Nike shoes? No. But Nike has done a marvelous job of creating demand. They have inspired people to “Just Do It” with the not-so-subtle message that you can do it better if you are wearing Nike shoes. Nike has invested much of their marketing activity in the creation of demand, getting people to desire their shoes.
Creating demand is expensive. When you are creating demand, you are often creating a new category, defining a new service, offering a new concept. That requires significant research to understand your customers and significant investment in educating them on why your solution answers the need they didn’t even know they had.
The good news for those of us seeking to use marketing strategies to build God’s kingdom is that we do not have to create demand. People inherently seek God. How do we know this? First of all, as Christians we know that we were made in God’s likeness, and God is love. God has placed the desire for love within each of us. Moreover, we see people throughout the world seeking love, seeking purpose. The psychologist Abraham Maslow was one of the early psychologists to identify this foundational need. He famously outlined a hierarchy of needs, which prioritizes human requirements in a pyramid model. In this model, love and belonging are listed among those needs that must be satisfied to achieve self-actualization. More recently, social researcher Hugh Mackay, in his book What Makes Us Tick, posits that two of the top ten desires of humans include “something to believe in” and “love.” People seek love by nature, and this means they are seeking God, even though they may not call him out by name.
The point is that people deeply desire God, even if they think they don’t. In marketing vernacular, the “demand” already exists. That means that the first critical step is already completed.
That does not mean the task is easy. Many people have a difficult time recognizing that what they want most deeply is God. Your first challenge is an education challenge: to help people understand that your ministry, your service, your apostolate can help them to find what they seek. You do not have to invest in creating demand, but in drawing lines of sight between the longing people have for God and the service or ministry that you provide.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta is a beautiful example of recognizing the true demand. She understood that people are longing for love. Her ministry of helping the poor, especially the dying, was in direct response to this demand. Yet there was another demand, one that was less apparent. People needed to be shown their own deep desire to work alongside her in serving those in need. Not only did she invest in providing services to the poor, but she also invested in educating communities about people’s dire needs and how to meet them.
As you consider your ministry and efforts, think about what demand you are addressing. What is the real need you are seeking to fill? How are you answering this need? Once you understand this, you can spend your energy, time, and money showing people how what you have to offer fills that need. The demand is there, and you are called to answer it.
For Reflection
As you look around you, what needs do you personally feel called to meet?
In today’s materialistic society, what are some ways you can help people realize their true need for God?
Truth 2
Brand and Marketing are Not Bad Words
“Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.”
— EPHESIANS 4:29
Often, those who work in religious organizations and functions feel the need to avoid words like brand or marketing in anything they say or do. The word communication is always fine, but brand and marketing are considered bad and are to be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately, the secular world has pounced on those words, suggesting that everything is a brand, and everything is marketed. Of course, in the secular world, the result of effective branding and marketing is money, money, and more money. In other words, brand and marketing are equated with greed and commerce. No wonder faith-based institutions shy away from using those words.
Yet, when we lose the words, we also lose the robust understanding that accompanies them. When the veneer of commercialization is removed, brand and marketing have deep meanings that can make a great difference for those who work in faith-based institutions, if they understand them appropriately.
A brand actually packs a very valuable punch. It is a way of encompassing everything the world sees and hears about a particular product, service, or organization. At its simplest level, a brand is a promise being made to a customer. That promise is conveyed in a variety of ways, and each item is part of the brand. A brand often includes a logo, a trademark, a tagline, colors and fonts, experiences, the products or services provided, key messages, etc. Every last piece that connects with a customer is housed under the title of brand. Objectively, that concept of a brand is not a bad thing.
Where the word brand runs into trouble is when the secular world equates brands with big business. Yet this equation misses a critical piece: a strong brand leads to loyalty, commitment, and trust. In the business world, loyalty and trust lead to sales, which contribute to the growth of businesses. For faith-based entities, however, loyalty, trust, and commitment lead to something far more important than money: they lead to deepening of faith, relationship with God, and service to others. The brand — the promise — of faith-based organizations is profound, and it is not commercial.
Think about EWTN as a brand. Many Catholics the world over know it; they recognize the logo, the letters, the name. Most importantly, they understand that it is a source for outstanding Catholic content. People are exceptionally loyal to EWTN, and for many it is the only source of the day’s news. EWTN understood very well that the creation of a brand was about developing loyalty with a committed viewing audience. The result has been an ability to provide outstanding faith-based insights worldwide.
If brand equates to the promise or the what that you do, marketing describes how you get the word, the promise out there. Again, the secular world clouds the word marketing with the idea of really big budgets, aggressive media, and inappropriate creativity. At its core, however, marketing is communicating your brand or your message to appropriate audiences. Secular companies ratchet up their approaches, and their brash voices cause faith-based entities to draw away, fearful of the assertive attitude marketing seems to demand.
This is not what marketing has to be. Marketing can and should be a tool for ministries, parishes, and organizations that allows them to share their faith-based work with others.
Reflecting on the example of EWTN, they do have an enormous marketing advantage in that they are a media company; therefore, they are able to use their outlets to market themselves. You find them in social media, in print, radio, and, of course, TV. They have the message, a brand that matters to people, and they have the vehicles, the marketing ability to effectively reach their audience.
I am not suggesting that you should adopt these secular words in your everyday language for your ministry. However, I do hope that by understanding them, you will not be afraid of them. In this book, these words are used consistently, in large part because they are precise descriptors of important efforts. Both of the words brand and marketing are steeped in meaning, and when understood they can help you connect even more deeply with those you are trying to reach. I invite you to reflect on them, that they may impart grace as you strive to bring your message to life.
