Ballywatt Rebrand
Ballywatt Presbyterian Church has a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the community by strategically rebranding itself. By revitalizing its identity and mission, the church can effectively communicate its values and messages both online and offline, attracting new members. The potential benefits of this approach are substantial, as it can bring in fresh energy and innovative ideas from the youth. Through their combined efforts, Ballywatt can establish a lasting legacy of service and commitment to the community.
Past, Present and Future Logos
As a non-profit charity, your church's logo visually represents the values and mission you uphold. A logo change can be crucial in keeping your church relevant and attracting new audiences while repositioning your church in the market. A well-designed logo can effectively convey your message and leave a lasting impact on people's minds, which is particularly important for a church striving to influence the community positively. Consider what elements of your church's mission and values you want to communicate through your logo. By investing in a logo change, Ballywatt can demonstrate its commitment to growth and progress while strengthening its brand and impact on the community.
The image on the left is the first logo that Ballywatt uses digitally. The logo in the middle is the current logo, roughly ten-plus years old. On the right is the future logo, which has two variations, one with the words “Ballywatt Presbyterian Church” and the other variant with the word “Ballywatt.” The future logo takes inspiration from past and present logos regarding the use of font and colour.
The new logo incorporates two distinctive fonts, each representing different time periods and illustrating the Church's journey from the past to the present and its aspirations for the future. The primary font, Cairo, has been selected due to its clear and accessible design, making it highly legible for a wide range of audiences. This choice reflects the Church's commitment to clarity and accessibility in its communications. The secondary font, Huf, is a stylish scripted typeface that adds an elegant touch while ensuring that the text remains easy to read. Together, these fonts create a harmonious visual identity that encapsulates the Church's heritage and its forward-looking vision.
Alternative design
We are excited to propose a new logo design for our rebranding efforts. This updated logo will feature the word “Ballywatt,” presenting a clean and straightforward look. It can be used for events hosted by Ballywatt at the Ballywatt Presbyterian Grounds and for events organized by other groups in Ballywatt.
This new logo is just one of many improvements we envision for our Sunday Morning Service. We also plan to integrate a three-camera setup and create brief vertical videos for announcements. These changes are aimed at enhancing our congregation's overall experience and engagement, and we believe they will inspire a renewed sense of community and faith.
Logo colour
Ballywatt’s new logo features red, chalice silver, black, and white, each chosen to represent the church's identity and mission.
- **Red** signifies passion and energy.
- **Chalice silver** symbolizes purity and spirituality.
- **Black** represents strength and stability.
- **White** stands for peace and unity.
The logo includes 10% red and 90% chalice silver variants, an all-black option, and a white version, reflecting the church’s core values. Light the church's commitment to its values and mission.
Colour
Colour plays an important role in a church, influencing symbolism, tradition, cultural significance, and the overall atmosphere. Certain colours are linked to specific religious holidays, such as red for Pentecost and green for Ordinary Time. They can create an atmosphere of reverence, warmth, or joy, enhancing visitors' spiritual experience.
Colour also guides worshipers' attention to essential features, such as the altar or stained glass windows, and helps distinguish different areas of the church. Specific colours may carry symbolic meanings: purple represents repentance, white symbolizes purity, and red signifies Jesus's sacrifice.
Different shades can evoke various feelings—light shades of purple may signify hope, while darker shades represent reflection. Using contrasting colours can create visual interest and depth, distinguishing elements like the altar from the surrounding walls.
It’s essential to recognize that the meaning of colour varies among religious traditions and cultures. Consulting religious leaders or authoritative texts can provide insight into these meanings. Thoughtful use of colour can deepen a church's cultural and spiritual impact, fostering a meaningful environment for worship and reflection.
Font
Like all good pieces of content created for print or digital formats, this also comes with choosing an appropriate front. To use for different posts online or physical, i.e. flyers, as you want to use the same font to promote the various events happening throughout the Church year, i.e. Holiday Bible Club.
Size
If the font is more prominent, it would be ideal for use in headers or titles to catch the person reading attention. Whereas smaller fonts are aimed at making sure they are read carefully to gather the information that is required for the event
Social Media
Ballywatt's use of social media is shocking. They only focus on two of the three platforms on which they have accounts, Facebook and WhatsApp, to inform people about upcoming events. They have access to another social media platform, YouTube, mainly used to livestream the Church service each Sunday.
Social media is like music taste; we have our taste in music. We start with one genre, i.e. Facebook, then move to another genre, X (formerly Twitter), before settling on one specific platform we like, e.g. Instagram. Some people may agree with a particular forum, such as Facebook, whereas others may use many different platforms instead of settling on one.
Organisations
Although some organisations use social media to let people know what the organisation is up to, unfortunately, some organisation information is not posted on the main Church’s social media accounts. So, how are people interested in joining that particular group? When people meant to know when that specific group is on.
Scheduling posts
Analytics are crucial in scheduled posts so more people can see your online posts, regardless of the information you publish online. Scheduling posts online allows for posts to be scheduled a week in advance instead of that particular post instead of you posting it at a specific time or if you still need to post the information on social media. The post has been set to be published at a time you have chosen, i.e. 1:15 pm. Across all the different social media platforms. Instead of a post on one account at 1.15 pm, another at 1.20 pm, etc. For all the social media posts to be published at the same time.
Platforms
Social media platforms such as Facebook. Apart from WhatsApp, Facebook is the only social media platform that Ballywatt uses to inform people about what is happening in the Church, except during summer.
The primary use of WhatsApp in the Church is group messaging or privately messaging individuals. The plan is to introduce WhatsApp communities. A recent feature was made available in the United Kingdom in November 2022. This allows for one primary group and a decent amount of subgroups under one umbrella for the different organisations that use WhatsApp to communicate with each member of the group
YouTube
Ballywatt’s use of YouTube is shocking. YouTube is mainly used for live streaming the Sunday Morning Service except for short-form vertical videos used to promote or highlight the Holiday Bible Club. In reality, YouTube can help promote or highlight different events organisations run.
Another way YouTube can benefit Ballywatt is by taking a question that someone might have and giving a clear and precise answer, like a short sermon lasting a maximum of five minutes. That can be posted during the middle of the week, recorded on a mobile phone, and published straight to YouTube. The best example is InstaChurch by Alan Richardson, an actor known for playing Reacher.
Description
The description area can help explain and give information on what the YouTube video or live stream is about. So people can, and the algorithm knows what that particular video is about. The current description for all the videos is in the following words: Social, Facebook link and website link. Instead of expanding on what the video is about. For example, join us in service on Sunday, 14 January 2024. Readings from 1st Peter chapter 1 verses 1-7
Thumbnail
A thumbnail helps people know what that particular video is about. Thumbnails can help with an increase in viewership. As thumbnails can help the viewer understand what that specific video is about.
We live in a day and age where religious organisations and social media accounts use the likes of Instagram to get their gospel message across. An example would be Ballers in God https://www.instagram.com/ballersingod/?hl=en, which uses images and short-form content of well-known Christian footballers and stadiums to get the news about God to people viewing the page or following the account.
The plan for Instagram would be to post images/videos, stories, and short-form content to let people know what Ballywatt gets up to, especially since Instagram is tied with WhatsApp, which has a total of two billion active users as of October 2023. Instagram would be best suited for helping to promote what is happening in the Church. Not everyone may use Facebook to get information about upcoming events in the Church.
Website
Websites are essential for communicating information, and churches are no exception. They help to keep the congregation informed about upcoming events, services and other important news. Currently, the church website is built on WordPress, which unfortunately lacks certain features available on different platforms. For instance, embedding ticketing services on the site can be challenging, making it difficult for website visitors to purchase tickets directly from the church website. Additionally, the website design was updated over a decade ago, which can discourage users from seeking current information.
Redesigning the website using a different platform is recommended to address these challenges and enhance the church's online presence. Squarespace is an excellent option that offers modern and user-friendly website templates. Moreover, it's easier to design and customise the website on Squarespace, allowing for more frequent updates and improved event management. For example, events like the Holiday Bible Club can be easily integrated with Eventbrite, making it more straightforward for visitors to purchase tickets without leaving the website.
Events
Throughout the 365/6 days of the year, Ballywatt hosts various events for children, adults, and even families. For people in the Church, local community and far away. Some people use one of the following methods: talking in person, making a phone call, or sending an SMS. The information person hosting may be required to gather the information they will need for the event, which is hosted in Ballywatt grounds or another location.
Event Management Platforms
Event management platforms have become increasingly popular among event organisers as they provide valuable insights into the analytical status of the events hosted. Ballywatt, for instance, has been using Eventbrite since 2021 for its Ballywatt HBC (Holiday Bible Club) after the pandemic. Using Eventbrite, the team can understand the total number of attendees for specific events and plan accordingly, from the amount of food, drink, and supplies needed to the themes for each event.
Eventbrite is a versatile platform accessed on various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, desktops, or laptops. Users can view the page and quickly locate the event's location as text or displayed on a hidden map. Additionally, Eventbrite offers valuable insights into the year's current trends, allowing organisers to plan the events accordingly. For example, if the trend is a nature-based theme, Ballywatt can plan its events accordingly.
Showcasing Events
Nowadays, various methods are used to display events before, during, or after they take place. These techniques are usually employed to generate excitement amongst people who want to attend the event. Presenting live footage or updates during the event can offer attendees a fresh perspective and provide those who couldn't make it with an opportunity to witness the event. Additionally, after the event, people often use these methods to reminisce about the experience and relive the memories of the event they attended.
Sunday Morning Service
With the service available on YouTube, a wide range of changes can be implemented regarding the Sunday Morning Service.
Edit the video description beforehand with the announcements, songs, children's talk, Bible passages, and sermons. After the service, edit a timestamp for each part of the service so that people can go to a specific selection, for example, a timestamp for when the minister gives the sermon.
The ultimate plan for the live stream of the services would be to integrate a three-camera set-up. Camera one is central, two are pulpits, and three are for the congregation, using a PiP (Picture in Picture). So that when the songs appear on screen, people watching live or on catch-up can see the congregation while reading the lyrics to the songs.