Media

I think Gerard Baker of the Times Online has a unique understand of the media's near worship of Barack Obama. ... read more

Are we losing our moral authority in the culture, by trying to reach a larger audience?  In my book “Branding Faith” I talk about what I call the “Marketing Conflict.”.  We can plead a life of poverty, until we realize that reaching a mass audience through the media costs millions of dollars.  We can make a hard stand for an issue, until we ... read more

I spoke on an entertainment panel at the Congress on Faith and Action at Yale University today with panelist Norman Stone, and actor Todd Wilkerson.  Norman is from Scotland and has had a long career as a film director on a wide range of projects from independents to major BBC film series.  I intend to spend more time with Norman.  He’s brilliant thinker and filmmaker.  Todd has starred in commercials for many different clients and you’re seeing him now as the Burger King (with the giant fiberglass head).  Considering that role, World Magazine recently called Todd “The most famous actor you’ve never seen.”  But but one of the most powerful panelists I heard from today was ... read more

When it comes to media strategy for non-profits and religious organizations, one of the most important considerations is media buying. Getting your TV or radio program placed in the best and most affordable time slot on the right channel or station is critical. Too many good programs die when they’re put in a bad spot. Plus, I’ve seen times when ministries are having financial challenges, so they cut a significant part of their media time. Problem is, ... read more

Mary Hutchinson of Creative One sent me this “Top Ten List of Fundraising Tips” for Christian media programmers. It’s particularly focused on religious and non-profit media, but many of the ideas could impact the way you raise money outside of media as well. Do you agree with these techniques? Let me know your thoughts... ... read more

With the writer's strike over, and on the eve of the Oscars, I thought it might be interesting to review this article on my "10 Mistakes Christians Make in Entertainment" from a couple of years ago. Look it over and see if you still think these issues apply today. ... read more

Today, the Infuze online magazine posted their recent interview with me about faith, media, and culture. Interviewer Paul Rose Jr. covered some good stuff - from comedy, to Hollywood, screenwriting, anti-Christian bias, and why Christians have trouble writing convincing characters - and I think you'll enjoy the conversation. ... read more

I get a number of people asking me “How do you find out this stuff?” Or “How do you process news and information for the material on your blog?” So I thought I’d outline a little about the process I go through everyday to scan issues and stories. Whether you write a blog or not, your job as a media professional or everyday person is to be aware of the issues facing the culture. So developing a system for digesting information, and then thinking about it and processing it will make a dramatic difference in your ideas, your strategies, and your intellectual depth. It’s nothing stupendous, but it works for me: ... read more

For the leader or employee in a faith-based or non-profit organization that sees impending change coming – but can’t convince anyone else – here are a few thoughts. Especially for those in the middle of generational change. Right now in America there are a number of major religious organizations in the middle of changing leadership from the first generation leader to the second. For those of you who see that coming, take heart with the following: ... read more

Applications for the 2008 Act One Executive and Writing Programs are now available online. The success of the Act One programs depends on the quality of our students, and every year the most effective method of getting news about Act One to high-quality applicants is word of mouth. Please help us by thinking of smart, talented, culturally savvy Christians who are serious about their faith and who love movies and television, and then ... read more

According to Advertising Age magazine, younger viewers are moving to the computer screen perhaps a bit faster than anyone thought. With younger adults, only 23% strongly agree that they prefer to watch TV rather than online video. Nearly 30% of the 12-64 year old population report that the PC is cutting seriously into their TV time. What does this mean? ... read more

Michael Boerner at iQuestions shared an interesting chart with me recently on how Nielsen Media Research tracks the impact of internet advertising. It’s a “visibility map” and I’ve attached it as a .pdf to this post. The chart reveals that the prime time viewing audience for TV is evening hours between 7-10pm (nothing new there). Likewise, the radio prime time is early morning drive time, and slowly falls off over the course of the day. But the internet brings a different perspective altogether. The internet “prime time” creates a ... read more

We live in a Post-Christian culture. Done. Get over it. They don’t play by our rules or understand our values. The Christian worldview isn’t dominant anymore. And yet I keep running up against pastors and Christian leaders who seem dumbfounded that network TV programs don’t honor religious faith, politicians don’t appreciate the faith-based audience, or the culture in general is more and more secular. We can complain and lament all we want, but ... read more

If your advertising or programming hasn’t been getting a response lately, the first place you should look is viewer fatigue.  In other words, is the audience simply tired of seeing what you’re presenting?  Too often, programmers and advertisers get into a rut.   Our spots look alike, we use the same voice over artist, show the same graphic style, or tend to write the same way – over and over again.  Viewer fatigue means that people are simply getting tired of it all.  In our efforts to unify a brand, we want to give all the advertising and programming a unified, thematic look, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the same.  If you think your viewers are suffering from viewer fatigue, here are some ideas to consider: ... read more

Whenever I visit local churches, most of the time I'm faced with a frustrated local media producer who's at his or her wits end. They're usually good producers, often with extensive experience, plus a real calling to use media to take the gospel to the culture. But in nearly every case, he or she is either burned out, upset, or ready to quit. ... 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

Alert reader Fergus Scarfe in the U.K. told me about Neil Boorman , who torched his designer wardrobe and possessions and tried to live a brand-free life for a year - so how did he do? His experience is worth thinking about. ... read more

Hearing about scandals and problems in the religious media world makes me think of how we handle public relations in the Internet era when information is so readily available. Remember the Tylenol scare a number of years ago, when some poisoned pills were discovered? The President of the company dealt with it immediately, and they spent a fortune in advertising and public service announcements talking to the public. More recently, remember Jet Blue' scheduling disaster last winter that left hundreds of people stuck on planes for hours? The President of the company immediately ... read more

Check out the Ignite Media Conference in Southern California.  It's a one day hands on lab for creating effective media and marketing for churches.  It's an interactive learning experience (and experiment) for pastors and media directors who are looking to integrate faith and effective creative strategy for their local churches to communicate the most important message ever told.  And, it's a chance to do it with over 500 other church and ministry leaders from Southern California. ... read more