Harold Camping predicted that about two percent of humanity would ascend to heaven at 6 pm on Saturday, May 21, 2011, basing his calculations on twice multiplying three "holy" numbers (5, 10, and 17) and then counting forward from the exact date on which Jesus was crucified (oddly enough, Camping is the only guy in all of history to know the day, which was April 1, 33). This obvious conclusion commanded the considerable financial and broadcasting power of his Family Radio business to convince his followers to pack their bags and ignore their credit card bills. The Apocalypse would involve massive earthquakes that his chosen friends would miss because they were "raptured."
Then the moment came and went with nary a tremor. The faithful were left disappointed that hundreds of millions of their fellow (though imperfect) human beings hadn't been thrown into cataclysmic destruction and then sent straight to Hell. Some of them felt downright ripped off, I'm sure, as news repots had people blowing through life savings checking out earthly delights before their planned celestial check-in.
Such a shock to a brand would suggest a rethink of the communications strategy, but Camping's response was double-down with another prediction, this time pinpointing the destruction of the world on October 21, 2011.
It's now obvious that 1) he believes what he's saying, since there's no redeeming purpose to it (sorry for the pun), and 2) there's a good chance Camping expects to have his own number called before he has to account for another Big Dud later this year.
If he wanted or cared about marketing advice, though, here are three thought-starters on how his brand could turn the other cheek:
- Admit error, sort of -- Camping has already done this, telling the world that his calculations were correct but his labels weren't, so the world was judged, not destroyed, on May 21 (annihilation will come in October). He should immediately retract that last part and stick with the judgment thing. Holy math is just too complex for a precise answer, but the general trend for apocalypses is sooner vs. later, especially since we've just been judged. Say it's coming, and coming soon, but change the pitch from then when to the what now.
- Say more constructive things -- I never understood all the money and effort Camping's people spent on declaring the End of the World. Why didn't they pitch us on what we could do in order to get a set on the upward-bound flight instead of the other one? The new positioning could allow them to do just that, turning the Family Radio propaganda machine into a constant pitch for better, more virtuous and charitable living. Think of the business tie-ins for everything from good citizenship to healthy products.
- Stop shrugging off the nutjobs -- Doomsday cults are somewhat common throughout history, they prey on a particular type of needy individual, and they consistently seem to survive even when their predictions don't. But today's media make it too easy for the rest of us to learn of his flock's disappointment...the nutjobs who spent their life savings or worked tirelessly to do whatever it was they thought they were supposed to do. So far, Camping has shrugged them off, and I think that hurts him more than being so gloriously wrong with his calendar. It makes him look cruel as well as nutty. He needs to help them.
Again, I don't think any of this matters, whether because Family Radio is broadcasting from another reality or, perhaps, they're right and we've just got six months more to live (and the rapture list has already been finalized). The greater truth is that we all live in our own personal end times, and that every day is potentially our last. Camping could recognize this fact and bring his brand communications in line with our reality, not his, but I don't think it's likely.
What do you think?
(Image credit: Harold Camping)
