What the Maccabees Can Teach us About Marketing
By Pamela Richards Saeks
“Not by might and not by power”… but by great storytelling shall Judaism live on!
Hanukkah. It’s beloved by young and old alike and is one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays there is. Sure, much of that is due to the gifts, the games and the gelt… and of course, the latkes (and did I mention the gifts?) But all those things are just the decorative trimming on a tale that has kept the spirit of the Jewish people alive and thriving through thick and thin for generations.
In the end, it’s all about The Story… a classic yarn of good vs. evil… right vs. wrong… David vs. Goliath - with a cherry on top! It all starts with an act of bravery, builds to a show of resistance and ends with a big victory by the proverbial underdog.
And, if all of that isn’t enough of a miracle for you, there’s the oil. Yes, that good ol’ stuff that miraculously lasted, not just one, but eight days, fueling the Holy Temple’s Ner Tamid (everlasting light) as well as the pride and hope of an entire People!
What a story!
Whether you buy it hook, line and sinker, or you subscribe to the more popular opinion that some parts of the tale are “taller” than others, it does all the things a great story should do; 1.) it touches the hearts and minds of the audience; 2.) it’s inspiring and motivating; 3.) it’s relatable, and; 4.) it gives the audience something to feel passionate about.
Plain and simple, the Hanukkah story works. It hits the mark in a multitude of ways and is responsible for the creation of a holiday that has helped keep even the most unengaged Jews connected to their Judaism.
Now that’s a story!
So, what’s your story? Every organization has one. Yours does too. And your story is important because in today’s incredibly competitive environment, storytelling is one of the most powerful ways in which you can stand out and meaningfully engage with your target audience. A great story is a link that can help you stay connected with the audience you have, and a bridge builder to help you get connected to new audiences.
Stories provide a valuable tool to help potential participants, members, donors and volunteers get in touch with your history, connect with your mission, and understand why they should care. Today, there is more noise and clutter than ever before vying for our attention. But when it comes to user connection and in-depth content, social media posts, ten-second sound bites and even entire Tweetstorms can’t come close to competing with stories. They allow your organization to build trust, develop brand loyalty and create lasting relationships with your audience that matter.
So take a page from the Maccabees and get your story out into the world. Here’s how:
Start with the “Why”: If you don’t know why the audience should care… they’re not going to. Period. Once you can articulate the “Why” you’ll be ready to begin crafting a story that will bring your mission to life.
Figure out the Who”: Who are you going to tell your story to? What style will resonate with them, what are the relevant platforms in which to reach them?
Identify your character(s): Find a protagonist (i.e., a user/recipient, founder, rabbi, leader, person of interest) that that’s involved in (or was involved in) your organization. Someone your audience can root for and someone with whom they can identify. Someone whose story can serve to motive or inspire them.
Second that “emotion!”: Your story needs to be emotionally engaging. Stay away from facts, stats and data and focus on people, personal challenges, life changing experiences, and of course, successful outcomes and happy endings.
Judah Maccabee was a hero because he courageously stood up to a more powerful oppressor to fight for the rights of the Jewish people against all odds. The rest is history!
Ben Shapiro didn’t think of himself as very Jewish, but the day he decided he could no longer ignore the antisemitism that was all around him, was the day he walked through the doors of his campus Hillel for the very first time. The rest is history!
Go from the specific to the general: While the story might start with a single protagonist, it needs to move to the many people your organization has touched.
Judah Maccabee was a strong leader who miraculously managed to organize an army and defeat the Syrian-Greeks to reclaim the Temple for the benefit of the entire Jewish People.
Ben Shapiro didn’t know it at the time, but he turned out to be a strong leader who worked with his Hillel to organize a group of other student leaders to combat antisemitism on his campus, creating an effective model that Hillel’s everywhere now employ.
Make it clear, engaging and easy to remember: It doesn’t need to be a novel. In fact, if it’s simple, sums up the importance of your organization and is as meaningful/motivating/inspiring as it is memorable, you can’t go wrong.
Include a call to action: Whether you hope to engage new participants, recruit more members or raise needed funds, if you’ve just told a great story don’t forget the “ask.” Just don’t make the ask the main focus and be sure to stay away from being too sales pitchy. Let the story do most of the talking.
Once you have it… tell it!: The Hanukkah story only works because it has been told and retold for generations. Don’t keep yours on the shelf. Put it on your website, blog about it, post it, submit it, talk about it at events, and meetings and make sure others are talking about it too.
There are many forms of marketing that come in and out of fashion, but the good old-fashioned story will never go out of style. So, make like a Maccabee and tap into the hearts and minds of your constituents with the kind of storytelling that will capture their imaginations and engage them in meaningful ways for generations to come.