“This gives us the chance to invite tens of thousands of people to come to a carol/Christmas service in their community. We are going to run the radio campaign, publicising the Christmas near you website, which will have all our churches services listed. This campaign is a wonderful opportunity to connect with people who don’t usually come to church and invite them to share in our celebrations at Christmas. It’s a huge missional opportunity!”
Miles Baker
Dear Friends
Once again, ChurchAds.Net have produced two powerful, amusing 30 second radio ads for Christmas 2011 as part of our five-year strategy to ram home the simple slogan "Christmas Starts With Christ" to a country which has never been in greater need of a message of hope. Hear them attached to this email! We've chosen a "high fashion" theme - after all, where will most non-churchgoers be in the run-up to Christmas? On the High Street. Imagine the power of hearing these two ads floating out of shops in your town or city ...
But without your help, these ads won't get on the radio, and won't be heard.
Whether or not you've used radio in the past, consider this - repetition works. Advertising works. Alpha's proved that - after 7 years of advertising, they had 24% national awareness. These days, even many non-churchgoers know what Alpha is.
Radio also works. Back to Church Sunday saw an increase of "returners" from 37,000 to 82,000 the first year they used radio advertising - an increase of 121%. Radio is still the most cost-effective method of reaching outsiders and changing the church's image. And it's the UK's most trusted medium - ahead of TV, web and print. 92% of people listen - and at local level, most of them listen to their local commercial station, not BBC.
This campaign is mission, pure and simple, in a way unmatched by any other current initiative - yes, even online - in that it is certain to reach complete outsiders. Even social networking cannot guarantee that. Surely such a possibility should be top of any communications agenda?
And it need not be expensive. £1,000-£1,500 will get a campaign on most local stations. Share the load - 10 churches to give £100 each? Consider asking your Missions Department to chip in! Or the Bishop may want to dip into a discretionary fund. Or share ecumenically with other denominational leaders in the area. We can stage a short "roadshow" presentation for you, and even get you a free lunch while you watch it!
There is still time. If you'd like to find out more, and think you can either act as ChurchAds.Net "rep" and collect the money, or at least donate before December 1, please get in touch. Here's what we can do to help you:
1. Book the radio station slots for you
2. Save you VAT by settling the invoice ourselves
3. Keep you informed of when the ads will be on
4. Supply you with resources to give churches - audio, posters and copy for websites - to help them catch the vision and back it in prayer
5. Advise churches on a year-round media engagement strategy
If you can help, we need to know urgently. If not, we'd love to hear from you about anyone else you think who's a local "mover and shaker" in your patch - someone in touch with local churches who can catch this vision and make a difference this Christmas. All they have to do is raise the money locally - we can do the rest.
Thank you for reading this, and God bless your work.
Sincerely in Christ
Ali Burnett
Radio/Church Liaison for ChurchAds.Net
07774 248189
Previews of adverts below:
