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Volume 2, Issue 5 — May 28, 2013
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Inversely Proportional ROI
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
The traditional sales pipeline and funnel effect says that the bigger the funnel at the top, the bigger the pipeline of leads. I’m not going to argue “sales physics,” but I will say that there is a unique dynamic in the house of worship market when it comes to reaching more church prospects. I call it the Inversely Proportional ROI effect, and it has two distinctives.
Sure, any manufacturer, rep firm or systems integrator that advertises to a larger number of churches has the potential to receive a greater number of leads. However, the key word there is potential. Marketing 101 tells us to know our audience before spending money on advertising. It is typically assumed that churches have more or less the same needs (an incorrect assumption) and that their size (attendance) is a good indicator of their budget (another incorrect assumption). With these two incorrect assumptions in place, we have the typical advertising we have seen aimed at the church market. One doesn’t have to look hard to see a common thread in most advertising in our trade publications: It sucks.
As I’ve talked about before, not all churches are the same, so your advertising needs to take this into consideration and do something useful with it. I’ve given some very helpful data in my article Prioritizing A/V/L Purchases in Churches, so you don’t have to look far to get a snapshot of what this means for your marketing efforts.
The reason most advertising in our industry that targets churches sucks is understood in the first aspect of the Inversely Proportional ROI effect: The more you promote the right thing the wrong way, the less your ROI.
Backfiring ROI
Example #1 – It’s simple: When you talk down to a prospect, they rarely buy up. Churches aren’t full of stupid buyers. Just because I’m a pastor doesn’t mean you have to speak to me with spiritual baby-talk. Please don’t feel the need to use adjectives such as heavenly, angelic, divine.
Example #2: To quote the late Steve Jobs: “It’s a feature, not a product.” By focusing on features exclusively, the potential house of worship buyer/influencer has to then — by you forcing them — compare your features to a competitor’s features. Features do matter, but they’re the means to the end, not the end itself. Don’t make the buyer figure out how many checkboxes they need to tick off in order to buy your product instead of someone else’s.
Promoting the correct products to the right audience in a way that turns off the intended buyer/influencer not only makes a sale unlikely, repeated efforts in this vain actually make the brand lose credibility in the buyer’s eyes. This means research, polling and testing will be a part of developing a marketing strategy for the house of worship market.
Sometimes what backfires is the application of your technology. For example, I had an awesome lighting client that used a breathtaking photo of a huge facility with a great, catchy headline. The problem? The picture was of a religious facility that many of the intended buyers would view as a cult. I kid you not; they’d done everything right in the ad, except they potentially offended a chunk of the audience.
Audience Generalization
The second dynamic of the Inversely Proportional ROI effect in the House of Worship market is audience generalization. This happens when you market to churches as if they’re all the same with the same needs for the same products. Your marketing team can buy or rent almost any of the touted church buyers lists available — even the ones with over 100,000 opt-in subscribers — and still have poor ROI on their advertising efforts.
In my recent article The Lowest Common Denominator, I implored the AVL industry to “know thy audience.” Think in terms of distinct buyer types within the H.O.W. space and use specialized advertising to reach the right buyers. Again, I’ve covered some of this in my previous article references, but what I’m focusing on here is how adding more viewers into your marketing mix in the house of worship market can be more difficult than more targeted marketing efforts.
House of Worship Segmentation
Each advertiser must determine how their products fit into various church applications. As such, I cannot say exactly what each market segment looks like. However, there are some generally acceptable rules of thumb that should at least be considered.
The Mega and Giga Church
Mega churches are defined as having more than 2,000 people in weekly attendance. My term for the largest of these is Giga churches, and I define them as having greater than 8,000 in weekly attendance. I make this distinction because my experience has shown that the most-savvy churches tend to be the largest when it comes to technology integration into their ministry context. Interestingly, I have found that the Mega churches can be more difficult as clients than their larger counterparts. Perhaps it’s because it takes a great deal more intentionality, focus and critical hiring for a Giga church to get to this growth point. Nonetheless, both can be big buyers and, with multi-site frequent buyers. And, let’s not forget, they’re also influencers for smaller churches who look at how they use technology as a model/reference point.
The Double-and-Triple Digit Crowd
These are churches that are seeing double- and triple-digit year over year growth. I also refer to this group as “growth churches.” Addressing the needs of fast growth, fast expansion and ever-changing needs meets these churches right where they are – in the fast lane.
Part of the challenge with this segment is based on a statistical reality in most churches: Giving (offerings) comes, on average, 18 months after a person starts attending. In other words, they’re growing in attendance faster than they’re growing in income level. Understanding this is important for both manufacturers and integrators, where scalable, modular systems are often necessary.
Building and Rebuilding
When churches add new facilities or renovate existing ones, there is often a capital fundraising campaign to help raise the money. When millions of dollars are being spent, it’s far easier to justify the budgets for AVL that otherwise might be out of reach. Timing, of course, is everything, as focusing advertising to churches in building mode is very small percentage; but those percentages often have the need and the budgets at the same time.
Fix It Churches
A staple in the systems integrator market is the seemingly never-ending supply of churches that are not satisfied with the results they’re getting from the existing facilities/technology/personnel (but they usually attribute it to the gear). The upside is the ability to make a marked improvement and win a client for the long-term. The downside has historically been companies making the quick sale and sticking the church with a band-aid patch instead of a real solution, resulting in a more wary buyer and cynical purchasing cycle.
ROI with ROM
To avoid the Inversely Proportional ROI Effect I’ve described above, learn the audience, determine how to best position your products and services without offending the audience, segment your marketing to more accurately target various buyer types in varying buying cycles and focus on the church’s Return On Ministry. The long tail here is a satisfied church client – with a special emphasis on influencer churches – and referral business. When those criteria are met, a brand’s credibility and reference-ability increases dynamically.
A former staff member at three mega churches and church technology consultant, Anthony Coppedge has developed a respected reputation as a leader in technical and communications circles within the church marketplace. Reach him at anthony@anthonycoppedge.com or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/anthonycoppedge
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Church Online
By Anthony Coppedge House of Worship Technology Consultant
It’s been said that video without lighting is just radio. The point being that it takes great lighting to make great video and a story isn’t complete without compelling audio (most of the time, at least). With YouTube stats setting records every year, we’re clearly a video-obsessed culture here in North America.
It is no surprise, then, that churches have decided to leverage this powerful media. Enter online church or, as some call it, church online. From a simple Web stream of a single camera to full-blown online services complete with an online campus pastor, volunteers and a broadcast television quality production, this explosive growth area is one where our industry is clearly suited to serve the House of Worship market well.
Historical Precedent
While church online is relatively new, multi-site campuses and even missionary teaching videos have existed for decades. Count, too, podcasts and videocasts and it’s obvious there have been a number of do-it-yourself video tools available for years. But when DIY isn’t enough, our industry is clearly poised to offer a wide array of products and services to fit the exact niche of every church.
Many church leaders are unaware of the potential complexities of graduating from DIY video cameras and built-in microphones for shooting in an office or study to capturing and/or streaming entire services online. Any professional understands what’s required to get the kind of results that are often expected in a multi-camera production, but this is still new territory for many — and I’d say most — church leaders. Education is part of the requirement, but so is understanding viable options for creating a scale-as-you-grow approach, limiting technical complexities in favor of creating stepping stones for reaching an online audience.
Church Online Platform
While a relatively small percentage of churches offer online campuses, the leading church in the space, LifeChurch.tv, released Church Online Platform in 2012 as a built-from-the-ground-up Internet campus tool for churches to use.
Bobby Gruenewald is a significant leader in this space, and as the Innovation Leader for LifeChurch.tv, he has a lot of experience with not only the online church toolset, but is also the leader of YouVersion.com, a mobile and Web Bible App that has over 50 million installations on mobile devices. Bobby was listed in Fast Company’s top 150 people to watch, so wide is his influence. Speaking about the Church Online Platform, Bobby said “we’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time,” when the toolset launched in January of 2012. “Through the partnership of a handful of like-minded churches,” said Gruenewald, “we were able to start over from square one and develop a solution that churches everywhere could use to launch an online ministry.”
The LifeChurch.tv platform is completely free, but that doesn’t mean it’s free to launch a church online. Here is where service providers, online tools, hardware and software all collide. The options are seemingly endless, so systems integrators have an entirely new market to address with their vast experience in production in the context of online church or streaming services. Manufacturers can market existing technologies that serve nearly identical purposes in other markets and adapt the messaging to this growing segment of the house of worship market.
Value Proposition
Rarely has a market opened up that so closely resembles what’s been done on television and through corporate and education market contexts for years. This is the proverbial shoe-in, with the caveat being a different kind of engagement than the other markets require.
Churches are similar to other organizations in that they want to expand their reach, increase their influence and connect with more people. The Internet is the biggest potential audience in the world, but the bigger draw is perhaps the church’s ability to be found by potential attendees online. Where a website is important, allowing a visitor to virtually attend a service is incredibly valuable for those searching for a church home.
From an AVL perspective, the entire gamut of options, from simple streaming options to full-blown online campuses, requires the very technologies served by this industry. Further, the opportunity and potential for repeat business through expansion, multi-site and multi-venue is lucrative for manufacturers and systems integrators alike is substantial.
It is estimated that there are now thousands of churches streaming services online in one fashion or another, but the number of online churches is still a fraction of a percent of the churches in North America. This future trend is ripe with potential and opportunity, and one that the audio, video and lighting industry should notice – and address – now.
A former staff member at three mega churches and church technology consultant, Anthony Coppedge has developed a respected reputation as a leader in technical and communications circles within the church marketplace. Reach him at anthony@anthonycoppedge.com or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/anthonycoppedge
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Community Intros New ProAV Design Series of Speakers
Community Professional Loudspeakers have introduced a new line of speakers it is dubbing the Commercial Design Series that includes ceiling, surface mount and pendant loudspeakers. Commercial Design models are offered in a choice of 4.5-inch, 6.5-inch and 8-inch driver sizes and was designed to work with Community’s Distributed Design family of ceiling, surface mount and pendant loudspeakers in a combined installation. Features include real compression drivers and Tru-Phase phase plugs for high output and low distortion and all models feature Euroblock input connectors — an external loop-through wiring design, weather-treated drivers, and corrosion-resistant, dual-layer, powder-coated grilles.
Ceiling model options include low-profile 4.5-inch, standard profile 4.5-inch, 6.5-inch and 8-inch formats. The 6.5-inch full-range C6 is also available in an optional black finish for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, or any installation requiring an off-the-shelf black ceiling mount system.
Surface mount options include full-range 4.5-inch, 6.5-inch and 8-inch loudspeakers in elegant black or white finishes. A Vari-Tilt yoke mounting bracket is included, which allows low profile mounting and precise aiming over a broad pan-tilt range. The surface mount CS4, CS6 and CS8 have passed compliance testing for MIL-STD-810G and can be used in outdoor direct exposure applications.
Finally, the 6.5-inch full-range CP6 pendant loudspeaker is available for open architecture spaces or any location where a stylish pendant form factor is desired. Available in black or white and utilizing the same components as the C6 ceiling model and CS6 surface mount model, the CP6 can be used in a wide variety of speech and music applications.
The ceiling systems are ETL listed to comply with UL1480, UL2043 and CSA60065, while the pendant loudspeaker conforms to UL1480 as well. All Commercial Design models can be painted to match room décor and are equipped with a built-in autoformer for selectable 8 ohm or 70V/100V operation.
All the specs are here: http://www.communitypro.com/
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Digital Projection Offers Free Lamps For Projectors While in Warranty
DPI has introduced a new 'Lamp Freedom' program for customers in both the ProAV and HomeAV markets that allows end-users to receive a free set of replacement lamps in years two and three of a new projector purchase made between now and the end of June 2013. The program is offered to end-users purchasing HIGHlite Series or TITAN Series projectors from authorized DPI Commercial AV or Home Cinema dealers in North America.
Lamp replacement costs are obviously a key concern when calculating the long-term cost of ownership of high-brightness projectors. DPI’s ‘Lamp Freedom’ program offers customers a dramatically reduced cost of ownership benefit on their HIGHlite and TITAN projectors. Depending on the DPI projector model purchased, this program can represent more than $10,000 in lamp savings during the three-year warranty period. For customers with typical use applications, which DPI defines as 1,000-1,500 hours per year, this program will completely eliminate lamp purchase costs during the warranty period.
To qualify, end-users must purchase and take delivery of HIGHlite and TITAN 3-chip projectors during the 5/1/13 – 6/30/13 timeframe. This qualifies the customer to order one set of replacement lamps, at no cost, in each of years two and three.
For more details on DPI’s ‘Lamp Freedom’ program, go to digitalprojection.com/freedom
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Yuvad Intros New Encoders
Yuvad Technologies is now shipping its Yuvision family of video encoding solutions, developed specifically for multiscreen encoding for the over-the-top (OTT) market. Yuvision says its products can be configured by customers for either live/real-time encoding or file-based transcoding because both real-time and file-based transcoding licenses are delivered with each system.
Yuvision also claims the performance of its encoders is measured not only in terms of the number of output streams per system, but also in terms of the bandwidth efficiency of the encoded output streams. With higher compression efficiency, users obviously save on the costs of network transport and storage, both of which are recurring costs, and improve the general viewing experience – higher video quality at any given bit rate.
There are three models – Base, Standard and Premium. Each system can be configured as a cluster (requiring an iCluster server node) to support fault-tolerance for live stream encoding. The same cluster, under the control of the Yucoder file transcoding manager software, can also provide load-balancing and fault-tolerance amongst multiple transcoding nodes.
You can see each of them at: http://www.yuvad.com
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ViewSonic Reaffirms Commitment to the ProAV Market with the Launch of its Pro8 Series Projectors
ViewSonic added two new models to its Pro8 line today, the Pro8520HD and Pro8600, making for a total of seven in its series of high brightness projectors. Both are single-chip DLP projectors, spec'd at 5,000 ANSI lumen for the 1920×1080 resolution Pro8520HD and 6,000 ANSI lumens for the XGA 1024×768 native resolution Pro8600, and also claim a 15,000:1 contrast ratio. They both use the TI Brilliant Chip technology. Both models are aimed at high ambient light environments and have HDMI (dual HDMI for Pro8520), RGB, S-Video, RJ45 and so-called plug ‘n play USB display.
The Pro8520HD and Pro8600 are priced at $2,099 and $1,979, respectively, and you can see all the specs on the 8520 here: http://www.viewsonic.com/us/pro8520hd.html and on the 8600 here: http://www.viewsonic.com/us/pro8600.html
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Extron Now Shipping VNR 100 VN-MatrixSingle Channel Recorder
Extron's new VNR 100 is a single channel recorder that digitally records and plays back high-definition computer graphics, video, audio and data streamed in VN-Matrix systems. It can simultaneously record and play back streaming content. This provides flexibility for recording and playback workflows, and can help increase the duty cycle of expensive source and presentation equipment. The VNR 100 presents a scalable solution that can be deployed in single source or multi-source applications.
Pre-recorded content can be streamed while an independent source is recorded in time-slip applications, and chase-play capabilities allow time-shifted delays to be introduced into a live stream. Additionally, multiple VNR 100 units can be configured to accommodate recording and playback of AV content presented on multi-screen display systems. As a part of Extron's line of VN-Matrix streaming solutions, the VNR 100 is ideally suited for AV streaming and recording applications with the most demanding quality and performance requirements. Common applications for the VNR 100 include command and control, training and simulation, multi-site houses of worship, and staged entertainment events.
Here are the details: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=vnmr100&s=5
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PESA Debuts Xstream Video Over IP Matrix
PESA just intro'd something it is calling Xstream – a 1U rack-mountable box that simultaneously encodes up to five independent video sources and eight audio sources concurrently from live or recorded video for multi-path H.264 IP distribution over six independent video streams. And, PESA claims that there are no sync or latency issues (hmm, put an asterisk here because this seems unbelievable – prove this one to us PESA).
PESA Xstream captures H.264 IP camera streams, NTSC/PAL or SDI video up to 1080p resolution, video playback and even computer-based content such as PowerPoint slides, then prepares high-bandwidth MPEG-4/H.264 broadcast streams for enterprise distribution and archive. When multiple sources are captured simultaneously, the streams remain associated and synchronized during the event. Storage options include a PESA internal 2.5-inch SATA drive.
With five individually addressable video outputs as well as an integrated quad-view output, PESA Xstream allows operators to stream live content over IP while simultaneously transmitting live digital content to a quad-view display and/or full screen display. PESA Xstream can also synchronize discrete audio inputs to discrete video and IP video inputs, and offers adjustable audio delay.
This is aimed at court recording, rental and staging events, telemedicine, virtual classrooms, security and surveillance, and webcasting and remote production applications. PESA also provides access to its Application Programming Interface (API), allowing integrators to tailor applications to specific market segments.
Here are complete specs: http://pesaxstream.com/
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Vaddio Offers Ability to Convert Any Mic Into a USB Mic
Vaddio this week launched what it's calling the EasyUSB PRO MIC I/O Interface, designed to integrate any professional microphone with Vaddio's EasyUSB audio solutions. The PRO MIC I/O Interface incorporates Vaddio’s unique SmartMIC technology into the device, providing distributed multi-channel acoustical echo cancelation and automatic microphone mixing.
The PRO MIC I/O comes equipped with four independent echo cancelation microphone inputs and one discreet output for interfacing to the Vaddio EasyUSB Mixer/Amp. The system can be expanded to support eight microphones by adding an additional PRO MIC I/O.
Here are all the details: http://www.vaddio.com/press/easyusb-pro-mic-io
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Extron Ships Economical DVI Twisted Pair Extenders
Extron's new DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D are desktop and Decora-style twisted pair extenders that transmit DVI-D video, audio and bidirectional RS232 and IR control signals up to 230 feet (70 meters) over a single CATx cable. The DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D provide what Extron calls an economical and effective means for extending single link DVI-D or HDMI signals. The transmitters are each equipped with a buffered DVI loop-through output to support a local computer monitor. Both models feature remote power capability of either the transmitter or receiver, and can be mixed and matched for installation flexibility.
The extenders support signal resolutions up to 1920×1200 and 1080p/60, and are fully compatible with HDMI signals when used with the appropriate DVI-HDMI adapters from Extron. The DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D can transmit HDMI signals, supporting Deep Color up to 12-bit, CEC, and embedded HD lossless audio formats. They also allow a direct connection from devices with an analog stereo audio output, such as desktop computers or laptops, and provide balanced and unbalanced audio output from the receiver.
In addition, the extenders continuously maintain DDC communication of EDID and HDCP between a source and display for reliable operation, ensuring direct compatibility and optimal signal transmission between devices. The DTP DVI 230 and DTP DVI 230 D are compatible with CAT 5e, CAT 6, and CAT 7 twisted pair cable, and can be used as a point-to-point solution or integrated with a switching and distribution system to extend inputs or outputs to remote locations.
Check out all their specs here: http://www.extron.com/
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Channel Vision Intros Wireless Bullet Camera
Channel Vision’s new 6544 Wireless IP Bullet Camera uses a 1.3 megapixel CMOS sensor and has the ability to capture images up to 1280×800. Designed for professional video surveillance, the 6544 offers a high-performance wireless transmission with a wide coverage range, per the IEEE 802.11n standard; it also offers compatibility with IEEE 802.11 g and b.
Homeowners and business owners can utilize the 6544 Wireless IP Bullet’s flexible monitoring options via a Web browser, through an automation system, or using Channel Vision’s smartphone app. And, the 6544 offers a wide range of wireless network coverage, up to 300 feet from a wireless signal, depending on the type of wireless network. The 6544 also offers an RJ45 output for easy Cat5 connection.
Here are all the specs: http://www.channelvision.com/New-6544/
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AudioControl Ships New 16×100-Watt Amp
AudioControl is shipping its new Director D4400, which offers amplification and programmable signal processing via the network. Power output is rated at a minimum of 100 watts per channel into 16 channels, all channels driven. The Director D4400 is also bridgeable and, while the power output is rated at 8 ohms, AudioControl claims it is stable into lower impedances but doesn't specify those details on its website or the literature for the product. Other features include graphic and parametric equalization settings for each channel and a total of 128 filters, programmable electronic crossover, dual buss inputs with signal source switching over a network and a memory bank for pre-set zones. It's housed in a 3U enclosure.
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe HOW [House of Worship] out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue! For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that's why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad). Don't like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I've been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don't think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition. Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com
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Copyright 2013 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors.
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