YouTube and William Morris To Team for Premium Content - Ministry and Business Marketing & Media Blog

Word is swirling online that YouTube and major talent agency William Morris will team up to place premium content on the world's largest video portal. This serves the dual purpose of meeting YouTube's need for content they believe they can fully monetize and the needs of William Morris clients to have yet another platform to market themselves, perhaps after they've been rejected by major film and television studios.

This brings a couple questions to mind concerning both the William Morris clients and existing YouTube partners.

What will appearing on YouTube do for top-shelf WM talents? It used to be that top film stars refused to appear on television becuase the small screen was perceived to be for small-timers.

Clearly, for those closer to the bottom of the food chain YouTube could represent a killer opportunity to build a fan base. But for those already doing well, how many will be willing to appear on YouTube and how will doing so impact their brands? Brad Pitt and friends showing up for a Jimmy Kimmel bit is one thing. Showing up on YouTube in a low-level star's video is another.

On the flip side, what impact will the appearance of established stars have on the traffic of YouTube partners such as Smosh, Fred, Dave Days and others? Perhaps new Hollywood talent will bring new viewers to YouTube? Then again, if the decreased audiences of top-tier TV shows in a sea of 300 channels is at all instructive, then existing YouTube partners should seriously consider branching out.

Also consider the impact of YouTube's overall efforts to make their site more user-friendly and keep folks on their portal longer.

Search bars, menus of related content from other producers and other functionality is great for fans, but most assuredly dilutes the brands of individual YouTube producers. What then will a flood of not just prosumer but studio quality content do to existing YouTubers?

YouTube to Allow Major Partners to Serve Their Own Ads - Ministry and Business Marketing and Media Blog

As TechCrunch broke today, YouTube is rumored to be planning to allow big media partners to serve their own ads, with YouTube getting a piece of the pie. As the article further points out, most of YouTube's revenue is currently generated from ads placed with these media partners and YouTube would love to expand that revenue stream.

This new strategy might allow YouTube to capture a bigger piece of the advertising pie with global media companies, but it brings one big question to my mind: what about YouTube's other partners including Fred, Dave Days, Corey Vidal and others? What if they want to bring other advertisers to the table? Will YouTube share revenue with them as well?

Many of these partners have developed or are developing into full-fledged media brands. Why not allow them also to bring advertisers to the table with revenue-sharing?

To this point, advertisers have generally been reluctant to place ads on YouTube's smorgasbord of content. Why not allow any partners who break through with advertisers to run their own ads, whether they're Warner Brothers or Household Hacker?

What do you think? Would you open the ad gates to everyone or would you only play ball with media empires?

Corey Vidal and Why Record Labels Might Be Their Own Worst Branding Enemies - Ministry and Business Marketing and Media Blog

Brand Management 101:
1) Promote brand love.
2) Don't promote brand hate.

On the heels of their decision to stop suing single moms and other small-time copyright infringers, record labels still don't seem to understand how to engender good will around their brands and build a long-term fan base. Case in point, Warner Music Group's decision to remove a YouTube tribute to John Williams.

The video in question by choreographer and musician Corey Vidal, featured a four-part a capella performance set to the Star Wars theme. It received 4,064,130 views and reminded many, including yours truly, of Williams' brilliance.

What was WMG's response to this incredible, free publicity among a new generation for the brilliant composer whose catalog they own? WMG had the video removed for copyright infringement.

The result, of course, is the loss of a promotional opportunity for WMG and now more bad will for WMG and all record labels. Want evidence of the incredible backlash against WMG on this front? Just check out Corey Vidal's YouTube page and read the comments. Though I'll warn you in advance that many of them are unfit to reprint here.

Perhaps a better course of action for WMG would've been to create a contest around the video and to feature the Star Wars soundtrack throughout. In fact, why not hire Corey and have him wear a t-shirt for a website where fans could download John Williams' music?

What do you think? How would you have managed your brand similarly or differently?

Update: Indeed, John Williams is not dead, as I erroneously alluded to in my original post. Thanks to the anonymous commenter for catching that one.

Psst...Your Business is Your Ministry! - Ministry & Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

I have to confess that I might have misled you. I've been offering recommendations for ministry and business separately. But the reality is that whether or not you have a Pastor So-and-So nameplate on your door, if you're a true disciple of Jesus Christ, you're in full-time ministry. I know you've heard it before, but don't bail on this column yet. Let it sink in...

Think about the percentage of Christians that Jesus Christ actually gives as apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. Now read Ephesians 4. Yes, pull out your Bible or visit www.biblegateway.com and read Ephesians 4 in the NASB, NIV, or ESV.

Not that God requires large numbers to accomplish anything--think Gideon's 300--but the ratio of spiritual leaders to other parts of the body of Christ is quite small, isn't it? This reality, rooted in clear biblical teaching, tells us something about the nature of the calling of spiritual leaders and all other members of the body of Christ.

Contrary to popular understanding, the job of pastors and other Christian leaders is not to be the professional Christian. In fact, according to Paul's Spirit-inspired letter to the church at Ephesus, apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers are given by Christ for "the equipping of the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:12-14)

The first-century apostles & prophets, and now evangelists and pastor-teachers, have been given by Christ to equip all other believers to accomplish many of the good works of the Spirit in this world, tasks which "God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10) If you're a true Christ-follower, the equipped saints include you, Ms. Company President, Mr. Marketing Exec, Mrs. Assistant, Mr. Store Manager, Ms. Postal Worker and Mr. Janitor.

Don't believe that God works through laypeople? Read the story of Priscilla, Aquilla, and Apollos in Acts 18:24-28. Terror of terrors, there the Spirit used lowly tentmakers to instruct Apollos, who God quickly made a great champion of the faith.

Are you a tentmaker? And I don't simply mean somebody who is both working a separate vocation and pastoring. Then you need to understand and accomplish your task, just as Priscilla and Aquilla grasped and fulfilled their God-given ministry.

Ask the Holy Spirit to utterly revolutionize the way you look at the ministry God has given you. Stop passing the buck to your pastor & Billy Graham. Instead pray like mad that God will work through His Word & prayer and biblically-sound spiritual leaders to equip you, "until we all attain to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."

One more thing...I mentioned above that the entire body of Christ has been created in Christ Jesus to accomplish many of the good works of the Holy Spirit. Not included in these works is the actual bringing of someone to saving faith. That's the exclusive domain of the Holy Spirit, as Paul declared, "So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything. but God who causes the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:7) Leave the eternal results to God, even as you endeavor to build as a "wise master builder" according to the grace of God.

Welcome to the ministry...

BlueTooth Broadcasting Reality Check - Ministry & Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

You don't have to be a movie buff to remember them. They're in just about every futuristic movie: walk-by, holographic marketing pitches that are individually tailored and in your face. We're not there yet. But BlueTooth broadcasting (BTB) does offer some incredible, less obnoxious possibilities to reach folks already interested in what you're doing.

The reality check is this: just as we're not yet engulfed in holographic marketing, (I'm not sure if I ever want to get there), so BlueTooth, proximity-based marketing is not quite ready for primetime. Don't get me wrong, BTB already has some cool possibilities for business and ministry, but the audience in the States is largely limited to smart phone and PC-based BlueTooth users.

However, across the pond in Europe, BlueTooth, proximity marketing is hot. Football clubs (soccer teams to you MLS fans) and retailers alike are Bluetoothing coupons, fan club signups, exclusive contests, and more to interested patrons. Most of this is permission-based, i.e., folks get an alert that content is available and they have to opt-in to receive it. Though a recent UK Information Commissioner's Office ruling declared that BlueTooth is not covered by the same anti-spam regulations as other marketing communications.

In addition to their superior phone technology, the overarching European market dynamic that makes Bluetooth more accessible is that EU phone carriers themselves are no longer the problem. In the U.S., carriers still short-change their customers by trying to control the flow of information via fun tricks like programming your lower-end BlueTooth phone to block communications from more sophisticated BlueTooth-enabled devices such as other mobiles and PCs.

In spite of the currently limited market, BlueTooth marketing is getting off the ground in the U.S. and launching in the Middle East. Once U.S. phones catch up, BlueTooth broadcasting will become the next rage in mobile marketing. (Click here for a BTB intro).

Actually, the small audience gives ministries and businesses a tidy focus group with which to try out BTB before it goes wide--a blessing in disguise, if you will.

If you're interested in BlueTooth, two options present themselves: hire an outside company or find a turnkey solution. I recommend doing it yourself.

In fact, I recently spent about $400 for a long-range (600-900 feet) BlueTooth transmitter, extra-large antenna, high-output cable, and software. The software is intuitive and the transmitter (or dongle) is plug-and-play--perfect for non-techies like me. Again, though, I discovered the hard way that TMobile, Verizon, and friends have conspired to quash my market reach. Boo, hoo.

If you don't want to figure it out for yourself, many companies offer to BlueTooth broadcasting services. Though I can't personally recommend any, a quick Google search will yield a few possibilities. Warning: the bang for your buck is limited.

So what can you BlueTooth to smart phone users and PC users? Ministries and churches can BTB simple gospel intros, service times, locations, class info, volunteer signups, and more. Businesses can send coupons, slideshows of real estate listings, links to websites, etc. As you BTB, make sure to prominently advertise the availability of BlueTooth content through signs in your front window and announcement screens.

One last thing...The goal of BlueTooth broadcasting for you non-sheisters, should be to reach folks who are already or are potentially interested in you and your offerings. Keep it permission-based and useful. Do not just send out slow-loading, annoying schlock. Unhappy recipients will make their presence known--to you and their circle of influence.

Try out BlueTooth. Even with only smart phone and PC recipients, the d.i.t.y. approach is well worth the cash outlay and will allow you to hone your message before the wave hits. But please, no holographs...

Starbucks is Stupid: The Boiled Peanuts Sales Model - Ministry & Business Marketing, Media, and Strategy Blog

Seth Godin, a marketing guru with an actual working brain, recently shared a funny story about a hobby shop near his home. It could've been the coolest little model train retailer in the land. But the owners are quickly settling into general store mediocrity. According to their billboard, model train fans are also interested in coffee and lottery tickets.

My local version of the sell-everything, lost in the shuffle store, actually lists boiled peanuts as one of their staples. Did I miss the Jimmy Carter comeback tour? Has half of Georgia migrated south to the Tampa metro area? Nope. But just in case you get a hankering, rest assured that boiled peanuts are always available there. Pig's feet and hummus distributors are reported to be in talks with the store as we speak...

Over the last few years, Starbucks has fallen victim to this boiled peanuts sales model. Instead of focusing on their core offering--coffee--and building loyalty & customer affinity around the fruit of the bean, Starbucks has diluted their brand to the extreme.

SBUX now sells breakfast sandwiches which overpower that classic fresh ground coffee smell and clutters their stores with a literal boatload of overpriced CDs, DVDs, teddy bears, candy, bottled smoothies, and even picnic sets. Did I mention they also sell all the requisite coffee/hot drink crap--including coffee mugs, coffee pots, press pots big and small, travel mugs, tea sets, and tea bags?!?

Exit CEO Jim Donald. Enter Starbucks founder Howard Schultz.

Like every good former Starbucks drone, I know that back in the 1980s Schultz saw the coffee house revolution coming and bought out his Starbucks partners, who wanted to keep their stores a simple coffee and tea wholesaler. The rest is capitalist history...

Upon his return in January, Schultz confessed that Starbucks had strayed from its coffee core and promised a quick return thereto (and to the profitability that comes with it). That's easier said than done, but Schultz recently showed his java resolve by closing all North American Starbucks stores for three hours, for the sole purpose of indoctrinating, er, educating baristas about the wonders of the bean. I'll keep you posted on their progress...

In the meantime, think about your ministry or business and how to avoid the boiled peanuts model.

For ministries, your job is to bring glory to God and tell everyone about the good news of Jesus Christ. That is, that Jesus was God and that He lived, died, and rose again, just as He promised. And you're to encourage folks to walk with Him who is not just a mere good teacher or the ticket to your best life now. Jesus Christ is truly, to steal from the late great Francis Schaeffer, the God who is there. If you're not proclaiming as much, Scripture says you are missing the mark.

Likewise you business owners/execs should learn from Starbucks' mistakes and streamline your product mix. And cut ventures that detract or distract from your core competencies.

One last story...A friend of mine is an extremely successful architect in a major U.S. city. His main office is located in an uber-cool, turn-of-the-century brick building that once served as a train depot. In fact, box car tracks still run past the loading dock. Very cool, indeed.

One day I asked my friend if he owned the building. Though he certainly had the money to buy it, he said no. When I asked why he didn't own the building, my friend put it bluntly: he isn't in the real estate business.

So I ask you: what business are you in? Are you in the coffee business? Then why are you diluting your brand by making movies about spelling bee champions? Are you in the model train business? Then why are you advertising lotto tickets?

Think about why you're in business and hone your offerings accordingly. Scripture says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. It's just as true for business as it is for ministry and walking with Christ.