Come and Grow
ECUSA has launched a marketing campaign that incorporates an appealing visual compotent. Go to Come and Grow to see the site, including the ads. The "Come and Grow" logo is available for download to church websites and blogs at the Come and Grow site.
Which brings me to think about art provided to local churches by artist parishioners. I am curious if any of you provide art work to advertise local events, campaigns, etc.
In my church we have seized upon a Postcard/Newspaper ad campaign that seems to be working effectively. I have been designing colored postcard invitations to special festival events (Pentecost Vigil, Summer Evensong, New Church Year Picnic, Baptism/Bishop's Visit, Epiphany [see postcard below], etc.) for distribution to members, recent visitors and others in the community by our priest. I prepare a black and white ad with the same basic design which runs in the local newspaper. We usually include a reception or dinner element to the festivity, and with the outstanding cooks in our church, anyone who ever visited before wants to come again.
At my church we try to coordinate special event themes, advertising, decoration and food so that a certain atmosphere is created. For instance, we dedicated our historical marker last year we decorated the nave with cedar and served traditional Southern food from the 19th century that would have been standard fare at the time our church was built. For Summer Evensong we decorated the nave with blue delphinium and served English scones for the reception. For the Pentecost Vigil the nave was full of red gladiolus (red tongues of flames) and rose petals (historically used in the Church of England to depict the presence of the Holy Spirit).
Do any of you provide advertising art for your parishes? What local marketing methods have you employed? Have they been effective?
Jan Neal
Program Director
Episcopal Church & Visual Arts
posted by ECVA | 5:25 PM
3 Comments:
Your postcard idea is very appealing. How many postcards did you have printed?
Hi, Sue
I believe we had about 150 printed, and the expense was most reasonable. It is a very do-able type of advertising for even a church with a small budget.
Sue, the exact cost escapes me at the moment, but I will check with our church treasurer and let you know. We used the postcards to notify members, recent visitors and other persons in the community of upcoming special events (e.g. Pentecost Vigil, Summer Evensong, Bishop's Visit, Christmas Eve service, etc.). We also used them to invite people to come when our seminarian came home to preach a few weeks ago and to publicize that all were invited to stay for a church luncheon.
I have also been approached often about doing fundraising cards, and I checked into the price and realized that they were very affordable. We use a local printer who is getting rather good at doing our postcards, but that sort of thing can also be done on-line.
I suppose you need to consider things like whether you want compensation for the use of your images, credit, etc. I think that is perfectly reasonable to factor into the cost, depending on the church's individual circumstances and your wishes. I always give my work to my church, but I do not think that is the only way to go.
I have had an idea for awhile to do a note card series of symbols in our church. For instance, the crosses, the linen, the holy hardware, the windows, and so on. It would be nice to have a little write up in each card about where this particular item came from, in whose memory it was given, etc. I think that they would sell and make some money for the church as well as educate members about the objects of beauty we sometimes take for granted. I have not developed this into movement, however, because in my case it will require me to do the art work and production, and time has not allowed.
Obviously I have far more ideas than I have time!
I will get back on the postcard cost we paid.
Post a Comment
<< Home