Words Matter; So Do You

Jamie Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist for the North American Division. ​

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them. —Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

I recently read Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future, by Roy H. Williams and Michael R. Drew, and found myself stunned by its insights into the drivers behind the collective shifts in society. These shifts impact communication and often drive technology and social change. I recommend that, to better understand how to communicate more effectively to our audiences and fulfill their needs, you not only read and study this book, but also invest the time in reading Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069 by William Strauss and Neil Howe. Good communication is when we speak so that our audience can hear. As a religious organization, we should be using digital technologies to fulfill our audiences’ needs, but to do that, we must first understand what those needs are, their unspoken expectations, and the forces for change that influence a generation.

Generation Z and the Millennials have been leaving the church at alarming rates; could it be that we simply don’t understand them? We know that people of any given cultural or people group are always the best suited to reach that group. I contend that the same is true with generations. Now, empowering and training members of the youth to reach their own does not permit us to abdicate our function as guides and mentors. We too must seek to understand and cultivate these relationships if we are to bridge the gap and secure the future of the church in North America and the salvation of souls. Pendulum provides an analysis of the current shifts in society and their impact on marketing, technology, and communication. Our department tested these principles, creating a case study focused on communicating with teens, and the results were surprising–and exciting. Even if you don’t have time to read the 200-page book, what follows is a summary of what you need to know to understand and utilize these communication techniques. We’ll also share an example of a test campaign targeted at teens.

Pendulum takes Strauss and Howe’s four “generations” (Idealist, Reactive, Civic, Adaptive) and reduces it to two generations covering forty years that oscillate between the individuality, freedom, uniqueness, and potential of “Me” (peaked in 1983) to the collective “We” working together for the common good, fixing society’s greatest problems, and rejecting the pretense for authenticity and transparency. Sound familiar? According to this model, we are currently in the upswing of the “We” that should reach its zenith in 2023. Both are always present in society, but shifts in dominance occur. Optimal balance is found between the two extremes, and either extreme has negative consequences.

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​The main point is that group behavior is predictable, and we can use this predictability to speak to the masses in a relevant way.   

​There will always be exceptions, and as the authors point out:

• There is always a counterculture within a prevailing culture.
• Individuals are not predictable.
  
  

“The Pendulum predicts only the momentum and direction of the majority in a society—most of the people, most of the time. Certainly not everyone, and certainly not always.” (Williams 25)

​For deeper insights into the pros and cons of each swing of the “pendulum”, read the book​. 

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To communicate, we must ask, “What is driving the actions and attitudes of the group?” ​

​Then determine how your mission and message fits or can be positioned into this paradigm.

Figure: 2.3 Values and beliefs that motivate society in “WE” and “ME” cycles (Williams 17)
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Drivers of a “WE” vs. drivers of a “ME”

​This shift can be seen in successful advertising campaigns that target a worldview/attitude instead of an age group. 

“Remember L’Oréal’s famous ‘Me’ slogan, ‘Because I’m worth it?’ As society passed the tipping point of 2003 and the ‘Me’ became fully unwound, the old slogan was replaced with, ‘Because you’re worth it.’” (Williams 172)

During this same period, the successful Army slogan “Be All You Can Be” (1980-2001) changed to “Army of One” (2001-2006) but didn’t perform well because it was “contrary to the idea of teamwork” said Frank Luntz, American political consultant, pollster, and public opinion guru (Ball). The current, more “WE” focused, slogan is “Army Strong.”
 
Figure 16.3 Mindset and values in society during a “WE” cycle. (Williams 168) 

Social media is a powerful tool for member care and service. Never before has “truth in advertising” been so important. The younger generations are the most connected, more than any before them, and they naturally turn to social media to voice their displeasure with a brand or experience. “Your advertising [messaging] may fool one of us. But that one will tell the rest of us.” —Roy H. Williams.
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Figure 16.5 Tips to create a serious Internet presence during a “WE” cycle. (Williams 172) 

Self-effacing transparency is utterly disarming. —Michael R. Drew 

We want the truth, even if it’s ugly. Shrink-wrapped, sugar-coated, phony posing [of the 80’s through mid-90’s] is no longer acceptable. (Williams 163)

Humility, straight talk, and a genuine point of view is what the Adventist Church needs to embrace; we see the effectiveness of this strategy in the success of initiatives like Gorgeous2God. Gorgeous2God is community of young Christian women tackling real issues from a godly perspective. True stories from the experiences of real girls are shared and communicated in a candid way that the Adventist Church has not embraced previously. Topics include rape, self-harm, sex before marriage, depression, abuse, and other “uncomfortable” topics.

Understanding these underlying principles provides guidance and strengthens our abilities to reach our target audience.

For #gorgeous2God, we have worked to build an online audience through partnerships, content marketing, and paid ads on Facebook and Instagram throughout 2017. Despite using our tried and true messaging techniques that usually result in 3.5-8% conversion rates online with older audiences (in other words, getting more people to like the page or take another action), our paid ads were yielding 0.93% conversion rates (not good) and relevance ratings of 2-3, at best—which is typical for campaigns geared toward this hard-to-reach and coveted age group. However, our posted content was performing extremely well with engagement rates frequently above 10%, and relevance ratings of 8-10. To try and fix the disconnect, we tested using successful content to attract more followers through page-like ads. This still did not yield strong results. At the beginning of 2018, we tested new ads that appealed to the attitudes of the collective “WE” and page-likes doubled in one month to nearly 13,000 page-likes, demonstrating a significant escalation in followers as a result of simple messaging changes. 

Click here for definitions of terms.

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Below are examples from the current ad set that reflect the “WE” attitude. These ads boast a conversion rate of 13% and relevance rating of 8. 

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Previous page-like ad examples that under-performed:

It’s a small but intentional change in the focus of our message, and one that has yielded excellent results. We hope these concepts help you not only shape your digital communications, but better understand your audience needs and expectations.

To learn more tricks to writing headlines that capture attention, click here.

Click here to learn more about and purchase the Pendulum. 

SOURCES:
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Ball, Molly (January 6, 2014) “The Agony of Frank Luntz.” The Atlantic.
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Williams, R.H., & Drew, M. R. (2012). Pendulum: how past generations shape our present and predict our future. New York: Vanguard Press.