Do you think this is being overdone (and tasteless) or a legitmate way to attract potential followers?
According to the article by IBISWord
While evangelical churches have long been on the public relations path, traditional faiths will need to do the same to stop their members defecting to a younger, more modern congregation, or leaving the church altogether,.
While this uses Australia as in example, it is relevant to the US
Pentecostal churches have enjoyed phenomenal growth of late in Australia on the back of their massive popularity in the US, and increasingly prominent members making their attendance know.
But better branding and a snappier image comes at a price. Church groups need more members to raise contributions, but hiring professionals to promote them doesnt come cheap, warned Mr Baker, so financial management needs to be tight. Still, we believe the larger Christian churches particularly will employ more marketing and PR staff in years to come in a bid to recruit a younger audience.
Australia usually follows the US and traditional churches there have begun to promote more heavily in recent times there have even been billboards erected calling the priesthood awesome.
Here is the full article - I can't write a link on here so I copied the whole article. Please read it through - it is quite interestin
In the face of dwindling numbers and pitiful collection plates, Australian churches are turning to professional marketers and publicists to re-vamp their image and boost falling member numbers, reports business information analysts IBISWorld.
While evangelical churches have long been on the public relations path, traditional faiths will need to do the same to stop their members defecting to a younger, more modern congregation, or leaving the church altogether, warned IBISWorld General Manager (Australia), Mr Jason Baker.
And Australias Catholic Church is likely to be the biggest spender over the next year in the lead up to the 2008 World Youth Day papal celebrations in Sydney.
Although were becoming a less religious nation overall, Mr Baker said around 69.9% of Australians still claim an affiliation with a religion, although some are struggling for members to keep the faith.
Around 25.6% of us (5.09 million) are Roman Catholic, 18.7% are Anglican (3.72 m), 5.7% (1.14 m) belong to the Uniting Church, 2.9% (583,400) are associated with the Presbyterian Church, 2.1% are Orthodox (419,800), 1.6% are Baptist (316,740), 2.1% are Buddhist (418,754) and 1.7% follow Islam (340,390). There are around 88,834 Jewish people in Australia, 148,127 Hindus and 251,105 Lutherans. Around 15.3% of Australians claim no religious affiliation.
Religions with dwindling memberships include traditional Christian faiths, such as the Roman Catholic, Uniting, Presbyterian and Anglican churches with less than one in 10 Anglicans attending church weekly, and 30% not attending at all. Religions enjoying growth are those with strong ties to Asian immigration, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam - as well as evangelical Christian congregations.
Pentecostal churches have enjoyed phenomenal growth of late in Australia on the back of their massive popularity in the US, and increasingly prominent members making their attendance known, such as former Treasurer Peter Costello and Australian Idol contestants.
So-called megachurches, such as Hillsong in Sydney and CityLife in Melbourne have boosted their ranks by around 30% in the past five years, with many young people among their new followers.
Around 20,000 of Hillsongs 95,000 members attend church weekly. Its popularity among younger generations is helped along by its musical arm, whose releases often top the religious music charts in the US and bring in considerable revenue. Hillsong generated around $50.8 million in 2005 which is pretty impressive considering its still relatively small size in this country.
In a bid to consolidate congregation numbers, the Pentecostal churches are becoming increasingly marketing savvy, with significant dollars expected to be spent on PR and newspaper, TV and radio advertising making it incredibly difficult for other religions to compete.
More traditional churches will be forced to follow their lead, said Mr Baker. Not necessarily in dollars spent, but by using word of mouth and sexing up certain services to bring back lapsed followers and attract a younger generation, many of whom are turning to churches like Hillsong as they are seen as being more relevant.
Australia usually follows the US and traditional churches there have begun to promote more heavily in recent times there have even been billboards erected calling the priesthood awesome.
Niche marketing agencies dedicated to servicing religious organisations have sprung up in the US and Mr Baker believes it wont be long before increasingly savvy direct marketing becomes commonplace among Australian churches seeking out a younger audience.
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, and faced with a dwindling number of faithful, churches are fighting harder, and spending more, to boost their market share. Many are moving from the more traditional door-to-door neighbourhood canvassing to sophisticated strategies and new media marketing. Anything goes, from glossy postcards and e-mail newsletters to interactive websites, from pub church to electronic games, from silicone wristbands to belt buckles, coasters to childrens toys, golf tees to umbrellas.
In the past, Mr Baker believes many Australian religious organisations have also been too slow on the uptake when it comes to communications technology, but thats turning around. Churches which use new media to inform their members of their business and news will form a greater bond with their congregations, and become more cost-effective by reducing printing costs. The internet also needs to be harnessed to help people locate religious organisations which suit their interests, in their local area.
But better branding and a snappier image comes at a price. Church groups need more members to raise contributions, but hiring professionals to promote them doesnt come cheap, warned Mr Baker, so financial management needs to be tight. Still, we believe the larger Christian churches particularly will employ more marketing and PR staff in years to come in a bid to recruit a younger audience.
The Catholic Church will certainly be hoping its marketing spend in the lead up to next years World Youth Day event pays off in the form of substantial and sustained attendances in the wake of the Popes visit.
While PR predictions are suggesting Sydney could welcome more visitors for World Youth Day than during the 2000 Olympics, any ongoing impact on the faiths numbers will depend upon individual parishes taking steps to provide services which appeal to lapsed or occasional worshippers who may return for this one-off event, said Mr Baker.
This IBISWorld website should have an article with US figures and statistics on religion but I can't find it on there as yet. Anyone know of any places to get US stats on religions and trend on it? I agree with the man in the article is saying about the savy marketing of religion. It has become much more sophisticated then it used to be
Any thoughts?
Tony
According to the article by IBISWord
While evangelical churches have long been on the public relations path, traditional faiths will need to do the same to stop their members defecting to a younger, more modern congregation, or leaving the church altogether,.
While this uses Australia as in example, it is relevant to the US
Pentecostal churches have enjoyed phenomenal growth of late in Australia on the back of their massive popularity in the US, and increasingly prominent members making their attendance know.
But better branding and a snappier image comes at a price. Church groups need more members to raise contributions, but hiring professionals to promote them doesnt come cheap, warned Mr Baker, so financial management needs to be tight. Still, we believe the larger Christian churches particularly will employ more marketing and PR staff in years to come in a bid to recruit a younger audience.
Australia usually follows the US and traditional churches there have begun to promote more heavily in recent times there have even been billboards erected calling the priesthood awesome.
Here is the full article - I can't write a link on here so I copied the whole article. Please read it through - it is quite interestin
In the face of dwindling numbers and pitiful collection plates, Australian churches are turning to professional marketers and publicists to re-vamp their image and boost falling member numbers, reports business information analysts IBISWorld.
While evangelical churches have long been on the public relations path, traditional faiths will need to do the same to stop their members defecting to a younger, more modern congregation, or leaving the church altogether, warned IBISWorld General Manager (Australia), Mr Jason Baker.
And Australias Catholic Church is likely to be the biggest spender over the next year in the lead up to the 2008 World Youth Day papal celebrations in Sydney.
Although were becoming a less religious nation overall, Mr Baker said around 69.9% of Australians still claim an affiliation with a religion, although some are struggling for members to keep the faith.
Around 25.6% of us (5.09 million) are Roman Catholic, 18.7% are Anglican (3.72 m), 5.7% (1.14 m) belong to the Uniting Church, 2.9% (583,400) are associated with the Presbyterian Church, 2.1% are Orthodox (419,800), 1.6% are Baptist (316,740), 2.1% are Buddhist (418,754) and 1.7% follow Islam (340,390). There are around 88,834 Jewish people in Australia, 148,127 Hindus and 251,105 Lutherans. Around 15.3% of Australians claim no religious affiliation.
Religions with dwindling memberships include traditional Christian faiths, such as the Roman Catholic, Uniting, Presbyterian and Anglican churches with less than one in 10 Anglicans attending church weekly, and 30% not attending at all. Religions enjoying growth are those with strong ties to Asian immigration, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam - as well as evangelical Christian congregations.
Pentecostal churches have enjoyed phenomenal growth of late in Australia on the back of their massive popularity in the US, and increasingly prominent members making their attendance known, such as former Treasurer Peter Costello and Australian Idol contestants.
So-called megachurches, such as Hillsong in Sydney and CityLife in Melbourne have boosted their ranks by around 30% in the past five years, with many young people among their new followers.
Around 20,000 of Hillsongs 95,000 members attend church weekly. Its popularity among younger generations is helped along by its musical arm, whose releases often top the religious music charts in the US and bring in considerable revenue. Hillsong generated around $50.8 million in 2005 which is pretty impressive considering its still relatively small size in this country.
In a bid to consolidate congregation numbers, the Pentecostal churches are becoming increasingly marketing savvy, with significant dollars expected to be spent on PR and newspaper, TV and radio advertising making it incredibly difficult for other religions to compete.
More traditional churches will be forced to follow their lead, said Mr Baker. Not necessarily in dollars spent, but by using word of mouth and sexing up certain services to bring back lapsed followers and attract a younger generation, many of whom are turning to churches like Hillsong as they are seen as being more relevant.
Australia usually follows the US and traditional churches there have begun to promote more heavily in recent times there have even been billboards erected calling the priesthood awesome.
Niche marketing agencies dedicated to servicing religious organisations have sprung up in the US and Mr Baker believes it wont be long before increasingly savvy direct marketing becomes commonplace among Australian churches seeking out a younger audience.
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, and faced with a dwindling number of faithful, churches are fighting harder, and spending more, to boost their market share. Many are moving from the more traditional door-to-door neighbourhood canvassing to sophisticated strategies and new media marketing. Anything goes, from glossy postcards and e-mail newsletters to interactive websites, from pub church to electronic games, from silicone wristbands to belt buckles, coasters to childrens toys, golf tees to umbrellas.
In the past, Mr Baker believes many Australian religious organisations have also been too slow on the uptake when it comes to communications technology, but thats turning around. Churches which use new media to inform their members of their business and news will form a greater bond with their congregations, and become more cost-effective by reducing printing costs. The internet also needs to be harnessed to help people locate religious organisations which suit their interests, in their local area.
But better branding and a snappier image comes at a price. Church groups need more members to raise contributions, but hiring professionals to promote them doesnt come cheap, warned Mr Baker, so financial management needs to be tight. Still, we believe the larger Christian churches particularly will employ more marketing and PR staff in years to come in a bid to recruit a younger audience.
The Catholic Church will certainly be hoping its marketing spend in the lead up to next years World Youth Day event pays off in the form of substantial and sustained attendances in the wake of the Popes visit.
While PR predictions are suggesting Sydney could welcome more visitors for World Youth Day than during the 2000 Olympics, any ongoing impact on the faiths numbers will depend upon individual parishes taking steps to provide services which appeal to lapsed or occasional worshippers who may return for this one-off event, said Mr Baker.
This IBISWorld website should have an article with US figures and statistics on religion but I can't find it on there as yet. Anyone know of any places to get US stats on religions and trend on it? I agree with the man in the article is saying about the savy marketing of religion. It has become much more sophisticated then it used to be
Any thoughts?
Tony
