Why an Advertising Campaign?
People have not grown away from their faith, as much as they have turned away from organized religion. That's the bad news. The good news is that there is still a foundation of faith there; a starting point for reconnecting with Canadians.
Some facts:
- 84% of Canadians still believe in God and 75% consider God as "an ever present force in my life"
- 81% feel that "faith gives my life more meaning," while 67% believe that "my religious faith is very important to my day-to-day life"
- 70% believe that their own personal beliefs are more important than any particular denomination's teachings
- 45% of Canadians pray on a daily basis
And yet...
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Only 1 in 5 Canadians regularly attend any place of worship on a weekly basis.
Through a national advertising and PR campaign which will feature print and Internet advertising in a variety of publications as well as an online "viral videos," we will be able to directly speak with people with whom we want to open a dialogue.
Through these various vehicles, we will repeatedly reach millions of Canadians who will find great relevance in our invitation to explore their spirituality and lives.
The fact to remember is this: while the marketing must be consistent with the overall values of the church and many of its people, the campaign is not aimed at current church members.
It is aimed at the millions of Canadians who feel that organized religion isn't relevant to their lifestyle and their lives. Instead of reconfirming this belief, we must boldly obliterate it. If the advertising fails to do this, it will not get noticed by these people, nor will it connect with them on both an emotional and rational level.
The marketing campaign will be able to reach these people with an invitation to the one church that seems to understand them.