Like many other people, I watched most of the issues of The Bible, on the History Channel, during the weeks leading up to Easter. Like a lot of other video presentations of written materials, I must say that while I enjoyed the movie, I like the book better. I thought the video series was well done and was pleased that it got such a popular viewing, So, when I was asked to write a blog about a marketing topic, it got me thinking about Jesus’ ministry and what we can learn about marketing from the Bible.
It’s not so much what the Bible “says” about marketing, as it is how it uses marketing principles. For example, let’s look at the four Ps of marketing.
Back when I was studying marketing for my MBA degree, the four Ps were:
Positioning – how the product was to be presented to the market – as a high end product, a commodity item, or somewhere in between.
Packaging – which could be anything from blister packs and color choices for some items to showroom lighting and high gloss wax jobs for luxury vehicles.
Pricing – is pretty self explanatory, and it has to be in keeping with and support the positioning choice.
Promotions – referring to any special deals to end users or distribution channels that would promote the movement of the product through the supply chain either from the “pull” side or on the “push” side of it.
Now, the four Ps are Product, Placement, Pricing and Promotion. While very similar, they do present a couple differences in focus.
To see what the Bible shows us about marketing let’s look Jesus’ ministry. These four Ps were:
- Preparation
- Proclamation
- Presentation
- Promise
The Preparation was the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness where he and his message was tried and tested before starting his ministry.
The Proclamation was done by John the Baptist who was “A voice crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord”.
The Presentation was the three years of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, miracles and healing. He challenged people to follow him, to forgive each other, to actively suffer for the sake of righteousness.
The Promise is that if we do this and accept that he suffered and died for us, our lives on this earth will be more joyful and we will have eternal life.
So, what does this mean for modern day marketing of your product or service?
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First, you need to take time to prepare and test the product and the message. It has to meet a need and have impact.
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Second, you need to proclaim the message, to make it available for people to find it. John the Baptist did not go into the cities to preach, instead the people went out to the wilderness to seek him out. He may have been one of the first to use inbound marketing.
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Third, you need to present your product and carefully thought out and tested message with a concise call-to-action.
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Then, fourth, you must deliver on the promise.
After all is said and done? Rinse and repeat.
Written by: Rich Beery