Every faith-based boycott is really a plea for faith-based marketing. When the Southern Baptist’s boycott Disney or the American Family Association called for a boycott of Pepsi Co. they were, in effect, saying to each company:
- Please recognize the number of Christians in society
- Acknowledge our spending power and influence and
- Respect our beliefs with the way you conduct your business and market your products
Faith-based marketing is a positive way to accomplish those same things and much more becoming of Christians.
- Faith-based marketing makes friends with businesses whereas boycotts make enemies
- Faith-based marketing builds relationships but boycotts destroy them
- Faith-based marketing communicates what Christians are for but boycotts highlight only what we are against
- Faith-based marketing is proactive while boycotts are reactive
- Faith-based marketing creates behaviors that please Christians but boycotts can only eliminate behaviors that offend
- Faith-based marketing defines Christians by love, boycotts define Christians by hate
- Faith-based marketing gets Christians inside a company, boycotts keep them outside
Not only is faith-based marketing preferable to boycotts, in many cases, it could have averted the behaviors that prompted boycotts in the first place.
Tremendous business growth awaits companies that reach out to Christians as customers. Wonderful opportunities to positively influence culture are available to Christians who reach out to businesses.
Please join me in embracing faith-based marketing as a more effective approach and let’s agree to boycott boycotts. GS
