Direct Marketing Plan:

Riverfront Community Church

Sarah Craig

STCO 356-B01 LUO

Respectfully submitted to Dr. Angela Widgeon
October 15, 2015

Objectives: The objectives of Riverfront Community Church is to increase awareness by 40%,

regular attendees by 30%, and volunteers by 20% at the end of 6 months. A 40% increase in
awareness requires 200 new likes on the RCC Facebook page a month. The result of 1,200 new
likes. A 30% increase in regular attendees requires 100 new regular attendees a month. The result
of 600 new regular attendees. A 20% increase in volunteers requires 50 new volunteers a month.
The result of 300 new volunteers.

Research: The individuals interviewed volunteer at Riverfront Community Church. These

volunteers responded in the same general way; they came to attend and volunteer at RCC
because it provides a different more engaging and more relationship-driven church experience.
Some of these individuals left the church for a period due to a bad church experience. The
individuals who cited this experience gave RCC a visit after a friend or neighbor invited them.
These individuals all claim to have a more rich and engaging personal relationship with Jesus.
They also all claim to have more rich and meaningful friendships with other members who are in
the same season of life as they are.

Target: The market segment for Riverfront Community Church are people who are looking for a
different kind of church experience. A church for un-churchy people. The targets in this market
segment are generation y singles in downtown Chattanooga called Free Thinkers, and
generation x family units in metro Chattanooga called Brady Bunchers. Free Thinkers are
creative, and trendy who consider themselves to be unique and talented. Free Thinkers struggle
with the current trends of declining morality, yet are searching for answers to legitimize their

faith. Brady Bunchers trendy, engaging, and active couples looking to introduce their kids to
Jesus and connect with other kids who believe the same. Brady Bunchers are worried about the
declining morality and increasing promiscuity in school today. These target markets are new to
the area or have avoided church due to what RCC calls a bad church experience."

Strategy: The direct marketing message for RCC is that Chattanooga does not need another
church, Chattanooga needs a different kind of church. A church with safe environments that the
unchurched can come and hear the life-changing truth that Jesus Christ cares for them and died
for their sin. RCC offers environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue
intimacy with God, community with insiders, and positive influence with outsiders.
a) Creative: The RCC creative strategy includes a 30-second local TV studio ad and a 15second radio ad. The TV ad will be on local television stations. It starts with a voiceover
that will first state the church mission statement then the direct marketing message
followed by a short explanation of each environment. The voiceover is paired with clips
of a typical Sunday service and each of the environments dedicated to adults, teens, and
children. The clips will transition with a wave of opaque RCC icon arrows of differing
sizes moving from left to right of the screen. The end of the ad will extend an invitation
to visit the RCC Facebook page and download the RCC app for more information. The
radio ad will be featured on the local Christian radio station. The radio ad will start with
the church mission statement then the direct marketing message followed by a short
explanation of each environment and ending with an invitation to visit the RCC Facebook
page and download the app.

b) Offer: RCC offers a church experience with safe environments that the unchurched can
come and hear life-changing truth and practical teaching. RCC offers environments
where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue intimacy with God, community
with insiders, and positive influence with outsiders.
c) Database: RCC collects their data through monetary gifts online, checks given on
Sunday mornings, membership applications, volunteer applications, baptism applications,
GroupLink (small group) applications, and through special events.
d) Loyalty: Loyalty at RCC is built and developed through the church experience they
provide.

Communication Tactics: Media channels include a 30-second local TV studio ad, a 15-second
Christian radio ad, paid search, and SEO, and Social Media.

Digital & Social Media Approach: The TV and radio ad invites them to the Facebook page and
to download the app. At the Facebook page, people can discover the link to the RCC website,
view service times, and engage in communication with staff, members, and volunteers. The
Facebook page staff will share creatives of the environments, encouraging Bible verses, and
encouraging quotes each day to start conversations. The app and the website are structured the
same where people can discover RCCs information, location and service times, and watch past
messages. Finally, a paid search with SEO through Google, Yahoo, and Duckduckgo with
keywords that involve searching for a nondenominational church in the Chattanooga area.

Benchmarks: RCC will test these offers only in the city of Chattanooga. The Radio ad will be
featured once during the lunch hour of 12:30 pm for one test week. The TV ad will be featured
once a day during the 6 oclock news during the same test week. Benchmarks are 50 new
Facebook page likes, 25 new attendees, and 13 new volunteers after the test week.