Seth Godin is interviewed on the latest episode of the Catalyst Podcast. It features Seth Godin’s big ideas behind Squidoo and his two most recent books, Meatball Sundae and The Dip. The Catalyst team also gets Seth Godin’s thoughts on the church and religion.

To listen to the interview or subscribe to the podcast, visit the Catalyst website. It is well worth it for any Seth Godin fan.

2 Big Lessons from Jesus’ Ministry Marketing

Overall, two big lessons stand out to me from Jesus’ ministry marketing.

1. Product is Priority.
   Great products market themselves. Always be striving to improve your ministry. Above all else, strive to be more Christlike.
2. Maximize Your Distribution
   Jesus was purposeful in reaching new people. I believe it is the church’s responsibility to utilize technology to maximize their reach.

For Discussion:
What do you think the role of marketing is in the church?

>> Read part 1 of the series.
>> Read part 2 of the series.
>> Read part 3 of the series.

Why doesn’t church marketing look like Jesus’ ministry marketing?

Quite simply, we aren’t perfect. We have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Ideally, a church should have the crowds of Jesus. Ideally, a church should impact people’s lives in such a way that that the entire region talks about it. But no church is perfect. We aren’t Christ, but we are trying to become more like Him. And I believe that as a church becomes more Christlike, it will create more word of mouth.

I have yet to hear of a church that generates the kind of sustainable word of mouth that Jesus’ ministry had, which is why advertising, direct marketing, and public relations are valuable tools for many churches.

>> Read part 1 of the series.
>> Read part 2 of the series.
>> Read part four of the series as I share the two biggest lessons I’ve learned from Jesus’ ministry marketing.

How would Jesus market His ministry today?

Had Jesus’ ministry taken place 2,000 years later, I do not think much would have changed. His ministry (His product) would still be perfect and would garner significant amounts of word of mouth and press coverage. It would still be of no charge financially. The biggest change would be His use of technology. Without question, Jesus would use technology to its fullest potential to distribute His message to as many people as possible.

But what would Jesus do for promotion? Would He use advertising, direct marketing, interactive marketing, personal selling, public relations, or sales promotions? I think He would use interactive marketing and personal selling. He would have a website to bring His message to a greater number of people globally, and He would still have a personal face-to-face ministry. The other areas are debatable. With large levels of word of mouth and press coverage, why spend money on advertising, direct marketing, or public relations. I definitely cannot imagine Jesus using the gimmicks of sales promotions to attract people.

>> Read part 1 of the series.
>> Read part three of the series as I take a look at why church marketing does not look like Jesus’ ministry marketing.

Pantone has published the top 10 fashion colors for spring 2008. As a designer, it is a convenient reference for me for knowing the latest color trends. So this spring, as you begin to design your church’s bulletin or postcard, give it a touch of spring and add some PANTONE 14-0852 or one of the other great 9 colors.

[via Trend Hunter]

This January, Church of the Resurrection (Leawood, KS) is beginning a new sermon series called “Seeing Gray.” Pastor Adam Hamilton will be searching for insight to some complex gray areas of faith, morality, and politics by studying the Bible and Christ’s example.

They are also taking the discussion from the pulpit to YouTube, and they are looking to hear your thoughts, opinions, and questions on each topic that will be discussed over the first five weeks of 2008.

Liberal or conservative? Republican or Democrat? Is there a right answer? What would Jesus say?

Here is the sermon series trailer:

Here is the YouTube question for week one of the series:

I appreciate this fresh approach to getting the congregation and others to join in discussion around each topic in the sermon series. To join the dialogue, visit their YouTube page.

According to Robert Stephens, the founder of Geek Squad,

Marketing is a tax you pay for being unremarkable.

In this context, I believe that by marketing Robert means promotion – that is advertising, direct marketing, interactive marketing, personal sales, sales promotion, and public relations. Unfortunately, marketing has become synonymous with advertising and other promotional elements. By its true definition, marketing encompasses product, price, place (distribution), and promotion, and this is commonly referred to as the 4 P’s of marketing.

It is still a great quote, but consider it this way:

Marketing promotions is a tax you pay for being unremarkable.

Remarkable products and services promote themselves through word of mouth. Typically, remarkable organizations earn their remarkability by having a great product or service. However, an organization can also become remarkable through the other three P’s of marketing. For price, think of Wal-Mart’s low cost or Giffen goods. For place, think of Wal-Mart’s distribution or LifeChurch.tv’s Internet campus. And for promotion, think of Apple and Nike.

There are a few lessons to be learned here:

1. If your organization is unremarkable, you will have to compensate by spending more money on marketing promotions to be successful.
2. If your organization is remarkable, marketing promotions will only amplify your success.
3. If you can only be remarkable in one area, have a remarkable product or service because it will keep people coming back for more as well as generate word of mouth.

For further reading on how to make your church remarkable, read my previous article “Marketability First.”

LifeChurch.tv’s Hendersonville, TN campus has two very innovative church marketing ideas. They also happen to be very amusing.

#1 Buy a scooter. Plaster it repeatedly with church logos. And drive it around town.

#2 Buy a big balloon. Tie a church invitation to it. And let it loose.

Although these methods are meant to be funny, they are also undeniably very memorable ways to spread awareness for a church around a city. The marketing principle here is that very unique advertising gets attention. It can cut through the clutter of thousands of mundane advertisements and leave a lasting impression.