Jesus should be on the cover of Forbes. The most magnificent marketing funnel I've ever seen.
When people talk about the best marketers in the world, I always hear the same examples. Mcdonalds, Coca-Cola, or Harley-Davidson. People get tattoos of the Harley-Davidson logos regularly; I mean, that's some impressive marketing, and I agree these are some of the best branding examples in the world.
I'm not one to recreate the wheel, so I began to reverse engineer some of the world's best marketers. But the inspiration came unexpectedly.
I was sitting in the pew on Sunday morning, and the priest passed the collection basket around for the second time. I struggled to get my sales reps to ask for the sale at the end of the sales call, yet the Church was asking for the sale multiple times in that 45-minute sermon.
I knew right then the Church was the best marketing team I had ever seen. The symbolic Jesus cross has been tattooed on promoters far more than Harley-Davidson and brand recognition around the world was far greater than any Mcdonald's arch.
Imagine if you had all your customers on one Wednesday of the year draw your logo on their forehead to show support for your small business. I guarantee Forbes and every news outlet would be doing a story on your business. The Church has been hosting their Ash Wednesday for years!
Okay, I joke, but seriously, the Church checks the boxes for every marketing best practice. When the pastor says to be more like Christ, we'll I can tell you, I'm going to be listening a bit more.
Here is what I've learned from Church marketing strategies and how we will be implementing these strategies into our company.
1.) Consistency-> every Sunday like clockwork, expectations are clear for those attending their service. For some larger denominations, the topic discussed in one Church could be the same across the country.
Our goal is to create a more consistent experience for our customers. Customers shouldn't have to guess what to expect when it comes to the service they receive.
2.) Customer Lifecycle -> The Church holds baptisms for the newborns, confirmation for teenagers, marriage classes for young adults, and volunteer opportunities for the retired.
Our team will focus more on creating a customized experience. If you are a new customer, your onboarding experience should be different than how we engage a lifetime customer.
3.) Marketing Cadence -> Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter. One of the best content/marketing calendars I've ever seen. Each quarter a new "promotion."
Our content marketing calendar will be more consistent on a year to year basis. (i.e. creating repeatable process similar to how those pull the Christmas tree out of storage each year). We will also work to focus on quarterly to re-engage customers.
The engagement surrounding the Church didn't happen overnight and I'm curious how the 12 disciples jobs would have been like had there been Facebook ads back in the day.
Regardless I understand the topic of religion is a tricky one. I know the reason we celebrate Christmas is not for a marketing gimmick; the bible isn't marketing collateral. I say these things not to offend anyone's beliefs or ideas but to look how incredible the marketing is for numerous churches around the world, give them the marketing credit they deserve, and do our best to emulate them. Just as the pastor/priest, etc., says we should be more like Christ.
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I wouldn't call church and all that circus a company, a marketing stunt , and so on,... but a Mafia.
I see the point. At a glance, it makes sense. Jesus is the most powerful message I've ever seen. From a marketing and communications perspective, it's just amazing. It's even an opened sales letter: either you take it or you leave it (but he's also paying for the bill). And then you have all the buzz, PR, brand advocates, fans, etc.
If Jesus were on the cover of Forbes magazine, many people would have questions... I am a religious person and try to attend church at https://firstchurchlove.com, so it was very good. Unfortunately, I understand that religion has become very weak in people's eyes, and morality is now rarely seen anywhere. It's sad... And maybe if there were Jesus in Forbes magazine, many people would think, and maybe it would lead someone to the church. I hope everything will get better soon, and people will understand that the power is in religion.
Hey Wayne, welcome!
I write on faith, and I guess I see where you're coming from. Maybe there's a lot of direct correlation there because modern marketing is about taking people on a "buyer's journey" to a desired goal.
But, I'd say a big difference is (or at least should be) intent. When sharing the Gospel, my aim is not to sell a product or expect something from the person to give to me.
As a marketer, Jesus would have been horrible: He often turned popular crowds away because he challenged their perspectives. And in the end, He sacrificed Himself. Nowadays, CEO's do whatever they can to insulate themselves from any kind of financial harm.
Anyhow, that's my two-cents!
BTW, enjoyed your first post--thoughtful!
amazing comparison. thanks for the write up
Thank you!
Interesting comparisons; I appreciate the goals of being consistent and establishing long-term relationships with your customers. I'd be careful about including religious language in marketing content; it'll turn off some potential readers and customers, so factor that in.
Maybe I didn't understood. Church asking for sales? Is this religion or business?
More referencing asking for money in both scenarios.
This comment was deleted a year ago.
One thing is talking about Jesus, and something totally different talking about what the people that thought that new him have done. Every brand can be used for good or evil things. This also talks about empowering your audience and the power your audiences have to communicate and do what they want with your message, brand, and product.
BTW, the church you described has nothing to do with the Jesus found in the Bible or the type of churches set as examples. There is no doubt that for centuries the most known church has done things that are simply horrible.
Great points. I would agree, cant compare with mindsets by any means.
This comment was deleted 8 months ago.