Advocate launches new logo, redesign, website

In an effort to reinvigorate the Advocate, the newspaper is introducing a more attractive, relevant and interesting logo and design for its print publication this month and will soon roll out a brand-new website with a target launch of May 1.

“We love the bold new look of our logo, which intentionally incorporates the denomination’s black-and-red color scheme as a way of signifying our allegiance to The United Methodist Church,” Advocate Editor Jessica Brodie said. “We’re excited about our fresh new look and hope it will appeal to new and younger audiences as well our existing readers.”

The website will be more interactive and easy to engage with, with a more “newsy feel” overall, Brodie added. The new print design is more streamlined and organized.

An app is also in development and should be released in June.

The efforts are part of the Advocate’s rebranding campaign, which the newspaper began last year after extensive research.

“We’re finding out that many United Methodists in South Carolina still do not know about the Advocate, even though we’ve been in existence since 1836,” said Katy Renfroe, the Advocate’s marketing coordinator.

Renfroe said the newspaper is working hard to change that, rolling out an orchestrated digital marketing campaign in tandem with additional marketing research that includes surveys, focus groups, one-on-one interviews and listening sessions in every district throughout the state.

The listening sessions began in February and will run through December in every district in South Carolina. Columbia’s session was Feb. 24 at Mount Hebron UMC, West Columbia; Rock Hill’s session was Feb. 25 at St. John’s UMC, Rock Hill; and Greenwood’s session was March 25 at St. Mark’s UMC Rivers Street Campus, Greenwood.

The April session will be April 29 at St. John’s UMC, Anderson, and the May session will be May 15 at Bethel UMC, Spartanburg (both from 6:30-8:30 p.m.). Free pizza will be served at every session, and the meeting will be a townhall-style event where people can learn about the Advocate and share ways the newspaper can improve.