A possible way for the Watch Tower to generate revenue via their website.

by adjusted knowledge 29 Replies latest jw friends

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  adjusted knowledge

  Earlier in the week someone posted the potential value of the JW website based on visits and if they used advertisements.  Many stated they would never do that but I propose they could.

  Besides their real estate profit making business model, they have the conventions as cash generating machines.  They give directions to their members to which hotels/motels to use.  Couldn't they with all the vendors they deal with incorporate ADs to their website and tell their members to use these vendors.  In other words why couldn't they have ads on their site for Comfort Inn (for conventions) or Ads for Roku  (to watch JW TV).  Once they get the dubs to accept this they could expand.

  Don't think it can never happen.  I never would of thought they would stop mailing watchtowers to your home and now they embrace the internet for cost savings.

  They have millions of people who for free will push the jw.org website.  What other business can boast that?  And not only are these people going to advertise for free but they are paying customers.  It will be interesting to see what path the GB takes once they figure out the gold mine they are sitting on.  Perhaps even a paid subscription to their JW TV. 
  
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  _Morpheus

  Im one of those that would have said "never" in the past but ive seen too much change to not accept the possiblity.  In addition to your suggestions i could also see a suggested donation for jw TV. For those that are fincially strapped the congregation elders could write them a letter or some similar arrangment, perhaps even putting the onus on the congregation directly to pony up the mony for those who cant afford it themselves. 
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  OneEyedJoe

  I came in here fully expecting some completely unrealistic idea, but I think you might be on to something.  They've already got links to Roku stuff up there, so I could totally see them expanding this.

  There was a time i would've said "no way" if someone suggested that they'd pass slips out to take pledges for money, or install credit card machines in assembly halls, or require that any excess congregation fund be donated outright.  In light of that, I find it difficult to say that they'll never put some kind of ads on their website.
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  insidetheKH

  135 years of Watchtower magazines there was not a single advertisement in it.. there won't be any on the website too
  
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  apostrate

  insidetheKH,

  Never say never. No matter what I thought of JW's, good or bad, I truly NEVER would have believed that they would allow rock n roll, hip hop music AND dancing inside the Kingdom Hall. Now I'm a believer...
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  The Searcher

  insidetheKH - I heard that many years ago the Coca-Cola company allegedly tried to get the WTBTS to place an advert on the back page of the WT.
  

  Whether true or not, the potential income from allowing a morally acceptable advert on any of their distributable leaflets/magazines would be considerable.

  Don't bet your house on it never happening.

  Whatever the GB says, the sheep will accept it - end of story!

  
  
  
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  adjusted knowledge

  Any thing is possible with this new version of Witnesses.  Just like it would be unthinkable of a self proclaim righteous loyal Jehovah's Witness in the old regimen  to ever go against what the society stated in regards to visiting "apostate or opposed" websites in years past, but now daily active witnesses come here and lurk.  Some even create an account, reply to threads, and start new threads.  Never when I was active in the 90's would any member in good standing do such a thing.  So we shall see in 10 years or so what changes occur in regards to their website.
  
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  Doubting Bro

  Wouldn't paid ads put their "not-for-profit" status in jeopardy? Or maybe they don't care anymore? Certainly one of the worst mistakes from a financial standpoint in their history was moving to a voluntary contribution arrangement for their literature. And that was only to avoid having to deal with sales tax. 

  The "contributing" for a subscription to JW tv is an interesting idea. Of course, I also wouldn't be shocked if they went into a full on tithing situation in a few years. 
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  adjusted knowledge

  "Wouldn't paid ads put their "not-for-profit" status in jeopardy?"

  Not necessarily. It has been a long time since I've taken tax courses and a CPA could answer this better.  But the Ads would probably follow under Unrelated Business Income (UBI) and they would pay income tax on that revenue.  Unless the revenue was a large percentage of their overall donation it shouldn't affect their nonprofit status.
  
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  3rdgen

  AK, I fully agree. Some sort of statement about defraying the cost of their nu wiz-bang techknowlegy thingys gradually spooned in should be enough to sell it to the flock. How 'bout the ever- effective guilt trip : " Since donations by you tight-wad Brethren have been insufficient to cover the inflated cost of keeping up with Jehovah's celestial chariot we now have to resort to accepting advertisements. See what YOU MADE us do???"