Does Your Church Have A Religious Following?
Some time ago, I read an article in Advertising Age magazine (thanks to Google Reader), entitled “How to Have a Religious Following.” I found it interesting to read about how brands can emulate religious followings. But then I wondered what it would be like for religion itself to follow its own rules on having a religious following. What if the church mimicked engaging brands — that are themselves mimicking religion — in order to cultivate a larger following? Confusing? Welcome to my mind.
The article states the same part of the brain is activated by brand iconography and faith-related triggers. The author claims nine components are the same between religion and engaging brands. Here are those nine things with an outlook from the church:
The first is a clear vision. Does the church have a clear vision? The vision, in my mind, should not only be clear, but compelling. It should drive up our heart rate and excite us. The vision should be captivating to the masses not just to the erudite scholars.
The second is a sense of belonging. If the church has a community that does the talking for us, we can greatly reduce our marketing budget. The adage “nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd” fits here. When people are talking about what is going on, others listen.
The third is an enemy. Enemies shape brands. Given that, the church should not be afraid to talk about hell and Satan. If we want people to be on the good side they first have to know about the bad side.
The fourth is sensory appeal. Take out a sense and ask if it is clear where you are, e.g. if people could not see when they walked in to your church, would they still know where they are?
The fifth is storytelling. This component, now a trademark of postmodernism, is the basis of all of our holy texts. There is a story to tell — we call it the Gospel. Are we telling it?
The sixth is grandeur. Thinking big begets big results which begets big attention. The church should want hell to be less crowded; our churches, therefore, should be more crowded.
The seventh is evangelism. Word-of-mouth is powerful, trusted and cheap. Look at videos that go viral on YouTube. Notice how ideas can quickly trend on Twitter. When someone we trust tells us something, we are likely to believe it — or at least consider it.
The eighth is symbols. Most brands rely on their logo to ensure the connection; it is hard to find an Apple logo on an iPod, but we all know what it is. The church should have simple, clear branding.
The ninth is rituals. Rituals build brands. Unfortunately, many associate rituals with traditions. Humans are ritualistic in nature — the church should not be afraid to embrace that.
Does your church have a religious following?
Comments