Whenever we talk about a personal "brand," a significant part of that conversation is about perception. What do people think of when they think of you? I encountered two friends the other day in New York that illustrate the idea very well. Both are terrific vocal coaches - in fact they were business partners early in their career. But for whatever reason, a number of years ago they decided to ... read more

Regardless of what you may think of President Bush and his legacy, some really positive things have happened during this tenure that the media isn't much interested in reporting. Under the direction of drug czar John Walters, teen drug use is down 25% over the last 6 years. There are 860,000 fewer teens using drugs than in 2001. The Medicare drug benefit plan has been a success - enrolling 24 million seniors with premiums running about 40% below projected costs. Even his hard stand on ... read more

In an interesting PR move, The New Yorker magazine reports that Scientology's work rehabbing buildings in Hollywood and other places has really made a positive impact on their perception in the city. In fact, Scientology has become a major investor in old Hollywood and helped create a revival in that part of Los Angeles. As a result, ... read more

Articles coming out in Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times this weekend indicate just how much of a beating the Christian faith is taking right now when it comes to the public's perception. I'm going to be writing more about this in coming weeks because I blame much of this on a flawed strategy to impact the culture. The last 30 years have seen a rise in Christian organizations with strategies that "confronted" the culture. They viewed it as a culture war, and went on the attack. But "power" and "influence" are two different things, and controlling ... read more

It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.
-- Anais Nin

As a commercial director and media consultant in Hollywood, perception is my business. I deal in the visual world of products and people, and how they are perceived by the viewing audience. Today, in a media-saturated culture, perception is the currency of choice. Public relations has become an art form as celebrities, politicians, and companies confront the need to impact and control public opinion, and the issue of perception has become a critical part of advertising campaigns, press releases, and public statements. ... read more