Christian Business Leadership Strengths

SWOT of a Christian Business Leader/Marketer
Strengths
· Christian faith that is united to the brand of the business and used in marketing campaigns to develop brand loyalty among consumers. The faith can be leveraged to gain traction with consumers and increase the brand’s popularity.
· Large base of Christian consumers who are loyal to Christian companies like Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby and In-N-Out Burger (Edouard, 2015).
· Strong score on the Faith Equality Index, which Christian consumers use to determine which companies they will patronize (Wetzstein, 2015).
· Positive track record in the community in terms of corporate social responsibility—the business supports Christian projects and programs in the community.
Weaknesses
· By promoting the Christian identity, the business risks polarizing consumers and turning them off from the brand.
· The business lacks a broad-based appeal in which Christian consumers can feel satisfied with the company’s values and non-Christian consumers can appreciate the company’s products and services in and of themselves.
· The message communicated to stakeholders comes across as too strident at times, which undercuts that company’s belief in tolerance and acceptance of all people.
Opportunities
· The opportunity is there to grow the brand appeal as the market becomes more and more polarized and Christian consumers vow more and more to only patronize organizations that stand up for Christian values.
· The recent scandals in the economic and political spheres have created new demand for moral businesses to stand up for the values of the Christian community.
· Movements like Antifa and Nike’s Kaepernick campaign are allowing Christian organizations to differentiate themselves and become more visible in the marketplace. The business can promote both its Christian message and a pro-patriotism message that consumers could find appealing.
· A comparative advertising campaign could be conducted to help show consumers how the Christian business is different from other corporations and organizations that demonstrate a lack of patriotism and Christian virtue
Threats
· A socio-political upheaval could upset or reverse recent gains in the market, especially if mid-term elections lead to a blue wave that ultimately defeats the populist movement that has arisen in the country. This could lead to a suppression of religious freedom and the rights of Christian business leaders to stand up for Christian values in their own business.
· An economic downturn could signal trouble for a Christian business leader, especially if times become hard for families—belts will be tightened and less money will flow into the economy, causing tough choices to be made about raising wages, giving bonuses or laying off workers in order to keep the doors open.
· Global politics could break down to such a level that the current currency and trade wars devolve into a hot war, with the U.S. on one side and Russia and China on the other. This would seriously disrupt supply chains and lead to rising costs for the business (O’Marah, 2017). The company could be forced out of the market should a hot war last for any significant period of time. Even if the current trade war continues, it could present a going concern for the business.
References
Edouard, T. (2015). 5 big bible-based businesses that wear their faith on their sleeves.
Retrieved from https://mashable.com/2015/12/24/businesses-religious/#jVT9GJt3ngqn
O’Marah, K. (2017). Blind to risk: Supply chain underestimates the threat of war.
Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinomarah/2017/04/20/blind-to-risk-supply-chain-underestimates-the-threat-of-war/#3a28e1624bf7
Wetzstein, C. (2015). Chick-fil-A, Hobby Lobby lead in new 'Faith Equality Index'.
Retrieved from https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/2/chick-fil-a-hobby-lobby-lead-in-new-faith-equality/