The world’s had a new pope for a couple of weeks now. The billow of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney has long since dissipated, and the breathless anticipation of billions has been forgotten. Viewership of the movie Conclave, which jumped 283% in the 24 hours following Pope Francis’ death on 21 April and peaked during the papal conclave, has dropped again.
But Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV – the first American pontiff to be elected – continues to make headlines.
From meeting world number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner, and spawning all sorts of puns and memes to going viral over what his one-word message to the US could mean, the world can’t get enough.
As content marketers, we can learn from this. Whether it’s knowing your audience and crafting your messaging to address their pain points or using the power of human connection to gain a competitive edge, he offers a master class in marketing that we’d do well to take notes from.
Top three marketing lessons from the pope
1. Going global: crafting content that crosses borders
Over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide make for a massive captive audience. But local, linguistic, and other nuances mean that simply sharing one universal message isn’t effective. The key to success is adapting content for global markets to reflect an understanding of local context and customs.
Pope Leo XIV’s first speech is a perfect example of this. He addressed the crowds in St Peter’s Square mostly in Italian, but he switched to Spanish at one point to pay tribute to his “beloved diocese” in Chiclayo, where he served as bishop from 2014 to 2023. He spent over two decades living and working in Peru, and is a dual citizen there and in the US.
Switching between languages shows that he understands the importance of changing messaging and content to resonate with diverse audiences. For content marketers, the lesson is to understand and embed local insight while keeping the brand positioning and value consistent. This will make content and campaigns more engaging and relevant.
2. Building on the power of a strong value proposition
Balancing local context with brand consistency is something of a tightrope which is where a strong value proposition comes in handy. And with one as longstanding and well-established as the Catholic Church, there can be no better example of this.
A value proposition tells prospects why they should choose your services, products, or solutions by addressing a need, solving a problem, or providing a measurable benefit.
Pope Leo XIV is largely expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms, and he is seen as a leader whose focus on unity can help bring together traditionalists and progressives. He spoke of the need to “build bridges and engage” in his first address, important messaging that highlights the Church’s value proposition to followers in an uncertain global climate.
For marketers, the lesson is to know who your target audience is, understand their needs and pain points, and communicate how you will address these in a clear, informative, and persuasive manner.
3. Tapping into the art of storytelling
Pope Leo XIV’s milestone as the first American-born pontiff, together with his Peruvian connection, made for a unique and engaging story that caught the attention of the world’s media and global audience.
People love a good story. Humans are hardwired to share information in a way that resonates and creates connection. So, no matter what sphere or area of business you’re in, it’s natural to respond to stories and the emotional bond they foster.
And the elements remain the same whether it’s the pope or B2B marketing storytelling. Content marketers carefully need to harness theme, character, setting, conflict, and plot to create campaigns that translate into lead gen and conversion results.
B2B marketing lessons are everywhere
Key current and global events and trends have plenty to teach us as content marketers. Just think of what brat taught us about social media marketing or the lessons Taylor Swift’s lyrics imparted about B2B marketing.
Inspiration is everywhere and it’s still very early days in Pope Leo XIV’s papacy, so there are no doubt other lessons that we’ll be able to take from his leadership in the coming months and years.
If you would like to discuss how Isoline can help you turn content marketing lessons from the pope into bottom line strategic impact for your own brand, get in touch at hello@isolinecomms.com.
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