Church Business
March 15, 2005
A Style All Their Own
Marketing to Teens Proves Elusive for Church Leaders - But it Can Be Done
By Noelle Bates
Director of Public Relations of LogoWorks
To marketers, teenagers are worth an estimated $150 billion a year. At 33 million strong, they comprise the largest generation of teens America has ever seen - larger, even, than the Baby Boom generation. Last year, America's teens spent $100 billion, while influencing their parents' spending by $50 billion more.
It is no wonder then that teenagers are the hottest consumer demographic in America . Marketers are on their trails, dissecting their habits and attitudes, and even hiring the coolest kids - the trendsetters - to wear, drink, eat and talk about their products with their friends.
Unfortunately, however, the competitiveness among marketers for teenagers' attention means that much of what they see and hear is negative. Advertising is aimed to make them feel like they are missing out, like they aren't good enough or cool enough, like they are a step behind and that they don't have the right friends. Adolescence is difficult enough without the bombardment of messaging that make them feel more insecure, and for that reason teenagers have never needed church more.
But in a world where "cool" reigns and where feeling like you fit in is of utmost importance, how do church leaders draw teens into their churches and ministries in a way that speaks their language while still providing a safe haven and an uplifting environment?
While reaching out to teens it is an on-going process that takes time and focus, there are two things that pastors can initially focus on to reach out to teens.
First, it has never been easier or more affordable for leaders to specifically brand a church or youth group by creating a logo that resonates with the younger generation. Although it might seem like a simple or obvious thing to do, a logo that "speaks" to teens communicates the importance the church places on them and helps them feel like they are a part of something important - two critical components of making any youth group or ministry successful.
Casey Scott, Pastor of Highrock Church in Billings , Montana is focused on reaching out to the younger generation, who he says, "feels really disposed about church and feels like it's all empty ritual." While Scott says that truth hasn't changed, he feels strongly that it needs to be wrapped in cutting-edge presentation. "What we proclaim hasn't changed in two thousand years, but the way that we present it has to change because the culture has changed."
For Scott, presentation starts with the church's logo. "I looked at all of the church logos in the phone book and I found out that they were all vanilla. They were nice, but there was nothing with any punch. That made me want to differentiate ourselves and we wanted something bold that would get younger people's attention."
"Teenagers are masters of observation," says Patrick Jesberger, the Ministries Coordinator of Lake Ridge Church in Mentor , Ohio . "They know when leadership has it together and when they don't. When we started to talk about focusing on them more, we decided we wanted to give them an identity that was rock solid." Jesberger did that developing a logo specifically for the church's youth group that is an offshoot of the church's logo.
Dave Spooner, the Youth Pastor at Rock Church in Rockford , Illinois has 10 years of experience working with teens. Not only did he create a logo specifically for his youth ministry, he involved them in deciding what the logo should look like. He got a cross-section of his 80-strong youth ministry to review concepts and make suggestions until they ended up with the final logo. "They were totally part of the process," he says. "They felt important because they were important in that decision making, and we ended up with a logo they are really excited about."
Both Jesberger and Spooner report that creating a logo specifically for them gave the teens a sense of importance and legitimacy. "What we communicated by creating a logo for them was that, ‘We really believe in this ministry and we really believe in our you and because of that we really want to give you an identity that is all your own,'" says Jesberger.
Adding to that, Spooner says that a specific youth logo helps attract kids that have never attended church. "A good logo is something that tells them, ‘This is not your grandparents' church and this is something you can identify with.'"
Spooner put the logo on t-shirts, hoodie sweatshirts and key chains, and says, "The kids think they are cool and they give them away. They are proud of it and because of that they're more apt to share it. It goes a long way because it is attractive to the kids and it gets them in the door."
The second critical part of reaching out to teens is planning. An absence of a plan, says Jesberger, "Tells teens that you don't really care about them, that they are just an afterthought. By planning, you are in essence telling them that you love them."
Planning all aspects of a ministry is not only essential for maintaining structure says Scott, but, "It says a great deal about how serious you are about your church and the people to whom you minister."
Spooner plans a year ahead and says he is "even thinking three and four years into the future about what we're going to teach." Like he did with the logo, Spooner incorporates the youth into the process. "I survey the kids to ensure what we're teaching is relevant. It's easy for me to be out-of-touch, and that is the last perception you want to have as a youth leader."
Jesberger has a six-month teaching and activity plan was put in place for the students that details what the lessons will be and what activities are going to take place with all of the pertinent details. "We really focused on establishing a plan so they had something to rely on. They know what to expect, and having that structure is very important to teens."
Spooner adds, "There are a hundred other things vying for their time. School. Sports. Social events. The mall. And those are all things that they will turn to if you don't plan."
"Our logo and the youth group calendar and plan communicate a great deal about how much we care about our students," says Jesberger. "These two things are great steps to building relationships with the students, and relationships are what really grow a ministry."
Spooner adds, "We can provide something none of the mass marketers can - personal interaction and Christ's love. The kids crave those things and will come back. But you have to be savvy enough get them in the door and keep them coming."
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All three of these leaders turned to LogoWorks, an affordable on-line provider of custom logos, for their church or youth group's identity. You can visit LogoWorks at www.logoworks.com or by calling 1-800-210-7650.
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