Experiencing the Message
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, November 27, 2006
- Viewed 43
- (4) comments so far
The book’s bottom line is that people today are inundated with so many advertising and marketing messages that they’re tuning out in droves. Adding to this new reality is the TiVo sensation of being able to blow by commercials, which has marketing companies running in fear that they’ll be left with no avenues for luring people to their products.
But there’s a new wave of marketing in our culture that’s designed around creating positive experiences for people so they’ll tell their friends about it. This becomes a natural and often inexpensive means for getting the good news out, whether it’s a product, a service, or a relationship with God.
According to the book, here are some characteristics of experiential marketing:
• It should clearly benefit the customer.
• It’s predicated on one-on-one personal interaction between a marketer and a consumer.
• It must be authentic.
• It’s based on engaging people in memorable ways.
• It delivers relevant communication to consumers only where and when they’re most responsive.
• Its goal is to successfully use innovative approaches and tactics to reach out to consumers in creative and compelling ways.
• It will make or break the brands of the future.
While that’s the overview, one quote jumped out at me regarding what pastors need to think about in terms of their worship services and public events:
“Experiential marketing is interested (in customers) because experience usually elicits a response. From a marketing perspective, that response better be positive. If it is not, then the experiential platform is flawed. Marketers who use experiential strategies are able to gauge any and all flaws almost immediately because they will be visible on the faces of their customers.”
So what’s the tie in for us as pastors?
The main reason people aren’t inviting their friends and neighbors to their church is because they’re not thoroughly satisfied or excited sufficiently—because when people have a great experience, they automatically pass the word, which creates a “buzz.”
We need to work hard at creating good worship experiences and interactive events that are positive and aimed at reaching people’s needs—because that’s the best way to engage them emotionally. Those blank stares we see looking back at us as we speak is a message in and of itself.
The book is written for business, but is chock-full of applications for those of us in ministry who not only want people to experience God’s message, but who also want to reach out to those around us who are unchurched.
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Alan Nelson is the executive editor of Rev! Magazine (www.rev.org), the author of a dozen books, and has been a pastor for 20 years. You can reach him at . You can subscribe to the Rev! Weekly Leadership Update here.
One of the best evangelistic outreach ideas is to intentionally create experiences in such a way that people automatically tell others in their spheres of influence. Now the business realm is picking up on this concept in a big way, and a new book on the topic, Experience the Message by Max Lenderman (Carroll & Graf), can help those of us in local church ministry to hone our methods....
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Peter Hamm on Mon, November 27, 2006
“We need to work hard at creating good worship experiences and interactive events that are positive and aimed at reaching people’s needs—because that’s the best way to engage them emotionally. “
“A deep sense of awe came over them all” Something like that in Acts 2? Great article, we might need to read this! Our services create a lot of “buzz” around our community, and people invite their friends… and they come… Pretty cool results, too.
kent on Mon, November 27, 2006
“The main reason people aren’t inviting their friends and neighbors to their church is because they’re not thoroughly satisfied or excited sufficiently—because when people have a great experience, they automatically pass the word, which creates a “buzz.” “
What happens when the “buzz” becomes the guiding principle rather than the reality of the gospel. What happens when the statisfaction level become the driving force? What subjects will we edit out bwecause they do not create the buzz. What topics will we drop because they do not satisfy? Jesus presence was intoxicating not because he hit all the right buttons, but because he radiated the power of God. it is that authority that created the experience for the crowds, and yet if you remember when Jesus hit hard isues the majority took off leaving just the 12.
Create the experience, but do it out of the power of Christ.
Peter Hamm on Mon, November 27, 2006
Kent writes “What happens when the “buzz” becomes the guiding principle rather than the reality of the gospel.” Something to be very careful of. I think it’s why churches need to be driven by the mission… Create the “buzz” to fuel the mission, not just to fuel the “buzz”.
“Create the experience, but do it out of the power of Christ.” AMEN!
Leonard on Mon, November 27, 2006
For a long time the church never considered how people learn or “experience” the things we do on a Sunday. Where else do groups of people gather to sing, sit through a lecture from an ancient book and then give money away when someone passes a bucket? Creating the experience is more about making what people do make sense even after they leave. The bible says that when Jesus came he was full of Grace and Truth. I read this to mean that Jesus came and was burning full octane in Grace and burning full octane in Truth.
I grew up in a church that burned full octane in truth but about 10% in grace which left people with a crummy experience. Many people left the faith because their experience left them feeling like God was angry, ready to smack them down. I have been at churches that had 10% truth and 100% grace and no lives were changed. God was neat but not really God, more like a big brother who always liked me.
We seek to create experiences that are both full of Grace and Truth.
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