Faith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers (Hardcover)

~ Bob Hutchins (Author), Greg Stielstra (Author)
Key Phrases: million person market, market your church, print strategy, United States, Christian Supply, Christianity Today (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Most businesses don’t have a good understanding of the faith community and how to market to this huge audience in effective, culturally sensitive ways. Many attempts to market to Christians have backfired, because the marketers had little understanding of Christians’ values, taboos, and "hot buttons". Yet the size of the opportunity is enormous. Faith-Based Marketing provides everything business leaders need to understand 140 million Christian consumers and effectively reach them. It explains who Christians are, what they want, and provides traditional, new media, and word-of-mouth strategies to communicate with and engage them and their churches. The book also includes a valuable directory of top Christian organizations, churches, and events, to help marketers and business leaders find out whom to contact and how. The book includes a free subscription to a companion website with bonus content.

From the Inside Flap

It's the largest, most faithful, highest spending market segment in the United States, yet chances are you have never considered it. America's 140 million weekly church-goers spend $5.1 trillion annually and support the businesses that understand and respect them with near-religious devotion. But to reach them effectively, you're going to need some help.

Faith-Based Marketing provides everything you need to understand the Christian consumer power niche and effectively reach it. It explains who makes up that community, what they want, and what it takes to appeal to them. Then, based on survey research from believers across the country and interviews with experts, it provides practical guidance for creating faith-based marketing plans that work.

In many ways, Christians are no different from other consumers—they are discerning shoppers who put price, value, customer service, and convenience ahead of loyalty to businesses that just happen to be owned by Christians. But they are also a somewhat forgotten market that promises big returns for those businesses that develop real relationships with them. Christians may be ordinary consumers who need the same prod-ucts as everyone else, but they respond extraordinarily well to marketing approaches customized to their needs.

Faith-Based Marketing presents a bounty of other important insights as well—common mistakes marketers make in dealing with the Christian market; how to serve rather than sell to the market; and what works and doesn't work when dealing with pastors and other church leaders. You'll also find proven strategies for effective radio, print, online, word-of-mouth, and direct marketing, as well as resources—in the book and online—that tell you who's who in the Christian community and how to reach them.

Though increasing your sales is the ultimate goal, this book isn't just about selling more of your stuff to Christians. Faith-Based Marketing reveals that when you market your products the right way, you won't just make more money but also meet the needs of Christian consumers in ways that respect their beliefs and improve their lives—a blessing for us all.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (May 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470422106
• ISBN-13: 978-0470422106
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #209,073 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for anyone who wants to learn about Christians and marketing, October 7, 2009

By	RLC - See all my reviews

I enjoyed reading this book and learned several things about marketing to the faith based market. I am a life long Christian and had an aha moment about several of the points made in the book. I had never really thought about the effectiveness of Christian radio stations. I have friends that listen to these stations and the book correctly points out that they are the most loyal listening audience. They tend to listen to the same station all the time and that makes target marketing more effective. There are many more good tips on every type of marketing and how it may work toward the faith based community.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opening, Idea Generating - Top Notch!, May 20, 2009

By	Andrew R. Sperry - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you've never explored the faith-based "market" before this book will leave you either scrambling to reposition your product or service to partner with the faith-based community or have your wheels turning to come up with a new product or service to launch into this massive, easy to reach, highly defined group of consumers. Many times as I read this book I found myself saying, "Wow", "You're kidding" and "I never knew". Everything from understand the Christian consumer to creating a marketing plan to a comprehensive resources section is included, making this the Bible of marketing to the Christian community.

5.0 out of 5 stars This has been extraordinarily valuable for our entire Marketing team!, December 21, 2009

By	David G. Fee - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I was so impressed with the information in this book that I went ahead and purchased one for the entire marketing team. The information we gleaned from this book has changed our perspective on Marketing. In addition to the information in the book there is an entire section of resources that have helped us immensely. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone in marketing. And don't let the title fool you it is equally valuable for Christians and non-Christians alike.