Latter-Day Saints: A rising marketplace

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, colloquially termed the Mormons, has in recent years passed the 12 million mark in membership[1]. Ripples of such an event are perhaps most readily seen and discussed in associated religious circles, but there is yet another aspect to be pondered: what are the economic consequences of such a large religious body?

Contents

[edit] Creation of a Consumer

In any economy, the fundamental basis for commercial transation is, simply put, a person. From the early days of bartering to more modern times of mass communication, commerce can be broken down into someone selling and someone buying. In today's age of intense commercialization and corporate competition, the key to success is the location and penetration of consumer audiences. As the Mormon Church continues to grow, industry leaders now spot the rise of a new consumer audience, an audience with defined principles, morals, and statutes, an audience that will readily respond to a company that caters to their specialized needs.

[edit] A Need-Based Market

And just what are those needs? Latter-Day Saints maintain high values and standards, such as avoiding coffee, tea, alcohol, immodest dress, and immoral entertainment. Several companies have found success capitalizing on some of these principles:

  • Avoiding caffeinated drinks- Beverage companies, such as Coca-Cola, have introduced new versions of their more popular brands, such as Mountain Dew, in "Caffeine-Free" varieties. While this change clearly cannot be attributed solely to the LDS presence in America, some Latter-Day Saints have nevertheless applauded the release of such products in a greater bond of company loyalty.
  • Wearing modest clothing- As Latter-Day Saints continue to hold to this principle, some companies have begun lines of clothing that stay within the bounds of personal modesty. Shorts that reach the knee, shirts that cover the shoulders, even modest prom dresses are now being manufactured with the LDS family in mind.
  • Clean humor- The importance that Latter-Day Saints place on clean language, conversation, and humor has translated into the general avoidance of anything vulgar, crass, or immoral. The need for clean humor has in fact blossomed into the growing phenomenon of "Mormon humor," an assortment of collectively understood phrases, inside jokes, and comical terminology. Some companies have even introduced separate lines of books, shirts, movies, music, and comedy skits that specifically address this "Mormon humor" [2]. Perhaps the best known example has been the rise of the LDS cinema, producing several movies each year that highlight the cultural and comical idiosyncrasies of church members with such films as Singles Ward, The RM and The Work and the Glory. In fact, many of these Mormon-market movies have been general release features across the U.S.
  • Avoiding immoral entertainment- In addition to producing their own films, some church members have started ventures, such as CleanFlicks, that specialize in the editing of existing films, specifically removing scenes that contain offensive or immoral material. (It should be noted that a court ruling has since outlawed this practice)[3].

Of course not all components of the Mormon culture stem directly from their standards. Other factors that have had economic impacts simply come from the cultural quirks that accompany the Mormon, Utah lifestyle. The popularity of Jello, for instance, led to the establishment of Jello as Utah's official snack food, and ultimately precipitated a national, celebratory campaign by Jello itself in 2001-2002[4]. (See also Jello Belt)

[edit] Conclusion

As the Mormon church continues to grow, companies will undoubtedly find ways to cater to this unique customer base. Whether it's the modification of an existing line of products, or the creation of a small, independent company, executives and entrepreneurs alike will find that the principles and standards of the Mormons make Latter-Day Saints a perfectly viable marketplace.

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ LDS Newsroom 1 April 2005
  2. ^ Source: Index LDS Milestones 1 August 2006
  3. ^ Salt Lake Tribune, Utah film sanitizers ordered to cut it, 8 July 2006.
  4. ^ Jello Public Relations Report
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