By Larry D. Witzel
Unpublished manuscript (August 13, 2023)
School of Communication and the Arts, Liberty University

Abstract

Channel Complementarity Theory suggests that media consumers use multiple communication channels based on their functional need, rather than choosing a communication medium for its own sake. The literature suggests that the promoting evangelistic events using multiple communication channels should generate a greater response than using a single channel alone. However, research on 1,734 marketing campaigns for evangelistic events between 2017 and 2023 found that campaigns utilizing direct mail, outdoor advertising, and social media advertising combined did not generate more pre-registrations per campaign dollar spent than those campaigns that used just one or two of these communication channels. The research also found that the effectiveness of these campaigns improved significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic, as costs per registration declined across nearly all communication channel categories.

Keywords: channel complementarity theory, proclamational evangelism, church marketing, event advertising

Citation

Witzel, L. D. (2023, August 13). Channel complementarity in marketing communication for proclamational evangelistic events [Unpublished manuscript]. School of Communication and the Arts, Liberty University.