Marketing the Gospel

I had a bit of time to write some of my own thoughts this weekend, in light of our work here. They are (as always) working conclusions, and simply represent my own view, but I thought I would share some of the more pertinent snippets. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them.

"In light of WYD, I would like to narrow the question and the scope. How to we get as many people as possible to participate in the event? No doubt, the first visit of Pope Benedict to Australia is a major draw, as he is respected among the churched and non-churched alike. Not surprisingly, much of the marketing has seemingly followed this idea; but I question such a focus.

It seems the advertising have arrived at a consensus that the un-churched and non-Catholic will not be able to relate to ideas and images of the Holy Spirit as much as they might relate to the Pope, youth, fun, or any other idea that speaks to the dynamics of WYD. Certainly, these are important components of WYD and the marketing campaign, but I believe there is a very fine line which must not be crossed concerning the focus of any church-related campaign.


My personal conclusion (in progress), is that people are attracted to anything that is bigger than reality. Major events, concerts, movies, theme parks, and the alike, all share a similar attraction – they allow our imagination room to expand. If this conclusion is accepted, it would seem that the Church, which represents the creator of universe, as the greatest “attraction” of all.

Make no mistake, the Gospel as told through the lens of the Catholic Church has been the most enduring, successful message ever communicated. It has captured the imaginations of artists, politicians and thinkers for almost as long as human history has been recorded. It is not that the message isn’t relevant; rather that too many people rarely given the opportunity to see the Church and the Gospel communicated without distractions that dilute their message.

In the end, the only truth in advertising is the product itself -- and people know this. As the Church continues to embrace communications and marketing strategies (as it should, for the very essence of the Church is evangelization or marketing) we must be true to what we represent. The very best marketing campaigns center around simplicity and curiosity.

If we are to be effective promoters of the Gospel, we must stay true to the simple ideas and images it contains, resisting any temptation to camouflage the Word of God with inevitably shallow appeals. As we move forward in this new millennium, we must be reassured that the message of the Gospel is attractive enough if we allow people to see and hear the real thing – untainted, unembellished, and uncensored. The world is longing to see what is authentic; longing to understand the subconscious feelings that tell them there is something bigger than what they have experienced. This is what we are to present – the big picture in all its glory and its appeal. "