The Morality Play

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While it may seem obvious that a G-rated "What Would Jesus-Muhammad-Buddha Do?" message is beyond reproach, it can still alienate potential customers.

Careful market research is key because it's easy to mess up in moral values territory. And there's not much middle ground: Nearly eight in 10 Americans believe the distinction between good and evil is clear and immutable, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. But everyone draws that line in different ways. While it may seem obvious to you that an ecofriendly, G-rated, "What Would Jesus-Muhammad-Buddha Do" campaign is above reproach, that very message could easily alienate someone who believes something else.

It's also worth noting that in these highly polarized times, even the very word values can be controversial. Ken Greenberg, president of Edge Communications Inc., a marketing firm in Calabasas, Calif., takes umbrage at the very idea of "values-based" marketing because he sees it as a front for pushing a socially conservative political agenda. "I have been instructed by the supreme powers in Washington, D.C., that I don't matter, my values don't matter, and the values of at least 55 million of my countrymen and women don't matter either," he says. Clearly, a company that uses moral values to market to Greenberg isn't going to win a customer.

Of course, it's quite possible that you don't care about losing business from people who don't share your values. That's the position held by Campbell, of T3 Design. "I don't have a flashing-light sign outside saying that this is a Christian-owned business," she says. "But if people want more information about why I conduct my business in the way that I do, I am open to sharing. If someone doesn't want to do business with me because of that, then that's not business I need." Mauck, for his part, feels that it would not be honest to hide his religious beliefs from his clients. "Sometimes it helps business and sometimes it hurts, and that's okay," he says. Mike Paul, president of MGP & Associates, a public relations firm in the bluest of American cities, New York City, and a born-again Christian, also puts his religious beliefs at the very core of his brand. His promotional literature states that the firm makes decisions "prayerfully" and conducts business on "biblical principles." He believes this will attract the "right" kind of clients -- that is, those who are in sync with his values. And if that client turns out to be "wrong," Paul won't hesitate to sever the relationship (all of his contracts include a 90-day escape clause for this reason). "Your clients don't come first; money does not come first," he says. "If you're truly following the biblical rules of being Christian, every decision you make starts with your relationship with the Lord." Paul is certain his strong beliefs have led some people to take their business elsewhere. But, he says, "I'm very comfortable with that."

"I don't have a flashing-light sign outside saying this is a Christian-owned business, but ..."

Those who are less comfortable with the idea of losing business because of their beliefs might opt to do like McMurry and concentrate the values-talk on things that are hard to construe as controversial. "In our way of thinking, our values are guideposts for just being a decent human being," McMurry says. Indeed, it is tough to imagine principles like "do the right thing" and "help one another" inspiring a fatwa. On the other hand, such bland proclamations may not do much to set you apart from the crowd. After all, how many companies proclaim that they "do the wrong thing" or "fail to meet expectations?"

Of course, even if you're delivering a values message to customers who you know are receptive, it's not going to help much if your product or service is weak in other ways, points out NOP World's Cary Silvers. Roper Reports, for example, asked consumers why they had made recent purchasing decisions in a number of categories, and found that while concerns about values do come into play, they are almost always trumped by quality and price. "As much as values are important and guide us through our daily lives, in the marketplace it's always how it's going to play against our pocketbook," Silvers says. It's just like any other marketing move. If you've already got price, quality, and service on your side, values can be an important way to differentiate your brand. But a values campaign won't help if you don't deliver the goods in other ways. And it can even hurt if your customer's values run counter to your own. When it comes to marketing morality, it's all relative.

Contributing editor Alison Stein Wellner, who also writes about advertising and edginess ("Over the Edge," page 26) in this issue, can be reached at alison@wellner.biz.

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