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Why religious communities should ditch their ‘blanding’ and embrace bold color
Why should ministries market vibrant faith with dusty blues and beige? When branding becomes ‘blanding’, it’s time to embrace bold creativity again.
By Julie A. Ferraro | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
Over the past 14 years, I’ve lent my skills to communications-related projects for quite a few Catholic-vowed religious communities. Being raised in the era of tie-dyed T-shirts and bell-bottom jeans, I tend to add splashes of color to these projects.
Promptly being asked to revise the designs based on the respective community’s branding requirements.
Branding is a marketing term where a certain set of colors and typographical fonts are assembled, along with logos and other graphics, to convey the dignity and purpose of a given client.
Many religious communities and other faith-based organizations have consulted professional marketing firms to avail themselves of such packages, to create a specific identity for the message they convey to the public.
I have a serious problem with this.
Of the religious communities for which I’ve worked, the color schemes seem to be based on mellow blues or browns, with “complementary” colors of muted yellows, greens and greys — albeit creatively renamed to sound inviting. Every publication, brochure or other notice complies with these requirements.
Faith is not a product
How utterly bland.
Indeed, branding has become, for me, a synonym for the bland, the dull. And, as I’ve written elsewhere, I am wholly against what is dull, or “beige.”
Faith should never be bland, dull or beige.
Faith should not be subjected to branding.
Faith is not a “product” to be marketed in the same way as automobiles, furniture or big-box discount stores.
Imposing a specific style of branding on a message that is vibrant, life-giving and motivated by love of the deepest kind does a disservice to both those who generate the message and those who receive it.
For religious communities that send out regular newsletters or magazines designed around their branding package, the recipients see the same colors and fonts in their mailboxes and, eventually, stop noticing the content, because it all looks the same.
Contrary to the hype proposed by marketing firms about establishing a recognizable identity for the community, rather than generate a greater interest among the public and prospective donors — or those discerning a religious vocation — the exact opposite occurs. A printed periodical or emailed update that might contain marvelously inspiring stories is simply consigned to the trash as another piece of junk mail, unread.
I will be the first to admit that, yes, it’s easier to have a standard template when sitting at a computer and designing the next newsletter on a tight deadline. The need to decide upon what colors and fonts to use is reduced to a limited selection or eliminated entirely.
Faith is not easy, however.
The full palette of God’s creation
Faith encompasses the whole of creation, with all its variations in size, shape and color. So, why shouldn’t those variations be used in sharing the message of God’s limitless love?
Why shouldn’t a splash of red call attention to the deep spirituality that motivates Catholic religious to live their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in innovative ways, ministering to those on the margins of society? Why can’t neon orange catch the eye with a call to step out boldly as a hospital volunteer? Can’t purple and pink be integrated into a notice about an organized protest against unjust policies?
If the point of branding is to attract attention, it has failed miserably. People notice what is bright, pops of brilliance that sparkle and, occasionally, even clash with the surroundings.
A prime example is the individual walking along the street wearing what some might term “mismatched” clothes — a polka-dot shirt with striped trousers, for instance — who garners second glances from other pedestrians (and, possibly, some snide remarks about taste). But, that person definitely gets noticed.
Religious communities and other organizations eager to share the richness of faith should seriously consider ditching their “branding” — their “blanding” — and embrace the full palate of God’s infinitely beautiful colors.
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