Company Logos

[Didacus]

Hey pham,

Well, as an option of near-future employment I might be going into business for myself under contract work. i will be incorperating myself, such that I will be starting my own company.


I've started thinking about a company logo. At first thought I am considering a 'Crow holding a Rosary' in a gothic like style (my company vehicle would be a motorcycle - no joke). But now I am left with this uncertain dilema;


How appropriate, if at all, is it to have Catholic content in a company logo?

What if it was made in a way that the Catholic content would not be readily evident, such that it would come to light only if pointed out? (if it was abstract in nature)




I would like to have some kind of Catholic significance in my compny logo, but if I do, would this be like trying to profit from the church?

In that same line, sooner or later I would require a company statement itterating the companie's policies and ethics. I would want to have some kind of reference indicating that the company would respect Catholic principals. How appropriate would such a statement be and what guidelines should be used as to not 'cross the line'?

The company would be an engineering firm.


What about this simple question then;
If I open an office downtown, it is within the engineering ethics of Ontario (my province) to have my engineering license readily visible on a wall. How about if on the wall, near it, I would hang a Vatidcan flag?


Wether or not any of this comes to pass remains to be seen, but it is for me anyways, a perplexing questioin at this time. Any constructive comments and/or guidance would be appreciated.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Didacus' post='1012584' date='Jun 26 2006, 02:36 PM']
Hey pham,

Well, as an option of near-future employment I might be going into business for myself under contract work. i will be incorperating myself, such that I will be starting my own company.
I've started thinking about a company logo. At first thought I am considering a 'Crow holding a Rosary' in a gothic like style (my company vehicle would be a motorcycle - no joke). But now I am left with this uncertain dilema;
How appropriate, if at all, is it to have Catholic content in a company logo?

What if it was made in a way that the Catholic content would not be readily evident, such that it would come to light only if pointed out? (if it was abstract in nature)
I would like to have some kind of Catholic significance in my compny logo, but if I do, would this be like trying to profit from the church?

In that same line, sooner or later I would require a company statement itterating the companie's policies and ethics. I would want to have some kind of reference indicating that the company would respect Catholic principals. How appropriate would such a statement be and what guidelines should be used as to not 'cross the line'?

The company would be an engineering firm.
What about this simple question then;
If I open an office downtown, it is within the engineering ethics of Ontario (my province) to have my engineering license readily visible on a wall. How about if on the wall, near it, I would hang a Vatidcan flag?
Wether or not any of this comes to pass remains to be seen, but it is for me anyways, a perplexing questioin at this time. Any constructive comments and/or guidance would be appreciated.
[/quote]
IMHO, there is nothing wrong whatsoever with using Catholic symbols or imagery in a company logo, so long as they are used respectfully. In fact, I think that this would be a good way of giving witness in the world.

Out here, there's a construction company founded and run by some devout Catholics I know called Petrine Construction, whose logo is a key (the Key of St. Peter, though the slogan says "The Key is Quality.") Catholics will get the reference - the Rock on which Christ built His Church - though non-Catholics may not.

I think "profiting from the Church" is a non-issue here, so long as the business is ethical; it's not like you're selling indulgences or anything. People would be buying your engineering services, not paying for perceived spiritual benefits. If the Catholic imagery attracts Catholics to the business, that is fine and good. No problem from a Catholic angle. (Only if the business used Catholic imagery to rip Catholics off or something, would this be a moral problem.)

Nothing wrong with having business policy conform with Catholic standards either, or with hanging a Vatican flag. Not knowing about the laws in Canada regarding such things, I can't offer advice on whether this would create legal problems (I hear all sorts of horror stories from Canada now), but certainly nothing wrong from a Catholic moral perspective; indeed such a policy would be commendable!

Good luck!

[Didacus]

Thanks Soc,

Ya I kinda figured that if I handle my business in a moral (and ethical) fashioin, have a good reputation (which I do in the region) and all that good stuff, it would not only reflect on my business but also on the church (and yes, in Canada it needs all the positive attention it can get). Sorta giving witness like you said.

If the idea was to rip-off, then the theft would be the immoral issue.

I don't htink there is any law prohibiting this in Canada, and I suppose that unless the church complains I would have no problem. (and if I run my business ethically, morally and in accordance to the Church's doctrine, they should have no reason to complain)

[Sojourner]

Bear in mind that I am a cynical respondant, and this is just me, but my gut reaction whenever I see a business using some sort of symbol of faith in a logo or advertisement is negative. In my opinion, unless your business is directly faith-related (i.e., a Catholic bookstore) having church-related symbols flirts with using faith for personal profit. That may not be your intent, but tying your faith to a for-profit venture just rubs me wrong. It's like people who go to church to network ... something just doesn't sit right with me about that.

The fact that you want to incorporate your Catholicism into the work you do is laudable -- all of us should strive to have a faith that impacts how we work. I'm not saying you should hide your faith. But I would be cautious about how you incorporate the symbols of it into your business presence.

My $.02, which may be worth only $.01.

[Jaime]

For me it harkens back to the time of early Christianity. Christian symbolism was necessary to keep folks safe from getting killed.

Just as I try to make purchases from companies that I know aren't exploiting workers and using fair trade practices, I will give more business to companies that I know are practicing Christian principles. I've bought a new windshield from a company that had a Christian fish symbol incorporated in their ad.

Since branding is supposed to be part of my expertise, I'd throw out this warning. I think in today's society, if your branding includes something as recognizable as a rosary, its probably going to hurt your business more than help.

[Didacus]

hot stuff,

Hurting the business is a concern of mine but on that;

If my customers cannot respect what the company stands for, or is based upon (Catholic doctrine), then I would rather not have their business.

There are two parts of a healthy engineering practice; making good work being the first, having good customers is the second.


I am not worried about getting enough volume of work in any case.



Sojourner,

Yes, I agree. Though I cant coin why, it does seem to be dubious. That is why I would incorperate a symbol that would be cryptic or abstract in nature so that it would not be readily evident. The Catholic content would be obvious only if pointed out.

Of course, making money off Catholicism is not my intent (as hot stuff pointed out, it could actually do the opposite), but the reality is that some do just that and to legitimize such a logo I would need to find a way to distance myself from this kind of thing. Any suggestions as to how to go about doing that?

[Jaime]

Well the free t shirts should help offset that

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Didacus' post='1013039' date='Jun 27 2006, 09:57 AM']
Sojourner,

Yes, I agree. Though I cant coin why, it does seem to be dubious. That is why I would incorperate a symbol that would be cryptic or abstract in nature so that it would not be readily evident. The Catholic content would be obvious only if pointed out.

Of course, making money off Catholicism is not my intent (as hot stuff pointed out, it could actually do the opposite), but the reality is that some do just that and to legitimize such a logo I would need to find a way to distance myself from this kind of thing. Any suggestions as to how to go about doing that?
[/quote]
It's difficult to distance yourself from that kind of thing, at least initially, and I suppose the best way to do that is by being consistently conscientious in the way you conduct business. Eventually, the meaning of your logo will be defined by your reputation as a Catholic in business ... but that takes time to build.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think the way you conduct business is more important in the long run than the symbology in the logo you choose. Much of my cynicism in this area is due to less-than-positive experiences with people who advertise their Christianity then cheapen that symbol by doing sub-par work. It frankly makes me leery of anyone whose logo or advertising contains a blatant reference to faith ... to me, that says "Choose me because of what I believe, not because of the quality of my work."

But, I love it when I find someone whose work I can respect who is also a faithful Christian, and I'm more than happy to patronize their businesses. But typically, I choose them not because of their faith, but because of their reputation, and then am pleasantly surprised by the underlying principles on which the business is built.

I know I'm not directly answering your question ... I suppose if it were me, I'd avoid the religious symbology in the logo or advertising, but have the Vatican flag in the office. Or something like that.

[homeschoolmom]

cynic

[Sojourner]

idealist

[homeschoolmom]

I'm a realistic idealist, thanks.

[Sojourner]

oh, my bad


*clears throat*


realistic idealist

[Didacus]

Well then Soj, how would you recommend including one's Catholicism into one's work? How can one define his/her company by being Catholic in its foundation without aleniating the very public it is trying to reach?

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Didacus' post='1013077' date='Jun 27 2006, 11:26 AM']
Well then Soj, how would you recommend including one's Catholicism into one's work? How can one define his/her company by being Catholic in its foundation without aleniating the very public it is trying to reach?
[/quote]
That's a question I've been ruminating on for myself for a very long time. How do you integrate your faith and your work? What does it look like to be both a person of faith and a professional in a secular setting?

I hope you don't mind if I ramble a bit because I'm good at that ... In [url="http://www3.villanova.edu/mission/journal/conferences/LaboremExercens/le.htm"]Laborem Exercens,[/url] Pope John Paul II talks about work being a "fundamental dimension of man's existence on earth" and ties a theology of work back to Genesis.
[quote]Man is the image of God partly through the mandate received from his Creator to subdue, to dominate, the earth. In carrying out this mandate, man, every human being, reflects the very action of the Creator of the universe.[/quote]
then later ...
[quote]The Christian finds in human work a small part of the Cross of Christ and accepts it in the same spirit of redemption in which Christ accepted his Cross for us. In work, thanks to the light that penetrates us from the Resurrection of Christ, we always find a glimmer of new life, of the new good, as if it were an announcement of "the new heavens and the new earth" in which man and the world participate precisely through the toil that goes with work. Through toil-and never without it. [/quote]

There are times when I go to work and it's drudgery, and other times when I go to work and it becomes a form of worship. With a couple of stories I've written, one in particular, that sense of worship has been especially powerful ... a sense of the holy pervading what I do. That's one way I incorporate my Catholicism with the everdayness of my job -- in seeing it differently, and experiencing it differently than I otherwise would.

All that is, in a sense, internal -- but the internal change I see from a this different perspective is bound manifest itself externally. Maybe it comes out in the stories I choose to write (for you, perhaps in the projects you choose to do). Or it comes out in my consistent attention to doing the best job I can do, in being accurate, in telling a story fairly. It comes out in the ways I deal with unhappy readers, in the ways I treat sources and professional acquaintances.

The external trappings of faith aren't what make me a Catholic. It's the internal change, the transformation wrought by God's grace in my heart that expresses itself in innumerable ways. It changes who I am on a fundamental level. Theoretically, then, it shouldn't matter what job I'm doing -- I should always find spiritual meaning in the work I do.

In actuality, I really struggle to find holiness in the more mundane details of my job. For example, I took a second job for a few months earlier this year, and struggled every night with doing a good job, failing more often than not. Sometimes I need a reminder of why it is I'm doing what I'm doing. I suppose that's why I'm more comfortable with symbols of faith inside my office, for me -- they are a reminder to me of the spiritual elements of work. For me, the symbols of faith I have on display are a little less obvious than others might have ... I have a couple of poems that I love, that remind me of holiness, and I have a quote by St. Joan of Arc. They've been in my cubicle for quite some time. I don't read them every day, and really to anyone looking they'd probably be lost in the general chaos of my desk. But these things are, to me, a reminder of the spiritual component of what I'm doing. For others, that's a crucifix. Or a Vatican flag.

Those things are reminders to me, though, not necessarily testimonies of my faith to others. My work itself is, I think, that testimony, and in my view it speaks of my faith loudly enough on its own.

[Didacus]

Well said Soj, and I share many views which you have. A person of faith will always look to externalize this faith.

I would much rather be a faithful street sweeper than King of France but unfaithful to the church.

"I have a quote by St. Joan of Arc."
Share the quote?