The worlds famous M&Ms were trending a few weeks ago as they made a MAJOR announcement. In it they stated that they are removing their famous spokes candies as the face of their commercials after all the criticism and divisiveness it created a few years earlier. Instead, they name Maya Rudolph as their new spokes person.
This seemed a little odd considering the time of this announcement. For starters, it has been years since they faced a lot of the backlash for changing the appearance of their candies. And secondly, the Super Bowl is right around the corner. And, the Super Bowl is notorious for companies creating amazing ads. So, there is some speculation that this is part of a bigger Super Bowl Ad for M&Ms. This has a feel of that time when IHOP changed its name to IHOB to highlight their burgers.
Regardless of what is happening, people are talking about it. So, how does this apply to ministry? What can ministry leaders learn from this, especially from a marketing perspective? After all, the Church isn’t always the best at marketing. Here are 2 marketing reminders that will help.
Change can be hard for people.
While change may be very necessary, it can be hard for people. Especially if it is a sudden and unexpected change. This M&Ms announcement came out of the blue as it was announced on Twitter. Because of this, it’s important to make sure when you are making changes at your Church or in your ministry, this doesn’t come as a complete shock to people.
To help people embrace change here are a few ideas you can do:
- Have some private conversations with people, asking their opinions and start sharing some ideas of potential changes coming up.
- Get small groups of people together where you cast vision, get feedback and have conversations about potential changes coming up.
- Poll the people you are doing ministry with or ministering to before you make a change. Get their feedback.
The important element here is that as you share the change with people, give people the chance to share their thoughts and feelings. It may not change your mind on the change that needs to happen, but it will give them the ability to voice their thoughts. It will give them an opportunity to share and be heard. Ultimately, it will get people talking in a positive way.
Navigating change can be hard, but it is possible. See how your Church or ministry can successfully navigate change in a positive way. Click To TweetGet people talking.
Marketing is a good way to try to get people to talk about your product or event. M&Ms definitely have people talking. Some are upset. Some are happy. And some, as stated above, are speculating that this is part of an even bigger marketing plan. Regardless of why they really choose to to do this, the reality is that people are talking.
Getting people to talk is just as important for a Church or ministry as it is for a business. What can you do in your ministry or at your Church that can get people talking? Not talking in a bad sort of way about something but talking good about something ahead. How can you communicate effectively enough before a change or announcement that will get people excited rather than nervous? That will get people feeling better about the direction of things rather than nervous about the future? Get people talking, but control the narrative by navigating the change the ways above.
The M&Ms change to Maya Rudolph was perfectly timed and has people talking. Your Church can learn something from this. See how. Click To TweetConclusion
While change may be hard for people, but change is possible. It definitely got people talking about M&Ms. These are just two of marketing lessons we can all learn from the M&M announcement to change their spoke person from the candies to Maya Rudolph. However this marketing idea works out for M&Ms the reality is that it is causing conversations to happen and maybe even an increase in sales. That would count as a success in many peoples books.
What will you start incorporating today? Before you finish reading this post, write down a quick action plan that you can start implementing today so that you can avoid social media mistakes. Share them below or on social media.
Interested in being a Digital Missionary or want to learn digital tools to expand your reach in ministry this year, join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group!
