Ministry Marketing CoachMinistry Branding and Marketing that Works

If you attended MinistryCOM the last couple of years you know Ginger Sinsabaugh MacDonald she has been a speaker/presenter at that conference. Ginger is a bi-vocational minister who also is the “Top Cookie” over at TastyFaith.com. Ginger splits her time in Chicago between advertising and urban youth ministry. She has insights into communication strategy and a grasp of what makes people tick few have.

She has worked with Snap! Crackle! Pop! as well as Michael Jordan. She has won awards creating commercials you’ve seen on TV, ads in magazines, coupons in Sunday papers, as well as the signage the sample lady has next to her at the supermarket.

But now, Ginger uses her creativity to stir up a craving for more than snack foods. As the Top Cookie of TastyFaith,com, Ginger helps create a craving for Christ with fresh outreach materials. She is the author of Life After Birth Bible Studies for Teen Moms as well as several articles about media, creative communication and teens. Ginger and her husband, Jeff, live in Chicago, Ill. where they enjoy eating candy.

Ginger has a new book out. “The Crave Factor” that has insights into how to develop creative messaging for your outreach ideas. No matter if you’re a mega church or a new non-profit, this pocketsize guide can help you dial up the impact of your newsletters, bulletins, programming and more.

The Book Includes How to:

• Create a craving for your programming or outreach efforts
• Discover your organization’s Unique Flavor Mix
• Brainstorm fun outreach ideas and ahah-portunities
• The Nuts and Bolts of Creative Process

Read Ginger’s real world advice from her years of experience as an award winning writer/creative director in advertising. Here’s a recent interview I have done with Ginger Sinsabaugh McDonald:

Tell a little about the products you have worked on as a copywriter.

I’ve worked on about every product you can imagine. I started as a copy writer working on Rice Krispies with Snap! Crackle! Pop!  I also cut my teeth on Velveeta, which actually can bounce if you roll it into a ball.

I also worked a bit on McDonalds, frozen waffles, condiments, canning supplies, pantyhose, laundry detergent, horrific medical procedures, facial cleansers, snack foods, mutual funds, canned goods, amusement parks, instant dinners, dehydrated potato flakes and my personal favorite, Wheaties. It’s not because I like cereal that tastes like cardboard, but because I got to work with Michael Jordan. Yeah, it was cool meeting him. I got an autographed basketball which really came in handy while volunteering in urban youth ministry.

As a creative director, I migrated to the dairy aisle, trying to get moms to force feed their families various forms of ruminated grass (aka: milk, cheese and yogurt).

As a copywriter/creative director, you come up with the ideas, taglines, jingles, headlines, slogans and everything short of the legal copy (which is usually written by a long winded lawyer).

What are some basics you see churches missing when they write copy?

The church often looks at things from the pulpit’s view point vs. the pew-point. We need to view programs from the outsider’s point of view, making someone crave their offerings instead of telling them that they “need God”.

Also, keep things simple. Less is more and creates intrigue. Turn on their curiosity.

In your book you warn about the dangers of “bait and switch,” explain a little what you mean?

Ask yourself, Does your programming meet your target’s taste expectations or does it taste like something else ? Make sure that your programming matches up to how you communicate it. Don’t market yourself as being a hip POMO church if you’re full of wigs and walkers.

What is a “Big Ben?”

This is a benefit statement,  the reason someone would get off their comfy sofa on a stormy to sit on a wooden pew. What’s in it for them?

Whenever coming up with new programming, event or communication, ask yourself, what is the big benefit (big ben) for your target? It’s not the big idea but the benefit of your big idea.

How would churches benefit from using a creative brief?

Creative briefs are the foundation of great advertising. In many agencies that I worked at, heads would roll if you started a project without one. It doesn’t possess magical powers, but this simple document puts all vital information about a project in one place. This critical info includes your target, your Ahah-portunity, the project grand poobahs as well as the budget, timeline and Big Ben. It’s a collaborative piece. HINT: You’ll want to get sign off on the creative brief before the creative department fires up their graphic programs. It will help you save time and save you from creative grief.

What is the “Big Ben” for church leaders who buy your book?

The Big Benefit of the Crave Factor? It’s like the decoder ring you used to get in cereal boxes, but for creative messaging. Along with giving your creativity a double dose of Red Bull, it’ll come in handy to keep communication projects on track and focused. I highly recommend getting a few extra copies for your pastor and favorite staff member with an infamous “this won’t take much time” project.