The Episcopal Church in Alabama

The Episcopal Church in Alabama

How the Episcopal Church in Alabama navigated tragedy, reinvigorated churches, and positioned itself to reach more people with denominational branding

By: Erica Tape | Branding Case Studies Communications & Marketing Web Design & Development

Is brand unity possible?

As a church denomination, the Episcopal Church in Alabama has the complex task of serving two very different audiences.

The first is the diocese’s churches and their leaders. The second is the people of Alabama who aren’t affiliated with a church.

The first is comfortable with liturgical language and is familiar with the gospel message. The second finds liturgical language inaccessible and needs to be introduced to the gospel.

Was it possible for the Episcopal Church to reach both audiences with one unified brand? That was the question they approached ArtSpeak with.

The Episcopal Church in Alabama

Communications for whole-denomination event

As conversations started about a new brand, the Episcopal Church in Alabama also needed immediate help with a denomination-wide event.

The 2022 RevivAL event would bring together churches across the diocese to recenter on Jesus through music, stories, and messages.

We designed a landing page, created social media graphics, and wrote an email drip campaign. These assets simplified details for attendees and built momentum leading up to the event.

During the event, we provided on-the-ground social media coverage and photography. As the event rolled out, we captured highlights, wrote copy, and helped the diocese post content. One of our Instagram posts became their highest performing reel ever.

Our strategists also used the event to do deep audience research. We got to know the people of the Episcopal Church in Alabama, what’s important to them, and what language they use. We also noted details like colors and textures inside buildings for use in the visual brand.

Tragedy strikes: crisis communications

But just a couple weeks after RevivAL, tragedy struck the diocese. A shooting occurred at a parish.

The evening it happened, the communications director told us she didn’t know what to do—but she knew she could call ArtSpeak.

Part of the crisis communication plan was to help the Episcopal Church transition away from the tragedy. Not to flip back to “normal,” but to ease into a new way of being.

We immediately jumped into action consulting her to develop a crisis communications strategy.

The diocese needed to honor what had happened and offer resources to help people move forward. In addition to laying out a multiweek social media plan, we developed visuals with muted brand colors, reflecting the heaviness and grief its people were feeling. The messaging was simple and helpful: “Join us in prayer.” “Find updates here.”

Part of the crisis communication plan was to help the Episcopal Church transition away from the tragedy. Not to flip back to “normal,” but to ease into a new way of being.

As the diocese’s communications eased out of crisis mode, so did its team. And we were able to begin work on the new brand.

The Episcopal Church in Alabama

Deep listening using a branding survey

The Episcopal Church in Alabama faces a common denominational struggle. With a wide array of congregations, how can the denomination unite them all under a common vision?

To find commonalities among the parishes, we conducted a survey to learn what they love about being Episcopalian and what their biggest challenges are.

We learned that the parishes love their liturgy. That meant the branding needed to keep that historical, rooted feel even as it appealed to nonchurchgoers.

And since parishes said they needed help with websites, we got an idea for how the diocese could offer even more value: by providing church websites at no cost.

Unified brand messaging for two distinct audiences

We knew the diocese would need two sets of brand messaging for its two audiences. But to keep all the messaging connected, we started by clarifying the brand’s personality.

We identified that the diocese’s archetype, or its role in audiences’ minds, is the activist-pioneer. That meant the Episcopal Church infuses life and revitalizes purpose into those around it.

We also identified tone words, which describe how all of the diocese’s messaging sounds: Inspired. Connected. Clear.

Next, we identified the challenges, hopes, and fears of the two audiences and developed personas.

Finally, we used all that information to develop brand promises, a descriptive one-liner, value propositions, and a core story.

To the parish audience, the brand promise and one-liner positioned the diocese as a resource for reinvigorating churches to put their faith into action:

Live the Gospel. Preach the Gospel.
We’re here to equip, inspire, and support you—our parishes—as you spread the life-changing love of Jesus through word and action.​

For the external audience, the diocese wanted to communicate God’s welcome while acknowledging that people may have had not-so-good experiences with church. This audience’s tagline:
“Rethink God’s love.”

The Episcopal Church in Alabama

Historical yet modern visual brand identity

Like the messaging, the brand visuals had the goal of balancing the liturgical tone with a contemporary feel to invite in newcomers.

We went through several logo iterations before realizing the best logo would be a refresh of the diocese’s old seal, which would honor the Episcopal Church’s heritage.

The brand colors leaned into a royal purple and a lively red, which are often found in Episcopal churches. We balanced these with vibrant turquoise and gold and grounding blues to reflect the mosaics of stained glass and the diversity of God’s creation.

For typography, we selected the serif font Vollkorn because of its modern yet traditional feel. Since it’s easy to read, it feels personable and trustworthy—exactly like the diocese wanted to feel. Since this font is free to download, it’s practical for a large organization.

Brand rollout on a new website

A key part of the brand rollout was redoing the Episcopal Church’s website.

In order to draw in the non-parish audience, we recommended using their set of messaging on the home and about pages. Pages that would be of more interest to a parish audience could use the other set of messaging.

We also helped write content for pages about specific initiatives, such as racial healing and leadership development.

The Episcopal Church in Alabama

Parish microsites: value for everyone

We also developed a microsite template for parishes that don’t have the resources to develop their own websites.

These microsites provide tangible value to parishes and a consistent branded look across the diocese. A win-win for everyone!

First, we helped create a process for the diocese to follow. Then the diocese decided the package would include a logo, unique headlines, and development of a one-page site.

ArtSpeak generates parish logos using a template based on the diocese’s logo. We use a template to quickly develop the webpages. We use parish-provided photos and help write unique headlines so each microsite feels like its own.

The Episcopal Church in Alabama
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Rooted in the past, positioned for the future

With the brand rollout and ongoing microsite creation, the Episcopal Church in Alabama is positioned to warmly invite newcomers and provide value to its parishes. The new brand strikes a balance to appeal to both audiences by feeling historical yet contemporary.

If you lead a network or denomination and need to keep several congregations engaged with your vision, we would love to talk. Fill out the form below t request a free 30-minute consultation with one of our strategists.