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June 19, 2006
Even Nuns Need Marketing
(Filed under: Examples)Lots of folks are coming around to the idea that churches need marketing help, including what is quite possibly the least likely group to use marketing--nuns:
"Whether you're doing branding for nuns or for Coca-Cola, the key is finding out what differentiates them" from competitors, CEO and creative director Mae Skidmore said. "There has been a hesitation among nuns and other religious orders that marketing should be left up to God." ..."I think people think of nuns as being in a sequestered community and that they spend all of their days sitting in pews praying," said Holly Knight, spokeswoman for IMH [Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe]. "Branding is just as valuable for us as it is for businesses. But that's been a tough sale for the nuns to understand."
The Detroit Free Press article also includes a quote from our very own Brad Abare.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at June 19, 2006 7:23 AM
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Comments
How interesting, i'd love to see some nun advertising...
I could see that being total SNL skit material if the nuns don't follow through with it.
They should get the same crew who made the marine ads they show at the movie theaters to try to get nuns to enlist...
the few, the proud, the...
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
Posted by: RC of strangeculture at June 19, 2006 4:03 PM
You might be in interested in a current UK TV programme which sort of covers the same area
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/programmes/?id=convent
The convent in the programme has a website which does a fairly decent job of giving an insight
http://www.poorclaresarundel.org/
Posted by: Gary at June 20, 2006 4:44 AM
How does this fit in with those new shows about young men choosing between the pretty girl and the life of a priest?
I wonder if there has been a blip in the number of inquiries about the priesthood since these show have aired?
Bottom line is that there is some sort of branding/marketing going on at both the convent and the monastery.
Posted by: Micheal at June 21, 2006 10:13 AM
Hmmm. And be careful with your branding; perhaps more inside the church than outside it.
It has been, I suppose, 5 years since the United Methodist Church rolled out its "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors..." branding. I think we put together the ad campaign under the slogan of "catching up with the Mormons."
Within three years, we had life-long church members assuming that "Open...Open...Open..." was our theological statement rather than an ad line to invite the unchurched.
Posted by: Steve Heyduck at June 23, 2006 6:02 AM
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