What is the role of marketing in the context of the Church?

If you use the word "marketing" to describe the way in which a diocese or parish communicates, some people express concern. The message of the Gospel doesn't need marketing, they argue. Its benefits speak for themselves! But with so many people unaffiliated with the Church or with any faith practice, is it okay to consider how marketing might help spread the Good News?

According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” That’s a wordy definition and doesn’t seem to relate to the Catholic Church!

Perhaps a better definition is: marketing is the act of bringing a product or service to the attention of a particular audience, educating the audience about the attributes and benefits of the product or service, and persuading the audience to act in a specific way based on the benefits presented. The product can be tangible or intangible — and can even be an idea or belief.

The Church has a different word for this kind of activity: evangelization! To evangelize is to share the message of the Gospel in the hope of helping someone grow in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and become his disciple.

A secular definition of the word evangelize is “to advocate a cause with the object of making converts.” The concepts behind evangelism and marketing are so similar, the marketing world has adopted “evangelism marketing” to define a particular strategy in which “true believers” freely share their enthusiasm for a product or service via word of mouth (or on social media). In the context of the Church, principles of marketing are applied to the mission of evangelization to more effectively reach people with the truth of the Gospel. Just as the secular marketing world has borrowed the concept of evangelization, the Church has seen how marketing strategies can help share the message of the Gospel. Pope St. John Paul II called the Church to a “new evangelization” in which we would use whatever means we find at our disposal to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission: to go and make disciples of all men (Mt. 28:19).

What is included in a marketing plan?

The development of a marketing plan often includes these components:

1. An analysis of the current situation: an overview of the circumstances, problems, and trends, including a SWOT analysis — an overview of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that must be addressed in order to resolve the situation or reach the desired outcome.
2. Goal setting: Determining the specific, measurable goals that the organization intends to achieve through the marketing plan.
3. Market research: An assessment of the target market to determine the barriers to the desired
4. action, the messages that will resonate with the target audience, and the methods that would be most effective to reach them.
5. Marketing strategy: The messaging and communication plan that will lead the target audience to the desired action, including the methods to measure success.
6. Marketing tactics: The specific communication methods that can be used to reach an audience: traditional or digital advertising, public relations, grassroots campaigning, influencer marketing,
7. word-of-mouth endorsements, etc.
8. Measurement: The quantifiable outcome of the marketing process.
9. Refinement and renewal of the marketing plan: Revisions to the plan after assessing its initial success.

What is an example of a marketing approach to a goal within the Church?

Dioceses, parishes, Catholic organizations, schools, religious orders, and apostolates routinely use the principles and practices of marketing to promote the activities of the Church. For example, dioceses launch annual appeal campaigns to raise funds for diocesan programs, seminarian support, and communications. Here’s how the steps outlined above would play out in such an effort:

• Before a campaign begins, the finance and fundraising departments assess previous campaigns to determine what works to reach Catholic donors.
• Measurable goals are set, usually for both the amount to be raised and the percentage of participation among parishioners.
• Messaging is developed to address the barriers to participation that are identified. Typically, a bishop also chooses a theme tied to Scripture. This theme drives the messaging.
• Communication tools are developed, such as a video or audio from the bishop, printed materials that are mailed to parishioner’s homes, materials that parishes use in the pew and bulletin. A phone bank or email campaign may be included.
• The marketing campaign is launched and progress toward the goals is monitored.

Can marketing principles be used for evangelization?

Yes, but the issue becomes how can marketing efforts be measured, since the ultimate goal of an evangelization campaign is immeasurable — the saving of souls. In the case of an evangelization marketing campaign, the measurable goals would have to do with responses to a campaign, participation in a program, sharing of content, or other tangible measures of effectiveness. There is nothing sacrilegious about using marketing tactics to evangelize! Marketing is merely a systematic way to educate people about the message of the Gospel, and doing it with the objective of demonstrating to people that Jesus Christ is our source of happiness in this life and the next!