Marketing or Communication

My thought is, sometimes church leaders are too picky about terminology. I’m about as conservative as they come in regards to my theology and the use thereof within our church. I preach expositorily through the Bible and leave no doctrine untouched. But I’m also very progressive in my view of how churches should be marketing… er communicating with the culture.

I just wonder, how many opportunities will we miss to save another person from hell while we argue about our semantics?

Marketing is communication–how hard is that? Just my quick thoughts:)

Oh Brandon and Mike – love it!

I of course agree completely. I think my motivation in asking for collective advice comes from a desire to “communicate” with church leaders in a way that removes the barriers so there is less resistance and fewer arguments or disagreements around semantics.

I do not think it is simply symantics. Communications vs Marketing must be addressed in terms of “the what” (what is the message, etc.) vs “the how” (how to get the message across, how to deliver the message). For many in this mini debate it is the how that we find ourselves getting hung up on. By way of a simple example – to communicate effectively you must listen intently. But there are those who will be very quick to say that effective marketing also requires good listening. And they would be right, but it is not “the what” it is “the how”. In communications the listening is often face to face – a dialogue of sorts. In marketing the face to face is less evident. The results of good marketing is often seen much faster than that of great communications – it is not “the what” it is “the how”.

For the church we need to understand our audience – we need to listen to their needs and communicate effectively. If “the how” means using marketing then we should – as the church we know very well what message we need to get out there. I know some good marketers and I also know some not so good communicators. Given one vs the other I know which one I would pick

Thanks Ed! Marketing is often perceived as a one way channel. TV, Radio, Newspapers. Those “media” are certainly one way. Today however, marketing is increasingly becoming more 2-way. There is certainly still the broadcast marketing message but now the marketing mix is being supplemented with e-tools like blogs, and various social media that enable the person with the message to “listen” more and create a dialogue and not a monologue.

So, now the new marketing tools enable a more face-to-face conversation which enables better communication of the marketing message and an opportunity to build relationship and trust with those you are talking to. How great is that for the message a church the desperately wants to communicate effectively!

Ed, am I one of the good marketers…or the not so good communicators?

I went to a private Christian liberal arts university – where, as you stated, there were degrees in communication and then across campus (indicative of this conversation by totally unintentional by the university) was the wicked evil college of business which of course included marketing. (graphic design and arts was couched under the general and mass comm depts back on the other side). Even at this Christian university, there was disdain (perhaps overstated) about the motivation behind any person seeking to pursue business (oh, my gosh, “marketing?”) because it was viewed as a pursuit of the things of the world – whereas the service degrees like education, ministry, medicine, social work – well those were the true mission of the Lord! Alot has changed but there’s some of that archaic limited worldview in this discussion as well. Marketing is communication. It’s a word I wish didn’t have so much baggage, but I agree that alot of people say, “there’s no place for the ways of the world…ideas/tools from the marketplace…in the mission of the church” – I couldn’t disagree more. But then I can agree. If the motivations or tactics are worldly, then no. But if the goal of the marketing/communication is to build bridges, influence, persuade, compel . . . well, that sounds like fightin’ words to me! It would see that Jesus was pretty good at marketing…uh…communication.

Thanks sharing your thoughts Randy – I certainly have seen a very encouraging trend in the last five years – God seems to be raising up marketplace leaders who love Jesus and He is integrating them more into church and ministry leadership and service. Not as pastors but as full-time business/ministry vocations where they are using their gifts, talents, and experience to enhance spiritual effectiveness in communities. Maybe the tables are turning. Maybe the churches that “get it” when it comes to implementing business methodologies into ministry will thrive and those that don’t…well sadly they will continue to wither and die.

It is not that “business” principles or “marketing” or “communication” that will save the day…rather the passion to use whatever means possible to positively and respectfully represent the love of Jesus to a world in need of that hope.

I believe the Church (with a capital C) is stuck in an old paradigm.

We used to have mass market push communications as a general framework – and it worked. Broadcast TV, Radio both set the schedule and were able to *push* out a message to what was essentially a captive audience. You didn’t have to think twice. Just broadcast it and people will pay attention.

It used to be that you moved into a town, you simply found out where your local denominational church was located, and you attended.

But this is no longer the case, so pastors and their churches have to make a decision — do they just sit there and wait for the world outside their doors to “wake up” and come to church in this new world? Or do they do something about it?

Today, “push” model has been turned on its head. But the media companies and the Church as well are stuck not understanding that they have to also embrace the “pull” paradigm as well.

IMHO, this is one of the major reasons why the mainline denominational churches are dying. To be specific, membership is declining year over year. If nothing is done to stop this trend, churches will continue to shutter their doors and disappear.

If you look at the S.O.P. for a traditional church, the essence of the leadership has lost (or never had?) a missional attitude in terms of attracting people through the door. But practically speaking, they really didn’t have to up to now, right?

And when you say “do something about it” that basically means *marketing*!

I think the problem with the word “marketing” is that opponents equate it with an assumed devaluing of the Church’s offering. That the Gospel message can’t stand on it’s own and we need something else to make up the difference.

But it is not the message that is lacking, it is the attention. You don’t have to compromise the message of the Church when you change the mode of attraction.

Church Marketing. Perhaps you know you’re onto something when there’s such pushback from the traditional camp.

Hey Dave!

For what it’s worth, I think semantics do matter. IMO, most people associate marketing with a consumer/capitalist mindset – you tell me your story in order to get me to give you something; there’s a sort of baseline ulterior motive.

that said, I do think that’s changing as evidenced by guys like Seth Godin and Tim Sanders, who are advocating a more honest, altruistic marketplace.

I don’t think it’s safe to use the two words interchangeably without some caveats, and perhaps playing up the important difference between the terms can be useful.

After all, I communicate with my wife and my friends w/o marketing to them. And as you’ve rightly observed often on here, lots of churches communicate without marketing.

I think if you zero in your language, you can acknowledge the fears/suspicions of those with whom you interact and teach them how to redeem the language of the market place along with you.

my $0.02

David,

Good discussion.

Is it an oversimplification to think of marketing as the tactics we employ through which communication is accomplished?

If we are intentional about good branding, that communication will be two-way and relational.

FWIW.

Kerry

I want to thank everyone for their input. This is a really great discussion and there is a lot to think about. I appreciate all of you!

@Kenny: Thanks for this series of thoughts – I think that “marketing” enhances the communication of the Gospel message and it helps to “communicate” it in a way the recipient can connect or relate to it.

@jr: Grateful for your 2 cents – as the tools available to marketers advance with technology, marketing becomes more of a conversation that the historic one-way blast. As you mention the transparency and authenticity that then results helps people appreciate the message you deliver and to interact and respond to it until their trust level is elevated and the fear is removed. Cool eh?

@Kerry:To answer your question, yes, it is an oversimplification to think of marketing as only employable tools. You are right, good branding and proper use of “social media” (as an example) strategically and intentionally create great branding and facilitate the conversation that makes the marketing of our message much more two way. These tools not only help us build trust and share our message but allow those listening to engage us with their thoughts, questions, and reactions. That’s relationship marketing – which is the best sales and marketing you could posibly employ!

@David – I totally agree with you, and I’m excited for this new direction as well. But you know as well as I do that Western Church culture is not quite on the bleeding edge like we’d hope I think it’s going to take a gentle guiding hand with a lot of church leaders. They’re going to be stuck in old paradigms of marketing, and if we’re not very careful with our language, we’re going to unnecessarily alienate them. I think a lot of our problems with change in the Church come down to the new leadership not taking the time to be creative enough in our storytelling. We need to reach back while we’re reaching out. Again, all IMO.

@jr: Bingo! You summed up my thoughts perfectly – and that is really why I wrote this post. I think that as new leaders ourselves, that we haev to have a gentle heart and attitude to coach those who need to be educated while being creative in the way we forge forward in helping all churches communicate with greater excellence, clarity, and creativity.

In essence, we probably need both terms “marketing” and “communication” and we have to speak the language of those we are speaking to!