The year was 1999. Google debuted the year before. Facebook was still five years from defining social media. Americans were excited for the visit of Pope John Paul II, a religious leader with a rock star vibe. Pope Francis's arrival in the United States this week seems likely to surpass Pope John Paul II's in terms of rock star appeal and the potential for lasting impact. The game has changed in the past 16 years. Pope Francis is ruling in an era where personality marketing has become the primary vehicle to change opinions -- for people, causes, and brands.
Pope Francis has taken to heart David Scialpi's recognition that "people are becoming brand and brands have to become people." The explosion of online information and the maturation of social media makes everyone both a fan and cynic -- often simultaneously. By carefully navigating today's media and pundit environment, Pope Francis becomes the most effective marketer of our time. Success requires more than official twitter feeds filled with inspiring admonition. At the Pope's marketing core live two simple traits.
Don't be trapped by the past. Marketers often dream about updating their brand, but redefining a brand for today's consumer requires overcoming years of inertia. It forces introspection and prompts tough choices. Effective change-agents strip away layers of old positioning to bring out a core brand promise that can anchor tomorrow's growth. Restrictive dogma is thrown to the side in favor of the true emotions at the heart of legacy brands. Today's brands live in a world where changes happen almost as often as Google's landing page graphic. Still, marketing teams have a preternatural fear of change. Frequently, a brand refresh is muted by weak decisions hindered by ill-place reverence for the past. The Catholic Church has a longer brand history than most. Rather than be locked into a brand position that has lost relevance, Pope Francis has demonstrated that brand change must be more than a new font and a fancy catch phrase. As with most personality brands, the challenge for Pope Francis will be to maintain congruence between himself, the Catholic Church, and the brand promise being made.
Challenge fearlessly. Many brands live in fear. They strive to create "dialogue" which results in them being liked, shared, or retweeted. The idea of a "dislike" button on Facebook sparks panic. Over the years, brands have woven social responsibility into their fabric as a badge of honor. Rarely are consumers held equally accountable. Few brands dare challenge consumers to stay true to those same social causes. Pope Francis is an exception. His Holiness has shown a willingness to scold his audience in an attempt to hold them accountable to the beliefs they espouse. It could be easy to dismiss Pope Francis's willingness to challenge as being a religious luxury. However, brands like Starbucks and Panera have demonstrated that such advocacy has a place in modern marketing -- even when individual programs themselves meet resistance. The next hurdle for Pope Francis will be similar to those faced by consumer brands. He must move beyond the marketing message to bring his audiences to action -- whether that is a shift in brand preference or simply following through on their social commitments.
Managing the intermingled brands of Pope Francis, the Papacy and the Catholic Church presents complications. His Holiness's brand story is one that combines religion, personal connections, entertainment, and politics. Traditional consumer brands combine different attributes while facing similar complications as they shepherd personality brands in multi-layered environment. Over 7,000 media credentials were issued for his trip to the U.S. exceeding the total for the U.K. royal wedding. So, we should all have the opportunity to take note of his true marketing skills in coming days.
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Greg Portell is a partner with the management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. He can be followed on twitter at @gportell