Milkshakes taste good. Jewish education is good. But what job are we really doing for Jewish Teens?
I read an article about marketing today that focused on milkshakes. (Please keep reading, the fact that Jewish teens tend to like a good milkshake or two is not where I’m going).
The author discovered that while milkshake sellers were trying to ‘market’ according to the usual: breakdowns by demographics, flavor choices, etc….the real question to be answered was: What job does the milkshake do for you, and how can we respond to that?
This is a very different question that may open up opportunities for those of us who work with Jewish teens.
Are we marketing properly?
The author, Clay Christensen, coined the term ‘job-to-be-done’ as a way for marketers to get into the mindset of the consumer. Doing this is essential, as about 95 % of the 30,000 new consumer products fail.
So, the question about what is the job-to-be-done re: #Jteens becomes very relevant, even crucial for our work.
What is the job we are really doing with teens? Is it Jewish education? Or is it really preparation for life? Is it honing their critical thinking skills?
Is it preparing them to take on leadership roles in college? Is it preparing them for Jewish life on campus? Is it giving them an ‘out’ for taking a foreign language in high school?
I suggest that we figure out what we are really doing, and ‘sell’ that. Let’s drink a milkshake to that one.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
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