It's no secret the Internet has changed the way consumers get information about products and the companies that provide them. Because so much intelligence about a potential transaction is so readily available from independent sources, the message provided by conventional advertising has declined in value to consumers, who even question its trustworthiness.

None of this is to say that traditional one-way advertising—say, the kind you find on TV or in print publications and even banner ads on a Web page—can't play an important role in communicating with customers. At its best, the mission of the marketer is the creation of meaning. Taking a common product and imbuing it with the aspiration of adventure, achievement, or beauty was one of the amazing feats of the 20th century.

WITH CHRISTIAN EVANGELICALS NOW REPRESENTING a third of American adults -- and over a quarter of total U.S. household income - you can bet that product marketers and retailers aren't just taking their appeal to this market on faith.

Nor should they. As with other consumer segments, a close look at Evangelicals reveals a complex and sometimes contradictory profile, according to a new report from the Packaged Facts division of Marketresearch.com.