PyroMarketing

The Ripple Effect

I received the following email from PyroManiac Lori Midkiff, who handles marketing and design for The River, a radio station in Columbus, Ohio.  I'm republishing it with her permission because I think it is a wonderful example of PyroMarketing in action. Great job Lori!

 Let me know if it inspires you or if you have a similar story to tell.  Spread the fire. GS

Greg, I wanted to share with you our story from here at the River in Columbus, Ohio.  There was a small group of us that got together and read your book as a group per the suggestion of John Frost, which I'm sure you know.  Personally, I was so excited about the concept and couldn't wait to try it.  After a long struggle, I was finally able to implement a new program here that we just kicked off a couple weeks ago called The Ripple Effect.   We have a web site set up if you would like to visit it, but basically, we have this card that our listeners request.  They use it as a "pay it forward" card.  The back of the card says this...   When a drop hits the water, the ripples created extend far beyond what we see and become an ever growing circle, touching countless lives.  This world can be unkind, but you've just experienced "the ripple effect" of kindness.  Keep the ripples going and do something kind for someone else.  Leave this card behind when you do.  Let us know how "the ripple effect" has touched your life.  Please call 1-888-THE-RIVER or go online to www.rippleoftheriver.com and share your story.   We have promos running on the air giving examples of how the ripple effect card can be used.  The response has been incredible!!  We've mailed and handed out over 1200 cards so far and it's still going strong.  What's even more incredible is our listeners are marketing for us!!  We've set it up so listeners have to request cards, so those people requesting cards have been very passionate about the program.  A lot of people have requested cards to use in their church in small groups or sunday school classes, which is our driest tender.   With the current economy, we had to drastically cut our marketing budget this year.  We are so excited about this method of marketing and are thrilled that you shared it in a book that we could learn from.  We can't wait until one of the ripples makes it back to one of us.  How cool is that??

The Decline of Christianity? Or was it Newsweek?

Newsweek predicts the end of Christian America based on a ten percent decline in self-identified Christians over the last 20 years.  Ironically, the article makes no mention of Newsweek's own mortality despite a 17% circulation decline in just two years.  Oh the irony. The terminally ill patient is worried the doctor looks a shade pale.

The Newsweek issue of which I speak will hits stands on Monday April 13th, the day after Easter--the day with the greatest church attendance of the year--and the very day that my new book, Faith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers begins shipping to stores.

If you're a Christian, then you may be looking for water cooler ammunition come Monday and be interested in the following facts lifted from the first chapter of my book.  If you're not a Christian, but are interested in getting your facts straight, then you should take note as well.  To paraphrase Mark Twain, it seems reports of Christianity's death have been greatly exaggerated.

• There were more Americans in church Super Bowl Sunday morning than watched the game itself worldwide.
• There are more Christian Americans than white Americans

If the Newsweek cover story bothers you and you're looking for ways to let others know, then let me suggest some ideas.

1. Post this church sign photo on your blog, Facebook page, MySpace, or print it and hang it by your desk as a sign of protest.  Just right click it and choose "save image as" to save it to your computer.  Then upload it to your Facebook or Blog or print it the way you normally would.

2. Link to this blog post from your social media, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

3. Can't remember those statistics?  That's okay, just direct your friends to www.faithbasedmarketing.com where Bob Hutchins and I share them in video format.

4. Whenever you use Google from April 13th through Friday April 17, search the name "Jesus" before searching for anything else.  If enough people do this, then the name Jesus will rise to the top of Google Trends as the most-searched term that week and help reveal to America just how many Christians there really are.  Get your friends, family...your entire church to join you and then monitor the results at http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends?sa=X

I'll watch Google Trends too and when I see Jesus on the rise, I'll alert the media with a press release.

To the 7.3% of religiously unaffiliated Americans hoping that America's 76% Christians are going away, I have another Mark Twain quote to consider.  "Let your sympathies and your compassion be always with the under dog in the fight--this is magnanimity; but bet on the other one--this is business."

Bet on believers.  Spread the fire. GS

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