As a former franchisor I learned a lot about branding, most of it the hard way through trial and error.
In many regards the Catholic Church is much like a franchise.
They have a home office or headquarters with churches and congregations around the world.
You could call each one of these a franchise, and they have one of the longest running brands on the globe.
Now then, occasionally a franchisor needs to upgrade their brand as things change, and in doing so they are able to serve more customers.
Okay so, let's talk about this for second shall we? Not long ago, I was talking to a good Catholic at the local Starbucks.
She was going to design school in Los Angeles, after graduating from the Catholic high school.
She wanted to be a designer, and we happened to be talking on a Sunday, and she had just come from St.
Mary's church in our town.
I told her if she wanted to be a great designer, she might wish to redesign the Pope's wardrobe because much of that old stuff just doesn't seem to be up with the times.
Nostalgic yes, but obviously not ready for the Internet age.
Further, if she wanted to design transportation items such as aircraft, cars, trucks, and buses she might also want to consider redesigning the Pope mobile.
Don't get me wrong, it's a nice idea, and serves its purpose, as it is bulletproof, and able to keep the Holy Pope safe.
That's all good right? Yes, but how about something more modern, perhaps made at of carbon composite, or carbon nanotube? How about if it was shape shifting or morphable? You see, Vatican is known for its brilliant architecture, and awesome artwork of the day, but alas, that day has long expired, and we are in a new era, one that needs to come into its fruition.
It's time to get up with the times, to rebrand this long-standing church which has survived for millenniums.
Indeed, as I explained this to the young lady, I wondered if she would take the bait, but at least I did get her mind thinking, and she did agree that the current wardrobe of the Catholic Church in their gigantic ceremonies with hundreds of thousands of people in the crowds did remind her of something out of a Hollywood B-movie set.
It's time to redesign all that attire, and that wonderful Pope Mobile.
If you are a designer, and you are Catholic, I certainly hope you will consider all this.
If you'd like any ideas, drawings, or to discuss this further, please shoot me an e-mail.
Whereas, I am not Catholic, I do know a thing or two about branding, design, and what it takes to run a successful franchise in the future.