Truth Telling and a Pure Intention Make Up a Christian’s Theology of Marketing (Video)

Erik Lokkesmoe of Aspiration Studios lays out his theology of marketing. Solving today’s marketing problems means relying on truth over puffery. For Christian marketers it also means asking yourself some difficult questions about motivation.

Transcript:

I think first and foremost you have to have a theology of marketing. There’s so much clutter – so much noise. We talk about it being a car alarm in a mall parking lot. You may hear the noise, but you ignore it. There’s so much coming at us as consumers. That’s the first problem.

Second problem is that audiences are not like they used to be, where there was an opening weekend movie, or there was water cooler talk, or in the elevator you could share a story about “did you watch that?”

The third thing is that you are told: “You do these five things and it’s going to work.” And it’s just not true.

So I think it’s important to step back and say:

• Do I have a theology of marketing?
• What is my theology of marketing?
• What is my view of what I’m going to do and not do?
• Is there structure around my ambitions?
• Do I know and love my consumers or audiences?
• Do I really want to know them?
• Or do I just want to play at it and keep a big distance because they’re annoying and difficult and they demand a lot?

Knowing your audience and knowing people, and not just seeing them as numbers and clicks and revenue. Much of marketing begins with approaching a product or service with: What is the story? I think audiences are not looking for best deals or the newest sale or the slickest marketing or the loudest voice or the most radio ads. I think they’re looking for things that are real. I think they’re looking for things that they know that the person or people behind it have their interest in mind. There’s a long term relationship that could be built. There’s a loyalty that’s built upon a brand that means something – that’s connected to something that’s real and that really means something to them and their community.

I think consumers are more and more cynical of marketing. They’re cynical of the slick. They want people to be transparent. They want these products to be open about their ups and downs. The power of transparency and failure and vulnerability – in a way that’s authentic that’s not just verbal streaking – but it’s really about our journey as a company and why you’re a part of that journey, inviting people into something that is bigger than themselves.

Watch the full Faith & Co. film series from Seattle Pacific University.

This video serves as an illustration to the TOW Key Topic article Puffery & Exaggeration.