Winning Wallets of Christian Consumers

Christian buying power can change business for the better. Integrity, excellent products and wholesome advertising beget loyalty from a demographic that spends $1.5 trillion annually. For shortsighted companies that dismiss the Christian market, there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.



Nationally, 231 million Americans (77 percent) describe themselves as Christians, of which 140 million (44 percent) are weekly churchgoers.



"That's about one-third more than the most watched Super Bowl game in history, the New York Giants vs. The New England Patriots, which had 95 million viewers," said Greg Stielstra.



He and Bob Hutchins co-authored a new book, "Faith-Based Marketing: The Guide To Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers" (Wiley and Sons Publishers 2009). The book's stated goal "is to bridge the gap between Christians and the business community that may not exactly be at odds with each other, but clearly don't understand each other."



Hutchins led the online campaigns for Mel Gibson's "The Passion Of The Christ" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."

Stielstra was the marketing director at Thomas Nelson for "The Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren, the bestselling hardcover book in American history.



Yet Christians remain a largely overlooked (if not downright dismissed) demographic in mainstream advertising. The authors make their marketing case based on 30 years of combined experience, independent surveys and extensive market research.



Superficially, one might suspect that "Faith Based Marketing" is a sales guide to exploit or commercialize Christianity. But the primer on promotion holds a number of surprises.



First, the commercial power of Christian customers is an eye-opener. For example, "The Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren sold 30 million copies in its first three years driven by a church-based campaign. It sold faster than any Harry Potter book in the U.S.



Likewise, when Mel Gibson couldn't get any Hollywood studio to promote "The Passion of The Christ," he invited pastors nationally to private screenings. In turn, congregations were enthusiastically encouraged to see the movie, which grossed $551 million in its first nine weeks.



Secondly, the book offers marketing strategies by first debunking Christian stereotypes -- prudish, inflexible, uneducated and out of step with the times. Judge not lest ye lose big business. And it's not about selling religious products. Christian consumers have the same needs as everyone else -- food, clothing, education, fun and travel.



But the big difference is how they respond to advertising. Biblical scriptures discourage lust, adultery, greed, vulgar language and envy. So people of faith are repelled by ads using materialistic and sex-driven images. Christians want their beliefs respected as well as receiving excellent goods and services. Simply adding a cross to the packaging will not cause sales to skyrocket.



"Faith Based Marketing" turns the tables on businesses greedy to be part of the $1.5 trillion annually spent by people of faith. It's not about slick campaigns into Christian territory. It's a command for interested companies to clean house. And making money is the carrot to corporate donkeys to take the higher road in offering worthy products, integrity, service and wholesome advertising. 

Nowadays, technology has changed the advertising landscape. In the beginning, there was only one voice, the brand. And its monologue was about what customers wanted. Then mass media created a dialogue between the brand and buyers about product needs.



"Thanks to the Internet we now have a 'trialogue.' The audience can speak to brands. Brands can speak to the audience and the audience can speak to each other," said Stielstra.



This three-way exchange has created an "Age of Affinity" where consumers of like interests band together helping each other to find the best products and services. Christians now number 2.3 billion (one out of every three) people worldwide.



"We're the largest affinity group in this country and in the world, those who call Jesus Christ our savior," he said.



Affinity power was in evidence in November 2007 when Lowe's, the home improvement chain, advertised holiday "family trees." The backlash of 100,000 e-mails from Christians expressing outrage forced an apology and a return to the original label of Christmas trees.



"This can be an effective way to change behavior, but a boycott is always reactive and negative," Stielstra said.



Instead he advised Christian consumers to embrace faith-based marketing to their own benefit. Forge relationships with businesses. Teach them who you are and what matters to you. Then pledge your business and support when they honor and respect you. 

"Businesses want to please their customers. They will advertise where they think their customers are and on the types of programs they think Christians are watching, which in turn, will fund content Christians prefer and deprive the programs they avoid," Stielstra said.



In tapping into the huge Christian market, one strategy lies at the heart of faith-based marketing: Serve, don't sell.


http://www.patriotledger.com/business/x931198244/SPIRITUAL-LIFE-Winning-wallets-of-Christian-consumers

Contact Suzette Standring: [e-mail] She is syndicated with GateHouse News Service and is the award winning author of The Art of Column Writing: Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill and Other Great Columnists. Visit www.readsuzette.com

Comments

[FalconerHK]

As a marketing/product development entrepreneur living here in Texas, the Great Hate State, I'm regularly stunned by the superficial, childish buying trends I witness amongst the so-called faithful. The idiocy ranges from "Jesus Would Buy American" bumper stickers made in China to entire housing subdivisions (in ghost white exurbia, natch) where the streets and even the names of the model houses are all from the bible. Well, who wouldn't want to live on Golgotha Street? Sign me up, but make sure the street address has the right number of sixes.

From "worship music" (see the Southpark episode, I can't describe it any better) to ripoff plumbers and other parasites sucking the sheeple in with a Jesus Fish (again, made in China) and a bible passage, I've never seen W. C. Fields' adage regarding the morality of allowing suckers to keep their money proven true over and over and over again with such regularity.

This comment was typed using structured electrons blessed by A Preacher of Note and entered on a keyboard sprinkled with holy water. Now send me money.

[Zanti]

Such expressions of bigotry aren't becoming on/from the left, but they are kind of entertaining in their sheer, primitive hostility. For many, it's necessary to have a Stephin Fetchit stereotype to feel better than. I thank God every day that I'm infinitely more sophisticated and enlightened than my critics.

Liberal faithful like myself have our faith sorely tested every day, it seems. Faith in some of our fellow Dems, that is to say.

[FalconerHK]

Seems as if you're predisposed to personal offense when none was directed or intended. My point was simply this: shady marketers and hucksters "Jesus-wrap" products and shill them to christian consumers who don't bother to look past the hype and see the actual cost or possible complications.

Why would anyone trust someone because they display their piety with a sticker or slogan? I've seen first-hand how many of these charlatans operate and I think it's especially despicable when you're using people's faith to swindle them, although that argument could also be made for the Bob Tiltons of the world. It's like that guy who's always telling people how honest he is while digging in their wallets.

I'm glad your own liberal faith affords you the lofty ability to deem anyone who disagrees with your worldview as hostile, unsophisticated, unenlightened bigots. For the record, my comment had nothing to do with you, so don't make it about you. If some random stranger making a snarky comment about the buying habits of christian consumers in Texas is enough to test your faith, you might want to consider the fragility of your commitment to your faith in the first place. Just sayin'. Have a super day.

[Don McNay - Huffpost Blogger]

Suzette,

I'm happy to see you in my neck of the woods (the business page). Here in Kentucky, Christian affinity group marketing is a big business. One of the most successful I have seen is the radio/television financial counselor Dave Ramsey. It seems like every church I drive past has a sign promoting his Financial Peace University. I went to see him in a mega church and his has honed his pitch to that market.

Have fun at the National Society of Newspaper Columnists convention.

[Zanti]

Are you seriously suggesting that all of the 231 million Americans who i.d. themselves as Christians relate to such shallow and moronic pop culture as "The Purpose-Driven Life"? How many times does it have to be pointed out that conservative Christians are just one part of the whole?

And we're supposed to believe that advertisers are ignoring all but 23 percent of the public? That's not very probable, unless the advertising industry is run by utter incompetents lacking in people savvy.

[Suzette Standring]

Zanti, The Purpose Driven Life, if you read it, is not moronic pop culture pulp, and its sales exceeded any Harry Potter Book for the same sales time frame, driven by a demographic that found value in it. The advertising industry does lack "people savvy" regarding the Christian market because so many of its advertisements go against and disrespect their values by saturating the airwaves with sex and materialistic driven images.

[winchestereast]

christian based marketing - jesus wants you to buy stuff - christian leadership in government (ensign et all come to mind) say clean up your ad campaigns, no more 'just say no' , unless you're selling condoms with scripture verses for the wayward politician and his flock - man, this gal makes me want to gag -

[Choicelady]

One of the largest and growing groups of faith consumers are totally progressive, looking to buy Green, fair traded, humanely made, non-war and non-exploitative goods. Any business that ignores all of that thinking if they don't sell tobacco, liquor, etc. We support businesses with family-friendly policies, too, but they have to include same-sex families as well as opposite-sex couples. We insist on policies that are racially equitable, are oriented to economic justice, and that treat immigrants fairly. So yes - Christians DO exert boycott/buycott influence, but it is not all the same nationwide.

[Suzette Standring]

Thank you, Choicelady. This builds on my point exactly.

[KillTheMessenger]

You know, my company cares nothing about who you are or what you believe in. All we care about is that your accounts are in good standing. I guess that's why we are so successful... we keep business strictly about business.

[Suzette Standring]

Ah, but part of business being strictly business is figuring out who your consumers are, right? The whole point of my piece.

[Ben6768]

This is a good post.

I wish Christians looked closely to the words of the New Testament, and decided the obvious : that the Dems and the GOP are slaves of Big Money interests, and thus promoted the creation of new political parties.

I wish Christian voters would consider th efact that with each purchase they can either promote Made In USA, or give more money to China, an officially atheist country.

[Suzette Standring]

Gee, Ben, what New Testament scriptures talk about the GOP and political parties? Haven't seen them, nor are there any biblical references to not buying from "officially atheist countries." The Bible does say that "The love of money is the root of all evil." And to make money, we all know instances where corporations have sold out and rampantly deceived consumers. The point of my article is that Christians as an affinity group respond to companies of integrity and quality and that advertisers should clean house because this demographic wields enormous purchasing power.

[TJCole]

"There was only one real Christian, and he died on the cross..!"

Nietzsche....

[KillTheMessenger]

If Nietzsche really said that he was seriously deranged by the time. Jesus was a Jew and would not have said otherwise.

[Suzette Standring]

Nietzche was peachy, but he didn't come back to life.