important conversations to have, she
explained, because branding is “more
about our audience than it is about us.”

between what we’re saying we are – which is a radically inclusive, loving church
– and that logo.” Past versions of the logo had featured the lion of St. Mark,
or the church’s spire, which is a prominent feature of the church’s location on
The Boulevard in Richmond. And in the last 20 years, the church had changed
logos four times. This time, they wanted to get it right, and hopefully have some
logo