Granger Communications Workshop

Here's a summary of my notes from Kem Meyer's communication workshop. It was awesome and inspiring. I learned so much it's incredible, and she has a great relational way of presenting tons of information so you don't feel as though you're overloaded. Anyway, here's my notes:

Granger Communications Workshop - Kem Meyer
Session 1 - Are People Letting You In Or Shutting You Out?
Worldview - bias that affects the story we tell ourselves to make it easier to live in a complicated world.
Frame - the words, images and interactions that reinforce (or speak respectively to) a bias someone is already feeling. In other words, how you wrap your message so that it communicates to a bias.
Story - how you live out your promise. If you’re authentic the details will line up and the contradictions disappear.
Good communicators do not try to change worldviews, they simply identify the worldview and then frame a story around it.
5 Marketing Myths
Myth #1 - You are in control
Average people are good at ignoring you. They have too much to look at. They have a different P.O.V. than you do.
Your content does not create interest. Worldview and first impressions create interest.
Seth Godin says that there are 3 types of listeners:
Visual - Decide if they are interested based off of the logo and feel of the media.
Readers - Decide if they are interested based off of the text.
Financial - Decide if they are interested based off of the cost.
Myth #2 - The more choices the better.
USA Today: Too many choices has negative consequences, regardless of the generation.
- Boomers get overwhelmed and shut down.
- GenXers labor over whether or not they’re making right decisions.
- GenYers just ignore you and move on.
Less is not more. More is less.
- The more elements on a page, the less important each element becomes.
- The more announcements from the platform, the less important each announcement becomes.
- The more brochures in a church, the less important each brochure becomes.
When you are overwhelmed, you don’t know how to move. When you simplify things, you make the next step obvious.
Copy expenses at Granger went from $12,000 in 2004, to $8,000 in 2005, to $4,800 in the first 9 months of 2006. During this time attendance continued to increase.
Granger Home Page Rules
- Can’t Scroll
- No more than 5 boxes/opportunities
Myth #3 - Advertising creates interest and reinforces the brand.
Advertising creates awareness. Awareness is not necessarily positive. People are aware of cancer, but they’re not lining up to get it.
Great experiences don’t contradict themselves, neither do great brands. Invest your energy in creating great experiences at every point of contact someone can have with your church.
Granger makes sure that all elements are consistent: series promotions, service experience, electronic media, print media, other media. They must all be consistent or each ministry/event will develop its own brand, or people will feel cheated and lied to.
Myth #4 - It worked before, so it will work again
Marketing Receptivity Study
- 70% of consumers are interested in products that enable them to block out advertising.
- 56% avoid buying products that overwhelm them with advertising.
- 33% are interested in choosing the marketing when it’s convenient for them.
People are struggling to figure out what will make the most difference. Why would they spend their time and attention on you?
Myth #5 - People care about what you have to say
People need inspiration, not information. What are you saying to inspire people?
We remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 40% of what we do, and 100 % of what we feel. Emotion is the on/off switch.
Find a way to speak respectfully to where people are and communicate to inspire them.
Granger did a series called “The 5 Most Irritating Things About Christians.” It worked because it met people where they were.

Session 2 - Best Practices
Know your audience. What is your focus audience? You need to know demographic and psychographic information. Know about them, but also know what they do, what they read, where they hang out.
- Call local TV & Radio stations.
- What’s popular in your community.
- Claritas.com - Free resources by zip code showing demographic and psychographic information
- Give them a place to speak candidly and anonymously.
- What is relevant to their life?
- Where is their comfort zone?
- Where do they spend their time?
- What do they hate?
- Go to where they are. Go to websites, concerts, read magazines.
Remove barriers to entry - identify distractions and either remove them or address them. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Look at your environment, signage, flow, registration. Don’t make people read tons of pages. Give them one option. What is your audience doing 5 minutes before they encounter your media?
Language - Don’t use church words:
- No Yes
- Intimacy Connections
- Fellowship Community
- Visitor Guest
- Ministry Team
- Recruit Invite
- Spiritual Maturity Growth
- Program Experience
- Need Opportunity
- Go Deeper Next Step
- Announcement Next Step or opportunity
Communications motto: Our goal is to simplify everything your audience sees or touches to make their life easier or more rewarding.

Session 3 - Building A Cohesive Strategy
It’s communications job to harness a message, clear the path, and give the message life.
Before you do something, ask questions.
- Is this a tool or is it just cool?
- What current problem is it solving?
- What is the return on ministry?
Get rid of individual ministry logos.
Delete clip art to maximize impact of what you say.
Is it appealing (context), engaging (presentation), and helpful (content).
Granger - All communications are run through the communications department to be proofed in a 24-hour turnaround. This ensures consistency.
If you have to say it, then you’re not. (We’re cool! We’re fun!) Just do it, and then let others talk about it.
Granger - Worship bulletin is their first impression piece. They give info on church in membership class.
Granger - Bulletin on Sunday and weekly e-newsletter. All communication drives people to the website.
How do you know if you’re getting through?
- What stories do you hear?
- What is attendance like?