Item Detail
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21907
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1
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0
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English
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Awareness and Perceptions of Church Advertising : Student Reactions to the Mormon Church's Advertising Campaign
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Lawrence, Kansas
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University of Kansas
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88
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Master's Thesis
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"Advertising is pervasive in American Society but religious advertising is limited. This study seeks to explain reactions to this unique form of mass media persuasion using the Mormon Church's "Truth Restored" advertising campaign. The study was shaped using persuasive theories of advertising. A survey of 381 journalism and religion students at the University of Kansas was conducted to examine how members of the target audience, as defined by the church, respond to five advertisements from the church's campaign. According to survey results, respondents had limited knowledge, affiliation, and acceptance of the Mormon Church. Thirty-two percent of respondents reported that they did not think advertising methods should be used by religious organizations and many stated that they did not take religious advertising seriously. Approval ratings for the five ads were low and ranged from 9.2 to 25.9 percent. A large number said they were turned off by the fact that the ads came from the Mormon Church and that they would not seek additional information from the church. These opinions were formed not only on the acceptance of the religious advertising messages, but also on the impression of the church in general. Research results concluded that the Mormon brand is damaged and that the church should focus its efforts on an integrated marketing campaign to promote more about the church's doctrines, beliefs, and facts, rather than advertising about questions that could be answered by the church." [Author's abstract]