Selling Religion

The commercialisation and increased access to content occurring in our community today leads to individuals being able to shop around for items that suit their needs (Einstein, 2011). This does not only occur with popular products such as shampoo, but is also occurring with religious institutions (Einstein, 2011). This is what is termed by Einstein (2011) as the spiritual marketplace where religious faith is no longer a family tradition but a case of finding what suits oneself the best.

Individuals can easily access information about religious groups, rituals and experiences of believers online (Cheong, Huang & Poon, 2011, p. 1163). This knowledge is no longer limited to the followers or even the religious leaders themselves but can be readily accessed by those with no prior experiences (Cheong, Huang & Poon, 2011, p. 1163) and thus congregations and religious institutions must ensure that the knowledge consumers find attracts them to the church.

Many religious institutions, identifying the necessity to 'sell' and 'brand' themselves in order to attract and indeed maintain new followers, create campaigns that attract popular audiences  (Einstein, 2011). The following are some examples of recent religious advertising campaigns:

 1. The Church of Scientology's advertisement

When I first viewed the The Church of Scientology's advertisement I was  not aware of who created the advertisement, what it was trying to sell, or the message that it was trying to promote. Upon viewing the commercial I felt inspired and empowered. No, I did not have to be defined by my name, clothes, fears, past. Yes, I can make a difference and get back up when something goes wrong.

Like myself, I am sure many people could relate and identify with the statements shown at the beginning of the video. The ideologies being portrayed are not unique. These are aspects of life that most people, no matter what their beliefs, experience and relate to. Perhaps that is what The Church of Scientology is wanting to convey however - a commonality and accessiblity that people can relate to. After all that is why religious institutions are creating commercials, to appeal to the audience in order to attract members (Cheong, Huang & Poon, 2011; Einstein, 2011). 

 2. The Church of Latter Day Saints' advertisement

Once again this advertisement is focussed mainly on the aspects of everyday life until the end where it begins to discuss the role church has played in the interviewees life. What is perhaps most interesting about this interview however is that the subject is Brandon Flowers, a well known musician. Selling the message through a celebrity blurs the divide between popular culture and religion (Redmond & Holmes, 2007).

Whether this is a form of what Ward (2011) terms Para-religion is debatable however as the advertisement is not presenting Brandon to be an object of worship nor is he supporting the ideas of popular culture - clearly explaining that he does not prescribe to the popular connotations associated with the music business. Whilst Brandon is not positioned as an idol within the religion, there are many similar advertisements involving everyday people, The Church of Latter Day Saints has definitely utilised having a celebrity member who supports their ideologies as a way to allure people to the church.

In fact The Church of Latter Day Saints advertising campaign allows people to find the advertisement that is the right fit for them. You are able to search for people from the same ethnicity, age and gender as yourself (or that which you aspire to be). This is a strategic move that allows people to find something that ensures they will relate to the organisation (Cheong, Huang & Poon, 2011). 

Society today requires religious organisations to be more creative and relevant as choices and information become more accessible (Einstein, 2011). As has been discussed, religious organisations are able to market themselves in ways that combat the issues they have encountered and appeal to the audience or individual's needs and experiences (Einstein, 2011). Individual's now have a greater choice over how they engage in religious activities and the church's must adapt in order to maintain their followings (Cheong, Huang & Poon, 2011).



References

Cheong, P. H., Huang, S., & Poon, J. P. H. (2011). Cultivating online and offline pathways to enlightenment. Information, Communication & Society, 14(8). 1160 – 1180. DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2011.579139

Einstein, M. (2011). The Evolution of Religious Branding. Social Compass, 58(3). 331-338. Retrieved from http://scp.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/content/58/3/331.full.pdf+html

Rojek, C. (2007). Chapter 14 - Celebrity and Religion. In S. Redmond, & S. Holmes (Eds.), Stardom and Celebrity (pp. 171 - 180). London: Sage Publications. 

Ward, P. (2011). Gods behaving badly: Media religion and celebrity culture. London: SCM Press.

Image Source

Indication Signs [Image]. (2011). Retrieved from http://pixabay.com/en/indications-signs-direction-mail-101879/

Video Source

Church of Scientology. (2009, June 16). New Scientology Commercial: "You" [Video file]. Video posted to  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvku53FL3T8

Mormon. (2011, October 12). I'm Brandon Flowers and I'm a Mormon [Video file]. Video posted to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PF0h7oqUEQ