Publicity for DVD

[calicowriter]

I'm sure the chance of my getting an answer to this question is slim to none, but I would like to know what the plan is for publicity for the Farewell DVD. Have John and/or Bob and/or Paul and Greg been scheduled to do any interviews or appearances in national publications or TV shows? Will the DVD be featured in the Easter mailing promotions of the major Christian bookstores? Any ads in magazines either in the US or abroad? Plans to sell them at Newsboys concerts? (Well, Petra can't sell them at their concerts anymore!)

I hope someone will surprise me and give an answer besides 'No' to any of the above questions.

[InpopShara]

There isn't much press interest in the DVD besides reviews. Most of the features and interviews were conducted in conjunction with the Farewell album release. We will work with the band and do what we can to honor any press requests that come in.

Shara

[calicowriter]

There isn't much press interest in the DVD besides reviews. Most of the features and interviews were conducted in conjunction with the Farewell album release.

Well, I guess that answers that. NO publicity. I hope everyone who might have had an interest in Petra has developed psychic abilities so they will know it is out there.

Disclaimer: No, I do not endorse the use of psychic powers, which if they exist, I feel come from the enemy. I am being sarcastic.

[Jonathan]

I can tell people. You can tell people.

We can tell people. If we're that excited, we can tell people.

Petra is off the radar, and it's not for lack of promotion. Their time has come, and their time has gone, at least from a lucrative business standpoint.

Unless Petra suddenly becomes Inpop's cash cow, I don't expect them to pile all their chips on Petra colors.

Now bring on the "CCM Reformation" and the outrage about how its all about money.

[greenchili]

Uh isn't the point of publicity and promoting something to get those who don't know to know?

Kinda pointless when your waiting for requests for material.

[InpopShara]

We sent out press releases/press kits and advance DVDs to our entire media list. We ARE actively promoting it via publicity and other marketing; however, as I mentioned above, there aren't many requests for interviews, etc. coming in as most of the publications who would cover Petra already did so when the album released in November, or during the fall tour. We included info about the DVD back when we were promoting the CD, both in publicity and in all of our marketing material.

We are giving this release just as much attention as we do our other new releases... we can't force a publication to be interested in a release, and apparently in this case, most aren't. There are many confirmed DVD reviews, but that's about it at this point.

My co-workers and I have worked extremely hard over the past several months to give Petra a good send-off and we've done our best to please the fans. I guess you can't please everyone.

Shara

[calicowriter]

Shara: Just so you know, I am not picking on you, or implying that you personally have not done your best for Petra. But it is disappointing to have seen how the distribution of the CD was so poor (so many stores not having it, or having the wrong date for release, etc), the lack of advertising and such, and then see that the DVD is getting LESS! It is nice that you all sent it out to reviewers, but that is no guarantee they will review it, or present it in a positive light. Most people will never know this DVD exists because they won't see any ad for it in their local Christian bookstore ads, nor will they see it in book club mailings, nor will they see anyone pitching it on any Christian TV programs. I'm betting most retail outlets won't know it exists because there probably have been no ads or info in their trade publications. It's ironic and somewhat sickening to know that there is five minutes devoted to hearing one of the owners of Inpop (Peter Furler) pontificating on the DVD about how valuable and revered Petra is to Christian music, while at the same time showing with actions that they aren't worth promoting (except what can be done for the cost of mailing).

[InpopShara]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be defensive. It's just hard not to take some of the criticisms personally.

[calicowriter]

BTW Shara (and you don't really have to answer this), but do they pay you enough to come on here and take our abuse? Even when/if we don't respect Inpop, I think most of us admire your moxie!

[brent]

Uh isn't the point of publicity and promoting something to get those who don't know to know?

Kinda pointless when your waiting for requests for material.

Well, yes, but it costs more money that what a project like Petra can return.

The average secular major label will drop $200k to 500k. With a niche market like CCM, you aren't ever going to recoup that kind of money. It would take all of that and a complete change in the cultural mindset of the consumers at large to buy Petra. It has nothing to do with ministry, and everything to do with age, style, the voice, etc. The majority of people that buy music are youth. They want the youth delivering the youth's message, in the youth's dialect. John and Bob have admitted this.

[greenchili]

Makes more sense now. This comment

We will work with the band and do what we can to honor any press requests that come in.

Made it sound like inpop was sitting around waiting for the press to request info.

Anyways I'm well aware of the costs involved. Personally I think the whole music industry is in a shambles when it comes to knowing what to do with their music. Fixing it would require a rather large change though so I dont see it happening. It is a whole nother discussion anyways.

No offense against the youth. But I think there is a larger adult audience than companies, or bands thinks. Sure adults may be less likely to go to concerts. But I dont think people just stop listening to music once they "come of age". Chances are adults tastes are more sophisticated and they prefer less "sophmoric" lyrics. My mom and my sister are always asking me to find older stuff for them cause they obviously cant find it anywhere. My sister nearly flipped out when she saw that I have CITAS. I told her no way I was giving it up, but I did let her watch it.

I have a saying that you can tell your old when the songs you grew up on are playing on the pa system in a retail store (or in an elevator).

[brent]

Makes more sense now. This comment

We will work with the band and do what we can to honor any press requests that come in.

Made it sound like inpop was sitting around waiting for the press to request info.

Anyways I'm well aware of the costs involved. Personally I think the whole music industry is in a shambles when it comes to knowing what to do with their music. Fixing it would require a rather large change though so I dont see it happening. It is a whole nother discussion anyways.

No offense against the youth. But I think there is a larger adult audience than companies, or bands thinks. Sure adults may be less likely to go to concerts. But I dont think people just stop listening to music once they "come of age". Chances are adults tastes are more sophisticated and they prefer less "sophmoric" lyrics. My mom and my sister are always asking me to find older stuff for them cause they obviously cant find it anywhere. My sister nearly flipped out when she saw that I have CITAS. I told her no way I was giving it up, but I did let her watch it.

I have a saying that you can tell your old when the songs you grew up on are playing on the pa system in a retail store (or in an elevator).

1. Statistics say otherwise.
2. Petra's demise says otherwise.
3. Radio and marketing results say otherwise.

If someone cannot find old music on the internet, then they are nuts. You can find anything on the web. iTunes has 83% of the market, nearing a billion downloads, from 15,000 "record labels", and over 400,000 artists. If you can't find it there, you can get it on other sites.

The facts are that no band can last forever, and keep the same audience, or the same revenues, doing the same thing, for decades. People DO change. They mature in their tastes. None of us are where we were in spirit, mind and body 10 years ago. Thanks be to God for some changes. I wish I had my old bod though.

Statistically, people are not growing up in church like my generation did. This is an all new seeker oriented market, because churches have done a peepoor job of education, not only with church history, but musical history, CCM history and instruction so that the market can be replentished.

Statistically, most people that ARE raised in church, do not stay with it. They will go to college or move out of their parent's influence. They will not listen to Christian music much, just like the 80% of the parents that don't.

I think that what we are experiencing in CCM is not just the stylistic changes that I mentioned earlier, but the moving away of people from their beliefs, which directly affects the Christian audience.

[greenchili]

Yeah I pretty much agree with ya except on points 1, 2, and 3.

I hope that other stuff you said wasn't meant to back up points 1,2,3.

Statistics. Sorry I never placed much faith in statistics. Statistics are very narrow and rely on specific criteria. Although useful, they do not tell the whole story. They only provide information on whatever it was you statisized (yeah I know that's not a real word).

2. Petra's demise says otherwise.

Disagree. It just states that the current means of distributing/advertising older music styles is not getting to the intended target (the fans). I'm not expecting petra to stay popular with the younger market, but I'd be willing to bet there are alot of older christians that would like Petra if they knew who Petra was.

3. Radio and marketing results say otherwise.

Again I do not place much faith in the radio ESPECIALLY christian radio. In secular music we have classic ROCK stations, we have classic METAL stations. It is much easier to hear older secular music thru radio although they are guilty as most other radio stations of playing stuff over, and over, and over. On CCM radio your unlikely to hear any variety, heavier stuff, or alternative music on there. They just play all the safe stuff (cant blame them really). Pop radio is probably no better.

Marketing is another thing I do not place much faith in. It's almost as bad as statistics. Like I said they just do not know how to find the market for the music. It's there. Why else would they be complaining about piracy. Piracy exists because there is a demand that the music industry is too dumb or cheap to figure out.

Now although I do not consider it appropriate marketing stuff in a church (Jesus certainly did not seem too thrilled with it). I dont see any christian market research people wandering into churches talking to church members.

Moving on. Not everyone is raised on religion. I grew up in a secular environment and became a christian at the age of 12. So not all christians came from a christian home.

If someone cannot find old music on the internet, then they are nuts. You can find anything on the web. iTunes has 83% of the market, nearing a billion downloads, from 15,000 "record labels", and over 400,000 artists. If you can't find it there, you can get it on other sites.

Yeah. I've been fortunate enough to fine a few older artists releasing their older works on their website. Hence allowing me to backfill my collection. But I'm not sure what your trying to say here. Does Itunes allow you to burn the stuff to CD? Or do you need an IPOD? Some people would prefer to have something on CD where they can play it in their *gasp* CD player.

I know what you mean I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the "golden age" of christian music has pretty much ended. I also have no problem understanding that most groups are lucky to last a few years. I still think there is a market there it's just a matter of knowing how to tap it. But in order for that to work there would have to be a pretty big shakeup as well as a release of the stranglehold that the powers to be have. Like I said it's ironic that their willing to waste money defending their supposed rights on a supposedly non-profitable product. It is also why I say it would be interesting to see what happened if the Government taxed copyrights like they do inventory in stores.

[brent]

Yeah I pretty much agree with ya except on points 1, 2, and 3.

I hope that other stuff you said wasn't meant to back up points 1,2,3.

Statistics. Sorry I never placed much faith in statistics. Statistics are very narrow and rely on specific criteria. Although useful, they do not tell the whole story. They only provide information on whatever it was you statisized (yeah I know that's not a real word).

2. Petra's demise says otherwise.

Disagree. It just states that the current means of distributing/advertising older music styles is not getting to the intended target (the fans). I'm not expecting petra to stay popular with the younger market, but I'd be willing to bet there are alot of older christians that would like Petra if they knew who Petra was.

3. Radio and marketing results say otherwise.

Again I do not place much faith in the radio ESPECIALLY christian radio. In secular music we have classic ROCK stations, we have classic METAL stations. It is much easier to hear older secular music thru radio although they are guilty as most other radio stations of playing stuff over, and over, and over. On CCM radio your unlikely to hear any variety, heavier stuff, or alternative music on there. They just play all the safe stuff (cant blame them really). Pop radio is probably no better.

Marketing is another thing I do not place much faith in. It's almost as bad as statistics. Like I said they just do not know how to find the market for the music. It's there. Why else would they be complaining about piracy. Piracy exists because there is a demand that the music industry is too dumb or cheap to figure out.

Now although I do not consider it appropriate marketing stuff in a church (Jesus certainly did not seem too thrilled with it). I dont see any christian market research people wandering into churches talking to church members.

Moving on. Not everyone is raised on religion. I grew up in a secular environment and became a christian at the age of 12. So not all christians came from a christian home.

If someone cannot find old music on the internet, then they are nuts. You can find anything on the web. iTunes has 83% of the market, nearing a billion downloads, from 15,000 "record labels", and over 400,000 artists. If you can't find it there, you can get it on other sites.

Yeah. I've been fortunate enough to fine a few older artists releasing their older works on their website. Hence allowing me to backfill my collection. But I'm not sure what your trying to say here. Does Itunes allow you to burn the stuff to CD? Or do you need an IPOD? Some people would prefer to have something on CD where they can play it in their *gasp* CD player.

I know what you mean I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the "golden age" of christian music has pretty much ended. I also have no problem understanding that most groups are lucky to last a few years. I still think there is a market there it's just a matter of knowing how to tap it. But in order for that to work there would have to be a pretty big shakeup as well as a release of the stranglehold that the powers to be have. Like I said it's ironic that their willing to waste money defending their supposed rights on a supposedly non-profitable product. It is also why I say it would be interesting to see what happened if the Government taxed copyrights like they do inventory in stores.

Statistics are people and dollars. Numbers don't lie. Lack of money doesn't lie. How can you dispute the facts?

Petra didn't quit for any other reasons than monetary. That's what it all boils down to. Bob got tired of fighting the radio battle. They got tired of the lack of representation in the industry. They got tired of just breaking even touring. But even without that, there is still the internet, which is where 90% of ALL music is sold. 83% of it from iTunes. Walmart, Best Buy, Tower and all the rest pick up the crumbs.

So, if Petra wasn't generating the sales, that means people do not care, or Petra sucked and hence people stopped caring. That's my position. A decade of crap and the last few years of Wayne did them in. Because Petra was on sale EVERYWHERE via the internet. Distribution is not an issue anymore. If somebody does not know that Petra is around, they didn't do a stinkin Google. Plain and simple.

Go to GMAs website and look at the top sellers for last year. I know that you don't like numbers, but it's all there. The hardest sounding band is either Toby Mac, switchfoot or Jeremy Camp. Hard rock is not selling in the CCM world. The WOW discs dominate the sales records. So, if Petra would have had proper management and insight, they would have had somebody put them on a label that could get songs on WOW discs. WOW compilations have been top sellers for years now. It is a no brainer. This is where statistics are important. Just because you don't believe them doesn't mean that they aren't true.

[brent]

BTW, your point about Jesus not approving of marketing stuff in the church...that's not so. There is no scripture for that.

What do you think that tithing is? Paying for services rendered. "Don't bridle the mouth of the one that feeds you". Pay the tithe, temple tax, etc.

What Jesus did was throw out THE MONEY CHANGERS. It's in scripture. They were screwing people over on the currency conversion. It was a custom and totally acceptable to buy a sacrifice outside in the court yard. The crime was ripping people off with the exchange of currency.