In July, there were news related to the Premier League Celebration of Liverpool F.C. and the new K-Pop music from BLACKPINK appeared a lot on social media leading to the attention to ‘Evangelist marketing’, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where businesses are affected; unable to sell products and services. However, there are some businesses and brands which can make a profit during this crisis.

In the past, 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) marketing arose from the fact that manufacturers wanted to encourage purchases as an inside-out method, everything came unilateral from the brand owner or marketers to present products and services to consumers.

Until the present time, businesses have a better understanding of consumers the world has changed to the digital age, the 4Ps strategy has been developed into 4Es consisting of Experience, Everyplace, Exchange and Evangelism. Evangelism likens the heart of marketing in this era because it turns customers into product publishers by overlooking all the disadvantages of the brand.

Evangelism is a marketing strategy that focuses on building followers or consumers in the long run, building loyal customers with a brand passion, creating an experience for the target audience to become part of the brand, until they become an evangelist and obviously inviting others to the brand. The brand plays as a commander leading the mindset of consumers to create love, loyalty and trust in the brand.

Loyalty and Evangelist are different. Loyalty is a brand loyal customer who uses only one brand and will not change to competitors’. Evangelists, aside from not changing to other brands, still put all the effort into the brand even if the price is expensive, they will still to buy. If the brand is criticized, they are ready to protect and fight for the brand.

As mentioned at the beginning, the examples of brands that have clearly made the Evangelist Marketing are Liverpool F.C. where the fans have celebrated the victories, IPhone and Apple products which followers often overlook all restrictions and/or the K-Pop industry. After the new song of BLACKPINK was released in the market, both online and offline media are all about news related to BLACKPINK. In addition, after only 10 days of releasing the new songs, the value of the company’s stock has increased steadily, the market value increased to 3.19 million baht, not including other products that the followers have supported until creating many new records.

Even during the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, many businesses were affected but the company was still able to earn revenue from the brand’s evangelists through the sale of souvenirs and music albums such as sunglasses of Gentle Monster glasses that BLACKPINK’s Jenny has designed. The sunglasses sold out quickly although, at that time, it was during a home quarantine and sunglasses were the unnecessary products.

It is good to run a business with its own evangelists. Though, it is not only the quality of goods and services that can create evangelists, but also the factors such as a story about products and services or relationship between business and targets.

Especially in this digital era where the technology speeds up everything. If anything happens to the brand or business, the communication is very rapid. Having the evangelists means a group of people who help to stop the bad information and news as well as correct information for businesses. Today, businesses do not just need customers or advocates but it needs the evangelist.