Religious Ethics: the Teen Challenge Project

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Table of Contents

The Word of Wisdom
First-Mover Advantage
A Living Sacrifice
AG’s Teen Challenge
Conclusion
References

The Word of Wisdom

The strategies of controlling deception appearing in advertisements can vary depending on a country where they are used, as well as on the target audience. There is a chance that, if the government and advocacy groups succeed in preventing the use of deceptive advertisements, consumers will be able to make reasonable decisions and avoid being misled (Eagle & Dahl, 2015; Mullins & Walker, 2013).

Many advertisements are very provocative in their nature, applying the pathos technique and making people feel the need to purchase this product referring to their emotions (Eagle & Dahl, 2015). Instead of relying on pathos, advertisements should be based on logos as an influential rhetoric technique. From this perspective, different ads should include honest representations of product characteristics and features in order to help a consumer make an argumentative, evidence-based decision.

In the Scripture, it is stated that, being dishonest leads evildoers to being trapped because of “their sinful talk” (O’Dowd, 2017, p. 10). This idea can be suitable to explain what is expected for those producers or advertisers who provide untrue information about products and services in the media (Mullins & Walker, 2013). The reason is that deceived consumers will not purchase this product or service again, and there is also a significant risk of spreading negative commentaries among potential consumers. Additionally, according to the Scripture, “a lying tongue lasts only a moment” (O’Dowd, 2017, p. 10).

In the context of advertising and marketing, these words can be interpreted in the following way: if the information presented in advertisements is misleading, it can be effectively used only during a short period of time, until consumers know the truth about this product. On the contrary, companies that respect their clients and provide rather truthful information remain leaders in the market for many decades because of customer loyalty and brand recognition (Mullins & Walker, 2013). Therefore, the principles of religious ethics can be effectively used in marketing to improve advertising and sales.

First-Mover Advantage

The examples of pioneers in different industries and markets, especially with the focus on technologies and services, are illustrative for explaining the principle of the first-mover advantage when the first in the market wins it. However, referring to the analysis of different markets, it is possible to state that the first-mover advantage can work only during a short period of time and for the most innovative areas (Owens & Fernandez, 2014). When this particular sector becomes occupied by other entrants, the factor of quality can become the most important one. Thus, the idea of the first-mover advantage seems to be wrong because quality, effectiveness, and excellence are the key factors to become a leader in the market.

Those companies that follow the examples of first-movers have an opportunity to analyze these pioneers’ strong and weak sides to propose a better strategy or product. With the help of their activity, first-movers demonstrate what course to follow and what decisions have led to positive and negative outcomes. In addition, the analysis of these companies’ operations and strategies allows for determining what areas need to be developed and what aspects need to be improved (Mullins & Walker, 2013).

Moreover, the analysis of these companies’ target audience and its reaction to products and services is important for other new entrants in the market to make an attractive offer to potential consumers (Owens & Fernandez, 2014). Thus, entering the market after first-movers, many companies can become more advantageous to win this market in the future.

The strategy based on promoting the idea that a company is a first-mover is less effective than the strategy guided by the idea that a company is the best one among its competitors. Consumers will potentially choose products and services proposed by the best producer or manufacturer because they are interested in quality (Pride & Ferrell, 2016). There is also a risk that first-movers greatly rely on their past successes and do not try to adapt to the changes in the market in order to use more effective strategies and propose more attractive products.

Therefore, being a first-mover does not always mean being a leader in the market with a wide customer base. In order to achieve significant results, companies need to refer to innovation, but they also need to pay much attention to improving the quality of their products not to lose the interest and loyalty of consumers. As a result, in the long-term perspective, the best companies seem to beat first-movers in terms of their sales and impact on consumers.

Although first-movers attract the attention of the audience during the first months of their activity, they need to make much effort in order to preserve their success and popularity among the public to compete with new entrants that can develop into the best companies in the market. Thus, the idea that the first-mover advantage is the key one for a company’s success is wrong, and the focus should be on becoming the best company, not the first one.

A Living Sacrifice

The performance measurement process is important for a company to determine what areas need improvements in order to increase the quality of products and attract more clients. Employees and clients are involved in this process as stakeholders, and referring to Romans 12:1-21, it is possible to organize the performance measurement in a way appropriate for them. The motivation for developing the performance measurement process is presented in the following verse: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment” (Bird, 2016, p. 5).

Thus, to be able to see a real situation regarding marketing in a company, it is necessary to conduct regular assessments in order to avoid perceiving the situation better than it is (Eagle & Dahl, 2015; Mullins & Walker, 2013). As a result, it is possible to focus on weaknesses that need to be addressed to make a company successful.

In addition, organizing the performance measurement process, it is necessary to assign the right people to conduct marketing audits and other assessments. In this case, it is reasonable to follow the verse on different “gifts” that people have. To achieve better results, it is important to involve the most appropriate persons for performing the required measurements and assessments. One more important recommendation is presented in the following verse: “Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (Bird, 2016, p. 12).

While following this verse, it is possible to organize rather productive communication with subordinates in order to conduct the performance measurement process effectively. Thus, simple pieces of advice from Romans 12:1-21 can be applied to different areas of business, including marketing (Eagle & Dahl, 2015). The reason is that the key to a successful process or a plan that can be implemented in a company is in organizing the work of people or stakeholders and cooperating with them to achieve the set goals.

AG’s Teen Challenge

Introduction

Teenagers’ drug use is a problem that requires its immediate solution in the United States. The Assemblies of God (AG) in the USA and the US Missions are focused on implementing the Teen Challenge project to widely assist teenagers in their struggle with addiction. The purpose of this essay is to discuss what marketing strategies can be applied in the context of this program and what action plan to adopt.

Marketing Strategies

AG’s Teen Challenge can effectively assist young people in coping with their drug addiction with the help of spreading the information about their activities and resources they propose. Certain marketing strategies and techniques that can be applied in order to inform more teenagers and their families about the available services include publishing information and press releases on the organization’s website, as well as on the websites of partners, and using state and community organizations for sharing brochures and contacts of AG’s centers.

Websites include all the necessary information about the organization’s activities and programs to join (Adult & Teen Challenge USA, 2018; U. S. Missions, 2019b). They also include real-life cases of young individuals who have succeeded in coping with their addiction (U. S. Missions, 2019a). These approaches are associated with both offline and online marketing strategies, but more attention should be paid to involving web resources for marketing the services proposed in the context of the Teen Challenge project.

Action Plan

The Teen Challenge project can be successfully implemented with the help of applying certain marketing strategies based on the use of modern technologies and social media. An effective action plan for spreading the information about the Teen Challenge project should include the following steps:

the creation of pages in social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram;
advertising in social media;
the creation of YouTube videos describing the activities in centers in the context of AG’s Teen Challenge.

The focus on methods of marketing the services proposed by AG’s Teen Challenge online will bring positive results because of directly approaching teenagers using platforms familiar for them.

Pages in social media and advertisements on websites should include the contact information and accentuate the idea that young people can receive immediate assistance there while remaining anonymous if it is necessary. Thus, messages published on these web platforms should be oriented toward teenagers as the target audience. Additional steps should include the use of advertisements on platforms with forums uniting young individuals who have problems with drugs and other substances. These actions will contribute to increasing teenagers’ awareness of the project and other services offered in the context of AG’s activities.

Conclusion

Different projects oriented toward addressing social problems and needs can be realized with the help of marketing. This essay has provided the example of how it is possible to combine religious ethics in which the Teen Challenge project is grounded with the principles of marketing management to achieve high results and positive outcomes for young people. The proposed action plan and marketing techniques have also been described in this essay.

References

Adult & Teen Challenge USA. (2018). Home page. Web.

Bird, M. F. (2016). Romans: The story of God. S. McKnight (Ed.). New York, NY: Zondervan.

Eagle, L., & Dahl, S. (2015). Marketing ethics & society. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Mullins, J. W., & Walker, O. C. (2013). Marketing management: A strategic decision-making approach (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

O’Dowd, R. (2017). Proverbs: The story of God. T. Longman & S. McKnight (Eds.). New York, NY: Zondervan.

Owens, T., & Fernandez, O. (2014). The lean enterprise: How corporations can innovate like startups. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Pride, W. M., & Ferrell, O. C. (2016). Foundations of marketing (7th ed.). New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

U. S. Missions. (2019a). Addiction, healing & recovery. Web.

U. S. Missions. (2019b). Teen Challenge opens its first detox center. Web.

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