I am going to start a series on this blog about using media, graphic design, and general communication skills to create an image and get a message out. Insight Media Group is focused on helping churches and missionaries get connected to those around them with the message of Christ. With all the technology that is available, the question is where do we start? What works, what doesn’t? We all want to utilize what is available, but it is enormous task. So…lets get started.
Play to the Hole
Before we start evaluating what to do about image and creativity, we need to answer a few “philosophical” questions. We need something knowledge to help us make decisions and give us direction.
I was talking to a friend at lunch the other day about marketing and presentation of products and services, and I remembered something that I learned while playing golf. In golf it is easy to get distracted from the objective with strategy and lack of skill. In other words, getting in over your head. What every good golfer knows is that whether good at golf (Tiger Woods) or not so good (me), you should always play to hole. This means that you should plan your strategy starting at the hole and working back from there. Every stroke should be part of a plan that will result in the ball falling into the hole as quickly as possible…everything else is just a waste of time.
Now lets apply that to communicating your message. Who do you want to reach? How can you reach them? Start there and work your way back to where you are. You are standing on the imaginary tee box with your message. It is easy to drive your message in the wrong direction, especially if you don’t know where you are going. That is why it is important to know those people that you are trying to reach. Are they young, old, rich, poor, religious, academic, career-minded or…I think your are getting it.
So, task number one before you decide what color you like or font for your logo, make a detailed and specific list of people that you are going to reach with your message. (…and “everyone” is not a good answer!) You will find that if you do your homework on this point, all of the pieces will begin to fall into place.
Next…
Reasons why the business marketing models don’t work in the spiritual realm. There are easy traps to fall into…and many do.
