“’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)
Most of us are familiar with the infamous four P’s of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. But I’d like to introduce you to a new one—the fifth “P” of marketing: your kingdom Platform.
Your Kingdom Platform
Your kingdom platform is defined as what you and your institution stand for from a kingdom, or a godly, perspective, and it should always reinforce God’s principles such as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (1 John 4:8; Galatians 5:22-23).
Your kingdom platform should serve as the overarching theme from which your marketing strategies and tactics spawn. Ultimately, your entire organizational culture and operations should be grounded in your kingdom platform.
For instance, there may be public concerns that your institution needs to address. Which local companies or community organizations might serve as potential partners in helping your school? How might your school’s kingdom platform serve to benefit them? What is your strategic marketing plan to engage them around mutually beneficial initiatives?
In this way, your platform serves as a strong foundation for driving community engagement and bottom-line impact for your school for kingdom purposes.
Intentionality & Community Engagement
Driving community engagement isn’t just a strategic imperative for schools. It’s a kingdom imperative. It is fishing. As His ambassadors, we are all fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Your relationships and partnerships will be established by design or by default. The choice is yours. The Bible says, in Proverbs 29:18, that where there is no vision, or revelation, the people perish.
As His ambassadors in the academic arena, we must be intentional in:
- Understanding what constitutes kingdom relationship and partnership according to the Word of God.
- Identifying the critical aspects of a kingdom relationship and partnership.
- Creating relationships and partnerships to drive bottom-line results for kingdom impact.
You don’t necessarily have to advertise your kingdom platform unless you feel led to do so. You just need to pray, identify your kingdom platform, commit it to God, and ensure that the remaining four P’s of your marketing plan align with it. Having a kingdom platform is just another way to bring your institutional plans and community engagement programs to a higher level of success and significance.
References:
Guati, Ranjay. 2022. Harvard Business Review. “When Employees Feel a Sense of Purpose, Companies Succeed.”
Pollard, E. William. 1996. The Soul of the Firm.
Stewart, K. Shelette. 2017. Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life.
Editor’s Note: Join Dr. K. Shelette Stewart at ACSI’s Flourishing Schools Institute (FSi), where she will be speaking on the topics of relationships and community engagement. The next FSi will be in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 1-3, 2022. Register your team today!
About the Author
Dr. K. Shelette Stewart is an author, global speaker, consultant, and graduate of Harvard University with over 20 years of leadership experience with prominent organizations including Harvard Business School, The Coca-Cola Company, and BellSouth/AT&T. She is a Fulbright Foreign Specialist with a doctorate in business administration and the founder and principal of Stewart Consulting, LLC, a firm dedicated to helping organizations with strategic planning and leadership development. Dr. Stewart is the author of the award-winning book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life© which has been formally endorsed by several industry leaders including Dan Cathy, chairman of Chick-fil-A. For more information, please visit shelettestewart.com. Dr. Stewart can be reached at shelette@shelettestewart.com.