Does Advertising Work to Grow our Faith?

Kansas CityThe First Experiment

4 Month Media Test Spring 2003 $130,000 Media Buy,

UUA Capital Campaign- Funded “Uncommon Denomination” Creative

Focus Groups with UUs and non-UUs Hospitality & Belonging Training for

Congregations Focus on using advertising campaign to

leverage congregational change Pre – Post Awareness Research

Kansas CityThe Numbers

Average Growth of Congregational Adult Membership in 3 years prior to test → 2% per year

Adult Membership growth during and after the testTest Year + 13.2%Year 2 + 8.0%Year 3 + 4.4%3 Year Total +25.6%

National 3 Year Growth +3.0% Total New Adult Members

Test Year 93Year 2 64Year 3 383 Year Total 195

Houston The Second Experiment

4-Month Media Test Spring 2005 $212,000 Media Buy, Major Donor-Funded

More Effective Media Buy/Cooperation of Houston Chronicle

Improved Creative “Imagine A Religion” More Heart / Less Head

Hospitality & Belonging Training for Congregations

Improved based on K.C. Experience

Houston – The Numbers

Average Growth of Congregational Adult Membership in 3 years prior to test → 1.7% per year

Adult Membership growth during test → 6.35%

Total New Adult Members → 107

Houston vs. Kansas City

Kansas City Houston Difference

Media Buy $130,000 $212,000 +63%

Size of Market

1.1MMetro Area

4.7MMetro Area

+427%

Cost per New Adult MemberKansas City

First Year 3 Year

Total 3-year adult membership growth

93 195

Expected growth w/out advertising (14) (48)

Growth attributable to advertising 79 147

Cost/New Member$130,000/79 =

$1,645 $130,000/147 = $884

Cost per New Adult MemberKansas City

First Year 3 Year

Total 3-year adult membership growth

93 195

Expected growth w/out advertising

(14) (48)

Growth attributable to advertising

79 147

Cost/New Member$130,000/79 =

$1,645 $130,000/147 =

$884

New pledge income to congregations (new pledge units* x average pledge**)

47x$1,205 = $56,635

88x$1,205 = $106,040

Months to recoup media costs

27 21

*new pledge units = 60% of new members**average pledge increased 14% during 3 year test

Early Reports from Orange County,South Bay & Long Beach

100,000 Media Buy

Growth 3 prior years = 1%

Growth this year = 11.3%

Early Reports from Orange County,South Bay & Long Beach

Rev. John Morehouse, Pacific Unitarian Church

“The ultimate testimony to the campaign’s transformative nature can be summed up in one short story. About three weeks ago a lesbian couple showed up for our worship service. They had seen the insert in the LA Times. After the service they asked to speak to me and told me they wanted to have a union ceremony to bless their domestic partnership. Just the other day, one partner stopped me after church and asked to speak to me. She told me that her partner was dying of cancer. ‘You see,’ she said, ‘while that is sad, it so wonderful we found this church. At least we will be blessed by this community, at least she won’t die before she knows that there is such a religion for us.’ We have a world waiting to be saved. This campaign was a brave step into that work.”

Some Simple Minded* Projections

Growth Goal 1%** 2% 3% 4% 5%

Incremental New Members Required

1,600 3,200 4,800 6,400

Acquisition Cost using K.C. 3 yr cost as basis ($884)

$1,400,000 $2,800,000 $4,200,000 $5,600,000

New Pledge Income to Congregations

$1,152,000 $2,300,000 $3,456,000 $4,608,000

*Simple minded because media selection and cost must be market specific.**Our growth has been a steady 1%/year for over 20 years.

Does advertising work to grow UU congregations?

Fringe Benefits

Congregations work togetherBasis for future growth efforts (for instance, a

Kansas City emerging new congregation)

Congregational culture change

Happy donors with capacity for significant future generosity

Increased awareness of Unitarian Universalism:

Unmeasurable - but perhaps central!

We Are Still Learning

Role of PR tied to ad campaignsSouthern California Success

Media selection

How much do we have to spend? Impact of market sizeDid we under-spend in Houston?Did we over-spend in Kansas City?

Conclusions

Advertising is not a panacea, but where conditions are right it can be a powerful tool for growth and should be a part of an overall growth plan.

The fringe benefits are impressive.

The costs are substantial, but not beyond our reach. A single typical mid-size church can easily raise $150,000 for a minor renovation.

Conclusions

In Kansas City and Houston our advertising had to do two jobs: Create awareness (effectively -0- prior to the

ads) Generate visitors/members

A modest national awareness campaign might well multiply the effectiveness of market-based outreach campaigns.

Together Let Us Grow Our Faith!