From Shepherds to Soldiers to Strategists: Unconventional Marketing Contexts

Marketing isn’t just for selling products—it’s increasingly harnessed by institutions pursuing non-commercial goals. Whether it’s evangelism, enlistment, or civic engagement, the strategic use of segmentation, promotion, and digital tools stretches far beyond traditional markets. The three articles below showcase how the Vatican, the U.S. military, and political campaigns apply these techniques in unexpected contexts—perfect fodder for marketing instructors looking to challenge students to think broadly and ethically.

• “Digital Missionaries” (New York Times Morning Newsletter, August 3, 2025). The Catholic Church is inviting digital communicators—social media influencers dedicated to faith—to amplify its message. By bringing them together, offering spiritual formation, and encouraging authentic storytelling, the Vatican blends segmentation and digital promotion to foster deeper engagement—not brand building.
• “The US Military is deploying influencers to help drive recruitment,” (Sherwood News, August 21, 2025). Facing recruitment challenges amid a tight job market, the U.S. military is partnering with influencers (especially those popular with Gen Z) to share realistic yet aspirational glimpses of military life. These influencers become tailored messengers, targeting demographics that traditional channels struggle to reach.
• “Democrats are teaching candidates how to use AI to win elections,” (Fast Company, August 21, 2025). The National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) has launched a three-part training program on using AI tools—like drafting speeches, social posts, and scripts—responsibly in campaigns. It emphasizes transparency, warns against deepfakes and impersonation, and encourages campaigns to disclose AI usage to build trust.

These articles might just give you ideas for throwing unconventional examples into your lectures. Students gain a greater appreciation for or understanding of marketing when they see its use in alternative contexts. This might allow it to be used in Chapter 1 (where we consider alternative contexts explicitly), Chapter 4 (segmentation and targeting), or the promotion chapters (13, 14, 15, and 16), since most of these examples reference promotion tactics. You might also be able to raise ethical questions about marketing’s application in these situations.

Discussion questions and answers

1. How do these examples widen our view of what marketing can be? They highlight that marketing principles—like segmentation and storytelling—can influence people’s beliefs, behaviors, and civic engagement, not just purchase decisions (Chapter 1).
2. How is segmentation visible in each case? Vatican selects faith-influencers; military chooses Gen Z prosumers; NDTC empowers local campaigners to target voters with AI efficiency (Chapter 4).
3. Is influencer marketing ethical for the Vatican or military? Perhaps, if messaging is honest, respects autonomy, and avoids manipulation. Ethical frameworks help guide this (Chapters 15 and 16).
4. What safeguards does the NDTC put in place for AI use in campaigns? They discourage deepfakes, misrepresentation, and impersonation, and require disclosure of AI-generated content to maintain transparency and trust  (Chapter 16).
5. How do the promotional tactics used here mirror those of commercial brands? Use of digital influencers, target-specific messaging, and technology tools are common—just oriented toward civic or institutional goals (Chapters 15 and 16).
6. Are there any ethical questions you see about using marketing in any of these three contexts? Is it more or less appropriate? This is an interesting ethical question and I am not sure where my students will fall. On the one hand, it could be anything goes. On the other, marketing may be seen as crass in the context of a church and would that concern be greater among the more faithful or the less. What about those opposing the military or Republicans? Would those holding the opposite view be more concerned.
7. What promotional metric matters most to each institution? Vatican: engagement depth/spiritual impact; Military: recruitment numbers; Campaigns: voter engagement and resource efficiency.