Communicating who we are

Communications has been top among the Diocese’s four strategic priorities. Brian Cameron, chair of the Diocesan communications advisory panel, began his report to Synod by recapping how it became priority 1. 

“Diocesan communications developed incrementally over the years without a guiding strategy or clear lines of responsibility. The Diocese has always had gifted staff who produce a variety of communications products, but these products were not integrated with each other and lacked consistent messaging and branding,” he explained. “As a result, the Diocese has not been as effective as it could be at communicating with parishes, individual Anglicans and the wider world. This weakness has been apparent for some time, but COVID-19 underlined the critical importance of improving communications.”

The Communications Advisory Panel, appointed in May 2020, developed a three-year strategic plan based on a vision of what Diocesan communications should be, focusing on target audiences and the best ways to reach them, and analyzing existing communications channels. The first priority for improving communications was a branding exercise that would explore and name the Diocese’s vision and values, and then express them in a logo and common look and feel for all communications channels. 

The Toronto advertising firm BT/A was chosen (in a Request for Proposals process) for branding the Diocese and rebuilding the website. BT/A partner Victoria Laurence unveiled the new look. explaining how the firm worked with various groups to develop a brand that would reflect the vision of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and help it connect with parishes, community ministries and people outside the Anglican church. Through that process, BT/A staff heard that the identity the Diocese wanted to communicate to target audiences, both Anglican and non-Anglican, was one of; 

• A collaborative leader, 
• Dedicated to lifelong formation, worship, and hospitality
• Effective stewards of parishes and ministries
• Open to change and engagement with the world
• Anglican: distinctly different from other Christian groups

Laurence described the concept for the new logo as “many different lines beam from and come together towards an invisible source or common purpose. The feeling is joyful and energizing.”

Thanking her, Bishop Shane said, “I believe that we can see how this celebrates us and how it will also challenge us to live up to those values and that essence and the way we wish to be understood in the world around us.”