The Upper Room

THE NEED:

For 80 years, The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide, was one of the most popular printed devotional magazines in the world. However, subscriptions were dropping annually for over a decade straight and the organization was forced to lay off staff as well as continue to dip into its reserves in order to stay afloat. In the largest market, the United States, the audience was not diverse: 94% of readers were white and over the age of 65. The challenge was to reach new, diverse audiences despite trends of the lowest interest in religion in history from younger demographics. Then, the pandemic and economic fallout hit, closing churches around the world.

OBJECTIVES: 

The Upper Room needed to completely overhaul its approach to marketing to diverse audiences without alienating the core audience that was sustaining the organization. In addition to modernizing the website, a digital subscription (by email and app), was being launched and it needed strong support through online and social media marketing. During the pandemic, we wanted to provide special resources for struggling families to meet their spiritual and emotional needs. 

TACTICS: 

I began with a complete audit of all marketing and outreach efforts. If anything was unable to be measured, such as the bind-in cards (BICs - subscription cards stapled within the magazine), it was cancelled. This saved over $300,000 immediately and stopped major layoffs. 

Then, I began overhauling social media to focus on content that would appeal to more diverse audiences. Knowing that this was also for an international audience, content was scheduled in a way that was optimized in different time zones around the world, including regular calls for action. Content included younger and more racially diverse people as well.

At the onset of the pandemic, a team was assembled to create a special resources section in order to provide resources during anxious times. Content and messaging shifted in real time to reflect the changing sentiments of our audience, while focusing primarily on a tone of hope. 

Other efforts included:

Digital and Social Media (organic):

• Secured a Google AdWords grant to get $140,000 of in-kind search ads annually .

• Optimized content for smart speaker search technology, including creating and editing source articles on Qoura and Wikipedia.

• Created a special landing page for a free 30-day trial of the digital service that would funnel customers into an automated drip campaign to encourage  upgrading to a subscription

• Produced regular video content across multiple channels

Paid Advertising:

• Focused on advertising on new mediums, such as Pandora music on smart systems

• Influencer marketing campaign by working with younger, more diverse spokespeople and podcasts listened to be our target audiences

• Purchased ads on Facebook that sent Happy Birthday messages to users with a free gift of the 30 day trial

• Supported strong performing videos with a promotional budget

Direct Mailing:

• Sent a personalized two-page letter to 144,000 pastors of churches that have never subscribed to the Upper Room, offering free samples and resources for their ministry.

Internal:

• Assembled a team of marketing, fundraising, and customer staff to provide bi-weekly training on best practices, discuss collaborative efforts across departments and products, and to provide internal support. 

• Provided training on culturally competent communications to ensure that new, diverse audiences would feel supported.

RESULTS

Campaign results to date include:

• Saved over $250,000 by eliminating ineffective and redundant marketing efforts. The money helped save jobs by preventing further layoffs.

• Increased subscriptions for print and digital product for the first time in 11 years, earning almost $6 million in sales during the campaign.

• Over 70,000 free trial users, with a 74.2% open rate and 12% click through in the drip campaign.

• Grew social media following to nearly 800,000 across all of our channels.

• Increased engagement rates on social media by 1200%.

• Dramatically shifted the demographics of subscribers: the fastest growing audience is now under age 44.

• Helped secure featured retail space through the Dollar General.