What the Catholic Church Can Learn From Social Media
Religion, in the UK atleast is certainly in decline, It’s seen as a social decay by some and a more free society by others, whatever your views, this article highlights social medias role in raising religious awareness
In a simple cartoon circulated online, Jesus looks at Peter and says, “No, I’m not talking about Twitter. I literally want you to follow me.” This is an apt depiction of the competitive relationship that has existed between media and religion, summed up as: “I’m God. Turn off the media and listen to me.” If modern technologies were used to further their faith — be it an advertising campaign or a televised sermon — religious institutions possessed a stranglehold on the content using a top-down, paternalistic approach to communication.
Forcing followers into submission no longer works — this is as true for the Catholic Church as it is for consumer-packaged goods. As marketers have discovered, trying to manage a brand in the age of social media requires a certain amount of letting go and letting consumers — even religious ones — own a portion of the message. Pepsi learned this when it allowed consumers to compete to create a new flavor of Lay’s potato chips. In turn, it gave the winner 1% of the profits. Eight million people actively engaged in co-creating with the brand.
