Communication changes from culture to culture. From oral stories and cave drawings to email and twitter, the medium used to convey a message is always changing. I believe that the church must be just as aware of these changes as is the mainstream advertising industry. As church leaders, we can use new ideas and mediums to convey the rock solid message of Jesus Christ and His saving grace.

In the context of advertising, Steven Pearlstein writes, “These days…the power has shifted from marketer to consumer. Thanks to the Internet and TiVo, digital radio and video-on-demand, consumers decide what information and entertainment they want. Rather than simply pushing messages on consumers, the trick is to get consumers to pull them.”

I feel that what Pearlstein is getting at is that people know when they are being sold something. I believe that this new generation of consumers, especially, can tell when someone is peddling something and trying to get them to buy. According to Pearlstein, consumers want to be interested in something and follow it down the rabbit hole. They want to be engaged with a more authentic experience rather than an artifical sales pitch.

I think that the church can use emerging trends and new media to engage God’s people in a relationship style experience that displays Christ’s love and grace. Stay tuned for more on this very idea in my next post where I will look at specific media and ways to use it effectively in the church.

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Excerpt taken from Steven Pearlstein’s Washington Post article, “Advertising’s New Idea: Don’t Push the Product; Pull the Consumer Instead”

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