Regional Marketing Outreach Campaigns
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has conducted five regional marketing campaigns from 2003 to 2009. The UUA funded the initial campaign in Kansas City as a test market. All subsequent campaigns have been locally funded by generous donors. The following is a list of the regional campaigns, with locations, dates, total expenditures, and number of congregations participating:
- Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas (January - June 2003) $100,000; four congregations.
- Houston, Texas (January - April 2005) $212,000; eight congregations.
- Long Beach and Orange County, Southern California (September - October 2006) $100,000; seven congregations.
- San Francisco Bay Area, California (September - November 2007) $300,000; seventeen congregations.
- Tampa Bay Area, Florida (February - April 2008) $225,000; eight congregations.
All of these campaigns used some combination of the following advertising media: radio, television, direct mail, billboards, mass transit (PDF), print (including newspaper, magazines, and specialized periodicals), inserts (PDF) in Sunday newspapers, web banners, and internet (including options such as Google Adwords). In addition, many of these campaigns received significant local press coverage.
These campaigns were "seeker friendly" by inviting visitors to "Imagine a religion where people with different beliefs worship as one faith." The tone was inclusive and welcoming.
Congregational preparation was also a key and integral part of each campaign. Advertising brings people through the church doors, but hospitality is intentional and meaningful work. Congregations conducted a hospitality audit and attended workshops about greeting, welcoming, and hospitality. Each congregation created a 90-day readiness action plan to enhance their welcome to newcomers.
Each congregation was required to measure results. The following reports are available:
Overview Reports:
- Marketing Programs 2007-2008 Overview (PDF)
- Does Advertising Work to Grow Our Faith? (PPT) (PDF)
- Marketing Outreach Overview 2008 (PDF)
Regional Marketing Outreach Campaigns:
The following documents are in PDF format.
- Tampa Bay Area, Florida, First Year Report, Spring 2009
- Tampa Bay Area, Florida, Marketing Outreach Campaign, 2008
- San Francisco Bay Area, California, Marketing Outreach Campaign, 2007
- Orange County/South Bay/Long Beach, California, Marketing Outreach Campaign, 2007
- Houston, Texas, Marketing Outreach Campaign, 2005
- Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, Marketing Outreach Campaign, 2003
For more information contact marketing_outreach @ uua.org.
This work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors and congregations. Please consider making a donation today.
Last updated on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.
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