Religious Branding and Consumerism

According to Einstein (2011), religious marketing has risen over the past twenty-five years or so, due to societal changes. For example, the current generation now have the freedom to decide their individual faith or spiritual beliefs. Nowadays, youth look for a religious institution that meets their requirements and needs rather than simply taking up the religion of their families or community. Other societal developments incorporate the tool of advertising within mass media, through the enhancement of the television and other such media outlets.

Branding, recognised as particular characteristics that identify a product (the product being a religion), has been occupied by churches as a marketing tool. It changes religions into named commodities that consumers readily remember, to increase awareness. This is done by foregrounding various symbols (such as the cross for Christianity), languages and mythologies; unique to each religion (Einstein, 2011). It gives a religion an identity that is beyond its attributes or services (Einstein, 2011). Religions may employ branding to improve their reputation or reposition their traditional values (Einstein, 2011). As Einstein proclaims, religious branding as a marketing tool for faith institutions can be utilised “for a variety of objectives depending on the needs of the institution” (Einstein, 2011, p.337).

Take, for instance, the Church of Scientology, whom has significantly increased their use of marketing and branding. Following some negative public mediated attacks, Scientology advertised a campaign to improve a negative public perception in order to get people back on its side. This public attack involved an internet protest group pursuing a video of the celebrity, Tom Cruise, bad-mouthing the religion. Also, they privileged the death of Scientologist, Lisa McPherson, due to severe isolation, of which the religion claims to hold no responsibility towards.

The advertisement campaign is titled “Scientology: Know Yourself – Know Life” (2009) and incorporated TV and internet advertisements in the format of a video (as seen above). Although the video is compelling to watch and gains the attention of the young target audience, of any race, the advertisement does not explain Scientology. It brands scientology as a solution to one’s life. It sends a message that “your life is not okay” and that Scientology can change this (Einstein, 2011). However, it does not say how it plans to do this. Instead, it utilises beautiful photography and new age music to lead to a website, being scientology.org. It brands scientology as a hip and mainstream religion, thus developing new symbols to target young people. This marketing tool was seen to be affective as the number of visitors to the website doubled following the campaign (Einstein, 2011). However, the videos are somewhat untruthful. They do not explain Scientology. They rather gain the attention of the audience by utilising effective techniques.

It is interesting to think of a religion needing a marketing tool to draw adherents into their Church etc. It makes one reconsider the purpose of religion. If religions are simply in competition with each other for adherents, and depending on media to gain new members, then where is the real faith? Shouldn't followers be able to choose what they want to believe without the influence of advertising and mediated tools? It is not a matter of ‘who is the best religion.’ For example, the Church of Scientology has recently increased its use in marketing following some negative hits from the media involving certain celebrities. However, it should not matter what the media believes a religion to be. It is up to the individual person. People have the right to believe what they want too, without being pushed and influenced by news and advertisements telling them what they are doing right and wrong. For example, Scientology's campaign foregrounding that people's lives are not okay without this particular religion seems somewhat immoral, using 'Hollywood' ideas and techniques to influence people's decisions, rather than giving them the right to their own life choices. 

References:

Church of Scientology. (2009, Jun 16). Scientology Ad: “Life” [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1RaKWS6jb4

Einstein, M. 2011. The Evolution of Religious Branding. Social Compass 58(3): 331-338. (RL)

Ward, P. 2011. Gods Behaving Badly: Media Religion and Celbrity Culture. London: SCM Press. Ch 3. 57 on. (RL)