Denying Yourself in Marketing: A Biblical Perspective
Putting the Audience First
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells His disciples:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, ESV)
A similar command appears in the Gospel of Mark:
“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (Mark 8:34, ESV)
For Christians, these verses speak to the necessity of surrendering personal desires, ambitions, and inclinations in pursuit of something greater—the will of God. This act of self-denial calls believers to remove their own preferences and submit fully to Christ’s mission. But what if this principle also applied to our work in marketing?
The Self-Denial of Marketing
Marketing, at its best, is not about what we as marketers personally like, prefer, or feel. It is about creating campaigns that speak to the intended audience, not ourselves. Just as followers of Christ are called to put aside their own wants to serve a higher purpose, marketers must put aside their own preferences to serve the audience's needs.
When crafting advertisements, writing copy, or producing content, it can be tempting to infuse personal bias—using styles, tones, or messaging that resonate with us individually rather than what appeals to the target audience. However, effective marketing requires the denial of self in favor of understanding the audience’s preferences, emotions, and intuitive responses. Just as Christ calls His followers to think beyond themselves, marketers must think beyond their personal intuition.
Removing Personal Bias: The Role of Data
In faith, we deny ourselves by placing trust in God’s plan rather than our own impulses. Similarly, in marketing, we deny ourselves by relying on data-driven decision-making rather than personal assumptions.
Rather than assuming we know what an audience wants, we turn to:
Demographic Data – Understanding age, location, and purchasing behavior.
Psychographics – Knowing their interests, values, and pain points.
A/B Testing – Removing assumptions and testing variations of marketing messages.
User Behavior Analytics – Tracking how audiences interact with content.
This approach ensures that we are marketing for the audience, not for ourselves. Just as believers are called to surrender their fleshly inclinations for a divine mission, marketers are called to surrender their personal preferences in favor of a campaign that will truly resonate with those they aim to reach.
Creating for Others, Not Ourselves
Denying ourselves in marketing means bearing the responsibility of creating strategies that truly serve the intended audience—even when it contradicts our personal creative inclinations.
A copywriter may prefer a poetic, elaborate tone, but the audience might respond better to concise, direct messaging.
A designer might love modern, edgy aesthetics, but the target market may prefer simplicity and familiarity.
A video producer may favor long, artistic narratives, but data may show that short, punchy ads convert better.
Denying ourselves in marketing means surrendering our personal preferences for what actually works—not for us, but for those we serve.
Marketing with a Higher Purpose
In faith, self-denial leads to a life aligned with Christ’s purpose. In marketing, self-denial leads to campaigns that align with the needs, emotions, and desires of the audience. When we strip away our own biases and lean into what the data and audience tell us, we create more powerful, effective, and impactful marketing.
Just as Jesus calls His followers to set aside their personal desires to follow Him, we as marketers must set aside our personal preferences to follow what truly works for the audience. In doing so, we craft messages that don’t just sell a product, but connect, inspire, and serve.
