In a rapidly changing social landscape, ENCORE Ministry Foundation (EMF) is adapting to remain relevant and effective. Because of this, EMF Board members set forth on a journey this year to reach more churches by providing quality resources, offering collaborative solutions, and empowering older adults to experience grace-filled lives.
Rebranding EMF is one powerful strategy implemented to refresh our purpose, engage new supporters, and clarify our message. This article explores some of the key considerations involved.
Assessing the Need for Rebranding
Before embarking on a rebranding journey, Board members evaluated the reasons behind the need for change. Motivations included the need to shift the foundation’s purpose and expand the target audience to reach more people and congregations. While The United Methodist Church and the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference are still a primary focus, a new and broader demographic requires a different approach to messaging.
Involving Stakeholders
Rebranding is a collaborative effort. To gather insights and perspectives, we engaged key stakeholders, staff, Board members, volunteers, and even recipients of our grants. This inclusive approach helps ensure that the new brand resonates with everyone involved.
Defining Our Brand Identity
A strong brand identity encompasses our purpose, vision, values, and personality. To define this, we intentionally considered our:
- Purpose Statement: Clarifying the ENCORE Ministry Foundation’s purpose — an intentional ministry, by, with, and for older adults — and the impact we aim to achieve.
- Core Values: Identifying the principles that guide our actions — our shared Wesleyan heritage, strategic alliances, and the commitment to be lifelong learners.
- Target Audiences: Gaining a clearer understanding of who we want to reach and how to communicate effectively.
Conducting Market Research
Research is vital to understanding our current position and the landscape in which we operate. We are in the process of surveying local congregations — and beyond — asking relevant questions around their hopes and desires, as well as the needs and assets of older adults and local church programs in order to reach more people and meet more needs. We are also looking to see what similar organizations are doing in order to identify gaps and opportunities.
Developing Visual and Verbal Brand Elements
New visual and verbal elements communicate our purpose including:
- A logo that embodies our mission. The butterfly — which holds deep meaning going beyond aesthetics — is a symbol of renewal, recovery, and optimism.
- A color palette that evokes the right emotions and represents our values.
- Typography: Selecting fonts that align with our brand personality.
- Tagline: A succinct and compelling tagline that encapsulates our purpose: An intentional ministry by, with, and for older adults.
Rebranding ENCORE Ministry Foundation is a significant undertaking which we hope will lead to revitalized engagement and impact. EMF Board members and staff could not do this work without the faithful support and generosity of so many and we are deeply grateful for that generosity. If you have any questions, or would like to talk further about these and other changes, please contact me.
Joyfully serving,
John Rivas ME MRE CFRE
Executive Director
ENCORE Ministry Foundation
615.660.3509 (cell)
jrivas@encoreministry.org