Should marketers tap into "un-pc" markets?

Hi Everyone!

I came across an article in this week's BrandWeek that posed a very interesting question. The article, "Marketers Quiet about Their Faith-Based Efforts," is on pg. 9 for all those who want to take a look.

The article points out something that I was not previously aware of: Many of the large companies that we are familiar with sponsor religious events, but do so very quietly. The reason, as most of you can guess, that companies do not want to necessarily advocate these efforts is because they could potentially lose the other portion of their target market that does not agree with these practices.

The article also points out, however, that 44% of the United States population, is considered "church-going," which is a very large market that companies could use targeted advertising to reach. And, many foreign markets, though it doesn't mentioned it here, hold even a larger population of people who hold strong beliefs in a particular religion, and often times it is a population primarily devoted to the same religion.

I wanted to ask you, therefore, what you all think about using religion as a marketing tool and whether it is a good idea or very dangerous.

I personally, believe that it can hold some benefits, but in the long run may prove to be far less effective overall than an advertisement that appeals to a greater number of individuals.

-Carolina Ibarrola