A pastor who's a client of ours has the largest church in his city. Recently, the local paper did a major story on the church, and although it was pretty positive, when the story was posted online, he was shocked at the number of really vicious and nasty comments from numerous anonymous online posters. (Isn't it interesting that the worst comments are always from people afraid to identify themselves?)

He asked me, "What about the critics? That's hurtful stuff." His wife told me how upsetting it was, and how challenging it is living in the public eye. They asked me how they should deal with criticism: "Do you just develop a thick skin and not care anymore? We don't want to get to that place, but we have to admit that constant sniping and criticism can wear us down." ... read more

In the cluttered and competitive world of media, the need to be unique and noticed sometimes takes a strange turn. In my book "Branding Faith" I talk about branding and identity as something that comes out of your nature. Your brand story is the essence of who you are. It's not something you make up or add on, it's the compelling story about the real you. But as I watch a new generation of younger pastors and religious TV personalities, I'm noticing such a desperation to get noticed, that they're often coming up with some really ridiculous things. ... read more

Brand expert Simon Williams says "Brands that influence culture sell more; culture is the new catalyst for growth." The concept of changing culture is hot. Look at Google - it's revolutionizing the way we work online - both personally and corporately. There's also a rush for brands to be green and help the environment. Those brands are getting a lot of buzz right now. Right or wrong, the perception of impacting culture adds an important layer to your credibility. The perception is that PC's are for bland business people, while Apple is for culture shapers and creators. What are you doing to impact culture? Whatever it is, you need to be talking about it. ... read more

Bill Maher (HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher) has produced a new documentary called "Religulous," directed by Larry Charles (Borat), the purpose of which is to show that people of faith are pretty wacky. The only problem is the coincidental release of a comprehensive new study by Baylor University called "What Americans Believe." Movie stars like Maher, Matt Damon, the cast of Saturday Night Live, as well as famous atheists like Richard Dawkins continue to make fun of the "weird" beliefs of Christians and other religious types, and are all convinced that ... read more