Marketing God to Teens

Book excerpt: As companies such as Coca-Cola and Toyota respectively become increasingly prominent through self-promotion and fierce competition for the attention and allegiance of the teenage demographic, by contrast, church attendance amongst young people in the West is in decline. These companies invest considerable resources in finding ways to market their products in ways that appeal to young people, distinguishing their products from those of their competitors and ensuring long-term brand loyalty through providing customer satisfaction. The potential impact of the continuation of these trends compels us to address the controversial question of whether, and to what extent, the church could learn from the marketing strategies of secular organizations, and apply their techniques in order to address the diminishing interest of young people in Christianity.