The idea for this article came when sometime ago, a Pastor friend of mine called me for a little chat.

His young church was barely two years old and was not doing badly. He sat me down and told me point-blank that he needed help with growing his church and was thinking of starting a marketing department for the sole means of finding ways and means to build his church population.

He asked me to become a consultant to his church and help the young marketing team develop and implement church growth strategies.

That was a whole new area for me as a marketing/business strategy consultant. My work up to then had involved working with mostly for profit firms and businesses.

At his persistence I promised to take up the offer only if he would agree to my terms. Being somewhat new to the idea of aggressively and strategically marketing a church I delved into research and my findings surprised me the more.

Most big, well known churches (especially the protestant ones) had vibrant and defined marketing initiative aimed at attracting their target demographic group.

PUBLICITY STUNTS ARE NOT FOR COMPANIES ALONE

A particular publicity rally organized by one of the new age churches to boost attendance to its youth programme got me admiring the creativity of some of these churches. One, many times, can’t help but admire the creativity and sagacity of modern day churches in Nigeria in their attempt to draw more worshippers and ultimately more donations and offerings.

Marketing by Strategic Positioning

If you think only companies and big firms practices positioning as a marketing force you are mistaken.

Each of the big modern churches in Nigeria below understands the need to create a particular message for a particular group or groups of audience.

Winners Chapel (Living Faith Ministries) has positioned itself as the ultimate prosperity and wealth attraction center, this marketing image has been strengthened of course, by the writings and preaching of its Pastors led by Bishop David Oyedepo,

http://nairabrains.com/2011/09/church-marketing-and-promotion-a-growing-phenomenon-in-nigeria-and-what-companies-can-learn-from-churches/