Marketing Hat
I wear lots of different hats as lead pastor at NCC. One of them is a marketing hat. I have no formal training in marketing, but I've read a zillion books on the subject. And one of the core convictions that drives us at NCC is: the greatest message deserves the greatest marketing.
There is no question that word of mouth is the best form of marketing. 86% of NCCers came to NCC for the first time because of a personal invitation. So we produce lots of invite cards that turn attenders into inviters. But we try to supplement word of mouth with mass marketing. The goal is simple: we don't want anybody in the metro DC area to be able to deny our existence! It's all about getting on their reticular activating system!
So we're gearing up for the fall and the launch of our fourth location. And our marketing campaign will play off of our movie theater motif. We have lots of ideas for a direct mail piece--MPAA, popcorn box, movie poster, etc. But I just thought I'd see if any theater churches would want to share some of their marketing pieces.
Why reinvent the wheel?
If you've got a mailer you'd like to share, post a link.
There is no question that word of mouth is the best form of marketing. 86% of NCCers came to NCC for the first time because of a personal invitation. So we produce lots of invite cards that turn attenders into inviters. But we try to supplement word of mouth with mass marketing. The goal is simple: we don't want anybody in the metro DC area to be able to deny our existence! It's all about getting on their reticular activating system!
So we're gearing up for the fall and the launch of our fourth location. And our marketing campaign will play off of our movie theater motif. We have lots of ideas for a direct mail piece--MPAA, popcorn box, movie poster, etc. But I just thought I'd see if any theater churches would want to share some of their marketing pieces.
Why reinvent the wheel?
If you've got a mailer you'd like to share, post a link.
7 Comments:
Hi Mark,
I attend a small non-denominational church in Baltimore (New Hope Community Church), and one of our first homes was in a movie theater. One promotion we held involved a venture into the local community at a Town Fair day. New Hope had a booth where we gave away free popcorn with thought-provoking messages on the bags and had a few staff and laypeople there to talk to passersby. It was a physical introduction to our church, made memorable by free food!
Off the main subject of your post but I would love to see a forum or post open up somewhere on someone's blog (maybe yours.. hint hint… since mine wouldn't work because only my mom and my wife read it) that encourages churches to share innovative ideas of "marketing" they have done that they feel has brought the most impact in a local community. Things that have created conversation, buzz, and either a) increased inviting from the congregation itself or b) increased numbers of people stepping through the doors.
Innovative ideas like what Grainger is doing with the www.MyOfficeSecrets.com and billboards to tie it in or the www.PrayerBoxNetwork.com that Southeast Christian did.
Amy,
Awesome idea!!!
Mark
Church Marketing Sucks has a venue with loads of ideas and peer critique. It's available free through Flickr...
Check out the Church Marketing Lab:
http://flickr.com/groups/cfcc/
Mark,
we do a series every summer called "God on Film" where we play off of the big summer blockbusters that are coming out.
This year we did a series specific MINI-web site. Check it out at www.godonfilm.net
Also, send me an e-mail to zak@theconnectionchurch.org if you want and I'll send you all of our God on Film mailers in a .zip file.
-Zak
www.zakwhite.com/wp
www.theconnectionchurch.org
Mark
We are a new church plant meeting in a theatre, and we rent our theatre out for a Friday night movie as well where we show as a free gift to our commmunity. We show the latest movies the weekend they come out. Beofre the movie we get up to an always full house and just introduce ourself to them.
Just a thought
Intersting challenge, I'd love to put our creative team to work on it. A good first step would be to think of lead-up bridge strategies to the launch. Then, multiple entry points for the launch weekend. Also, do a brainstorm session with your team using word and concept association on all the ideas related to movies and moving-going. Work them in, not only into your media tools, but also into friendship strategies. What about a focus on kids? What about subcultures and hidden people enclaves? How could a movie theatre use the arts for reconciliation or incarnational wihreach? ...a cultural exchange festival?
In any event, blessings!
Michael
http://withreachconversations.blogspot.com/
http://withreach.com/
http://breakthroughchurch.com/
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