How Apple, Others Have Cultivated Religious Followings
An article on AdvertisingAge about brands and religion really startled me. Martin Lindstrom took Christians into an MRI room and found out that the parts of the brain that get excited about faith also get excited about brands. Then he listed nine components that good brands and religion have in common:
- A clear vision
- A sense of belonging
- An enemy
- Sensory appeal
- Storytelling
- Grandeur
- Evangelism
- Symbols
- Rituals
It’s freightening to think that the marketers and brands of the corporate world that are fighting for our student’s attention and money are using the same tools as the church. They would love for as many teens as possible to become their raving fans. The concerning part is that it doesn’t matter how much sex or violence (or anything else) it takes to do it–they will go as far as they can.
The list is helpful though. Each of these components are great tools to use in our own youth groups to encourage greater involvement from students. A clear vision is especially important to unite and inspire your teens.
We’re not the only ones fighting for our students’ attention. There’s a lot of competition out there.
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That’s some great insight, and a great list! Thanks!
The real thanks goes to Apple… ;)