Faith-based marketing
Faith-based marketing is the integration of religious faith into marketing and business.[1] Agencies such as Propeller, Working Title Agency, SERV Others, Front Gate, Grace Hill Media, Buzzplant, Inspire Resources Group, and Graf-Martin Communications Inc specialize in marketing faith-based products and creating partnerships that target specific groups, such as the family-based audience. In the United States this type of marketing can help reach Christians, who enjoy an estimated purchasing power of over $5.1 trillion a year.[2][3]
Market segments
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Many Christian book and music titles have become successes in the mainstream world.[4] The best-selling Purpose Driven Life by Christian pastor Rick Warren became the bestselling hardback non-fiction book in history, and is the second most-translated book in the world, after the Bible.[5] In 2004, the Mel Gibson-directed The Passion of the Christ opened to $83.8M domestically and went on to gross $611M worldwide.[6] In 2014, the Christian films Son of God, Noah, Heaven Is for Real and God's Not Dead, enjoyed box-office success.[7][8] Faith-based marketing is also seen in the tourism industry. The UN World Tourism Organization estimates that 300 million to 330 million people a year participate in faith-based travel.[citation needed] The U.S. Travel Association reports that 25% of all travelers are interested in a spiritual vacation.[9]
Many companies incorporate faith-based ideas in their operations, mission statements, or even their packaging, subtly or overtly.[5]
Costs of faith-based marketing
Efforts to market or run a business based on religious faith can face unique challenges.
In 2012, Chik-fil-A, who has "made a name [for itself] promoting Christian principles in its charity work", drew controversy after its CEO Dan Cathy suggested that he opposed same-sex marriage, which led to protests.[10] Those protests did not appear to damage the company's sales.[11] Hobby Lobby, another Christian business,[12] filed a lawsuit, now styled Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, arguing that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's mandate for coverage of emergency contraception violated their First Amendment, religious rights.[13] Oral arguments were heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in March 2014.
References
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- ↑ The 2007 Leisure Market Research Handbook. (2007). Faith Based Activities, p. 180-183.
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- ↑ Hutchins, p. 207
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Further reading
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