As a professional marketer I understand the power of advertising, promotion, public relations and the various ways of placing product in front of the public to increase awareness and sales. Put simply, it’s all about making enough memorable, repeated exposures so when consumers consider purchasing a product in your category they’ll remember yours and make a purchase that adds to your bottom line.
This last week I read a book review in Advertising Age for Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age. Although I haven’t yet read the book the topic certainly got my attention. I’ve been thinking lately about how churches should market themselves, and although I’ve not developed any iron clad theories it seems the Bible’s idea of people sharing the good news with each other is a great way to start.
Two things in this review especially caught my attention: The first was this, The book’s author, Mara Einstein calls religion a “commodity … packaged and sold the same way as other marketed goods and services.” To me that implies there is money to be made which seems to be somewhat of a mockery. While I hope people don’t view religion or God as a commodity my fear is that many may. Second, the author states that, “If spiritual hunger isn’t driving people to the big-box style of worship, then eventually the religious consumer is “going to feel disappointed.” This is a statement I agree with.
While I believe God can use a wide variety of ways to create spiritual hunger, I question the long term effectiveness of slick campaigns or exposure events. Sure, they may produce quicker results than people sharing the good news with each other one at a time but I’m not convinced the result is as long-lasting as what might be possible otherwise. In addition, once this pattern begins what needs to happen to maintain momentum? Does the weekly battle to “top the previous week” only further erode the real value of the gospel and increase the level of commoditization?
What are your thoughts?
February 19, 2008 at 12:03 am
Well I don’t have any marketing skills or education; however I not only don’t see any need to market religion, I think it hurts it significantly. Your impression of money being involved is right on target. That IMO is the only reason or “need” to market.
As a Catholic we not only don’t market or target any age group, we seem to be unable to keep out of the negative marketing with child abuse cases. Yet we not only maintain but increase the number of believers year over year.
I expect that this will increase simply because unlike the majority of protestant church who have introduced great sound systems and new rock styled bands, and big video screens are all I would assume ways to market people into the pews.
WHile I think this is effective in the short term, I thikn it will backfire long term.
The more the church looks and conforms itself to the secular culture the less likely it will retain believers.
Just my impression.
February 20, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Isn’t it interesting that we seem to live in a world where so many people – Christians and Non-Christians alike – are longing for spiritual hunger and even more so spiritual intimacy? With all the evil going on around us some may argue that people are rejecting God, church, and the like. To me, it seems like they’re searching. Hard. I guess what is interesting to me is that this longing to know God in an intimate way and be spiritually satisfied is something with so little answers. We seem to constantly be searching, but making little progress. I guess I just want to say, why? Do you think we search too hard? Do you think we’re buried so far into what we think might be the right thing, the right sound, the right piece of media that we’ve made it too hard? (For lack of a better example) It’s like we’re searching for the sun with our heads stuck in the ground. Does that make sense?
After an experience in church just this past sunday, I’m beginning to think that we were better off with nothing in our churches. Walls and pews or chairs or ground or whatever. My true longing is to see the church return in deep authenticity. A genuine gathering of believers that only come to Glorify the Lord. I’d love to live without all the “stuff” that is set up in my church right now and see what it does to the congregation. Could be powerful. Could really suck.
February 21, 2008 at 4:34 am
I think you’re right quickbeam. The more the church conforms to the secular that harder it is to distinguish between the two. As i’ve said in previous comments. I think the church needs to stop focusing so much on getting people in the doors. Whether that be the rock style music, or big sound systems, or large video screens, or whatever else. Instead what the church needs to focus on is the love of the people in it’s community. And I mean love in every sense of the word. I think Christians need to get over the fact that they have been told their whole lives they have to go to church on sunday. Well the fact of the matter is, if you’re not treating every day like it’s holy, you’re missing the mark.
I’m not saying we need to be volunteering, or praying all the time, or never doing anything wrong, that is just unrealistic. All I’m saying is we need to remember the God we serve every day of our lives in everything we do. We need to stop trying to bring people to our building and our Sunday services, and we need to be the church to them, everywhere, especially outside the building. I can’t go on much longer. Do a google search for Missional Ecclessiology and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
February 22, 2008 at 9:11 am
I think Mark’s first paragraph does apply to today’s Church. If we can get the unchurched to visit often enough to feel comfortable in the surroundings they will come back when they are looking to “buy”.
I grew up in a church where we opened the doors twice on Sunday, once on Wednesday and a few special occasions. Our new Multi-ministry facility is constantly in use. Our church does seem to do a better job of making sure our programs are outreach oriented as opposed to internal social events.
With today’s technology people expect to be entertained and if they aren’t they lose interest quickly. Times change and we need adjust our delivery without changing the message (I realize that is easier said than done). People are different; some are drawn to the big box and some like small boutiques. I hope we never think that we are packaging a commodity.
I like the concept of creating an environment where people can meet Jesus. We tend to program for rapid fire delivery with little opportunity for the Spirit to move.
I think our bigger challenges these days are prayer and individual follow-up. We are all so busy we do not spend enough time in prayer nor do we do a good job of meeting the needs of the hurting on a personal level.
February 23, 2008 at 4:20 pm
[...] I think and write about the potential downside of church marketing as in my recent post, The Commoditization of God. Regardless of where you fall on that subject there are certain realities to consider, and one of [...]
February 24, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I don’t see marketing as spin and coercion, marketing, in the way I work, is the way in which we communicate.
My world is church marketing, that is day in and day out I am helping churches communicate with more relevance, impact and originality. I don’t just think church marketing is okay, I think it is vital that we do it with excellence and integrity.
Every church is marketing, the only question is are they doing it with mediocrity or excellence?
February 25, 2008 at 1:18 pm
[...] in what others are thinking/saying coming out the the Ad Age review. A blog of interest is Streams, which has some interesting conversation [...]
February 26, 2008 at 3:38 am
Michael,
I’ll defer to you on your marketing skills. I guess for me the message and how the individual is drawn to Christianity is STRICKLY by the Spirit. The Christian is the instrument with which God uses to draw in new believers. The trapings/tools used as far as I can tell are very short lived and may impead the individual long term. But I don’t have any data to back that up, just my gut.
As a Catholic the best “marketing tools” are the corporal & spiritual works of mercy:
To feed the hungry
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living.
Its that simple and that hard. The church that does this the best will draw them in where the nets break.
Sadly no church is ever effect in this day and age at it.