Christian Business Review 2019: Workplace Practices That Glorify God (Issue 8)

CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE
CBR PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES
UNDERSTANDING
THE MARKETING
WORLD
Jesus used the power of the narrative in his teaching,
e.g., the use of parables, that provides a way for those
listening to connect and understand the truth he was
conveying. Similarly, the use of the narrative in advertising
today is to help connect with audiences at a deeper level
than methods used in the past. Unbeknownst to the viewer,
narratives display a value system of what is important,
what is normal, and what is acceptable. According to Gulas
and McKeage, given the excessive amounts of time that
people spend consuming media of all forms, ads impact
people’s values, selfimage,
and expectations
of those exposed to them. 1
One can watch high-profile
TV ads today to see the n
arrative model in action.
Often, the brand sponsor
is very subtle, as the
entertainment element is
overt. While the message
hook can be based on
humor, beauty, or fear, the
set up for the approach is
filled with cues about values
and norms in our society.
The type of people shown in the ad, the kind of music played,
and the storyline all set the tone for what we see as “normal,”
and the marketing services firm often sets this agenda.
Lantos reminds us there is a healthy debate on whether
advertisers mirror culture or are involved in the “mind
bending” of society. 2 This industry segment is comprised
of a variety of persuasion-based organizations such as ad
agencies, PR firms, promotion houses, digital shops, and
marketing services departments in corporations. According
to Plunkett Research, advertising agencies and the marketing
services industry are expected to reach almost $63 billion in
revenue by 2025. 3
Moreover, it is a field that is dominated by the younger
generation. In 2017, the majority, or 63 percent, of workers
in advertising, public relations, and related services were
under 45 years of age. 4 Ad Age (a leading industry trade
publication), attributes much of the bias toward younger
workers to digital advancements that have transformed
the industry over the last two decades. 5 Both marketers
and agencies are eager for tech-savvy youths who look the
stereotypical part of creative hipster, hoodie and all. They are
organizations filled with employees who are from the Gen Y
generational cohort, with the younger generation of Gen Z
close behind.
MILLENNIALS (GEN Y)
Rodriguez et al. discuss a study completed by EY (formerly
Ernst and Young), which identified some characteristics of
the Gen Y workforce: although they are tech-savvy, they
scored poorly not only as team players but also in descriptors
such as hardworking and being a productive member of the
organization. This could
be troublesome, as these
authors also identify that
this cohort will make up
50% of the workforce by
2020. 6 In addition, this
cohort lacks the loyalty
exhibited by previous
generations. 7
The authors cited a
Deloitte 2016 study
that projected that
“67 percent of young
professionals planned to
quit their current jobs by
2020 and more than 40 percent planned to quit in the next 2
years.” 8 The expense of such turnover is estimated to be in
the billions. 9 This same Deloitte study describes this turnover
as a loyalty challenge for Gen Y, as they place their personal
values higher than the goals of an organization. As a result,
they will either not work for companies that are unaligned
with their values, or they will have difficulty working for such
companies. 10
This values perspective is interesting to consider for the
Christian marketer. Clearly, the Gen Y employee comes into
the firm with their value system, which they feel committed
to uphold. This can impact the Christian millennial who
encounters a workplace culture that is contrary to their
faith. How will their Christian values hold up when the
environment is not necessarily sharing the same worldview?
CHRISTIAN BUSINESS REVIEW Fall 2019
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