When I was in college, there was a central area of campus flanked by five buildings that was called the Pentacrest. There was always a certain person with a large presence in that area. We called him the Pentacrest Preacher. Day after day he would position himself along the sidewalks of the Pentacrest when large numbers of students were walking by, shouting his message of sin and repentance. We all heard him, but there was one problem – no one was listening.
According to traditional marketing ideas, the preacher was doing everything right. He identified his target market. He crafted a targeted message with a clear call to action. He found out where his target market was located, and when they were there. He positioned himself in that place at the right time, and shouted to make sure he was heard. Right place, right time, clear message… but no impact.
Why?