From the 1975 classic “WHAT’S GONE WRONG WITH THE HARVEST” by James Engel
The Concept of the Media Mix
When more than one medium is utilized in a campaign, the combination is referred to as the “media mix.” The net effect, in turn, is synergistic, the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. It has been suggested that the suburbanite commuter in Rollingwood in the twenty-five-to-forty age segment could be reached through a combination of spot radio announcements during driving time; cable television, if available; neighborhood Bible studies or other forms of friendship outreach; and lay witness, using a combination of books, magazines, cassettes, and personal testimony. The exact form that such a mix should take obviously varies substantially from one area to the next, the key determinant being the spiritual status of the audience. Note once again that door-to-door lay witness was not suggested for Rollingwood at this time, although it and other forms of persuasion such as evangelistic meetings might be very effective in a succeeding year if this campaign of proclamation succeeds as hoped.
In the final analysis, each media mix is unique, and the best form may be arrived at only through experience and experimentation. For example, it is known that street-corner meetings still work well with working-class people in urban areas in Brazil. Obviously, they should be utilized in a properly conceived evangelistic media mix. If there is doubt about any given medium, test it (or a combination of two or more) on a small scale over a short period of time and gauge the apparent response. For example, an evangelistic cassette tape should never be distributed until a few members of the target audience listen and give their response. This is a form of “pretesting” that may be very useful in helping to avoid a wrong decision.
In the final analysis, there never is one best media strategy. There probably are many combinations, all of which will work equally well. All that can be expected is that the combination of careful analysis and prayer will result in a program that is appropriate for the circumstances to be faced. Much will be learned that will permit a better performance in successive planning periods.
MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION
The Lord has made it abundantly clear that His servants are to be accountable before Him for their labors. This means that we have no choice but to measure the effectiveness of our efforts and to evaluate the significance of what is learned for future planning.
The measurable goals given in Figure 4 now becomes absolutely essential, for measurement without such specificity is impossible. For instance, were the stated increases in awareness and attitude change actually achieved? The only way to find out is to undertake another survey in exactly the same form as the first and assess the changes that are observed. This type of testing is referred to quite logically as before-and-after measurement.
If results fall short of the goal, it could signify that the goal was overly optimistic. If so, something has been learned. It also might be apparent that the strategy was deficient in certain respects. This, too, is valuable information for future planning. This is what is meant by the “post mortem” — examining the thing to see what made it die (or more optimistically, what made it live while it did). Try to assess what went well and what went wrong and then write it down for future reference! This information then becomes a part of experience that, as will be recalled, is one of those three essential bases of planning (along with intuition and research).
The post mortem also should assign responsibility for success and failure. Human beings seem to have a tendency to grab the credit while avoiding the blame. Again, this is a luxury we cannot take to ourselves, because God holds each person accountable. If we have failed in our performance, this may be a sure sign that we do not have the gift necessary for this function. To allow a brother or sister to continue to function in such fashion can hardly be called love. Rather, it is avoidance of our responsibility to God and to each other!
LOOKING BEYOND ROLLINGWOOD
For purposes of ease of communication and understanding, this chapter has been couched in terms of an admittedly hypothetical situation. Furthermore, only the most general overview of the steps in communication strategy could be given. Nevertheless, we have provided illustration of the steps necessary to design and implement a research-based, multiple-church, multiple-media strategy, regardless of where it is undertaken. The environmental analysis in Sao Paulo, Brazil, will be a far cry from that in Osaka, Japan, or Omaha, Nebraska, or wherever else one may be. The specific resulting strategies also will be greatly different. But the steps in analysis, decision making, implementation, and evaluation are always the same. What we have been talking about is an approach to problem solving and we have carefully avoided suggesting a variety of strategies. Each strategy will be unique if we have done our planning properly.
Admittedly, the approach to planning suggested here is somewhat formalized. This is because proper attention must be paid to the all-important environmental research. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit seems to require this type of effort on our part (cf. Prov. 16:9). Without the options clearly thought through, how can He guide us? God has His specific ways of revealing His will in each generation, and it is always in keeping with the peculiar problems at hand.
The cooperative strategy has been stressed for the very reason that it lies at the heart of God’s plan for our times. There are some precedents. The multiple-church evangelistic outreaches variously called “Evangelism in Depth,” “Christ for All,” or “New Life for All” have been undertaken throughout the world with generally good response. “Key ‘73” also had a measure of success in the United States. These are, of course, campaigns of persuasion designed mostly to generate decisions. In that sense, the strategy may not always fit the environment on which it is imposed. Nevertheless, it is our observation that the Holy Spirit is at work within the Church and its associated agencies to bring about a strong felt need for such integrative approaches in which firepower can be concentrated with greater results. The future may well lead all of us to put distinctive characteristics aside and unite in a greater sense of purpose to further that one great mission of the Church — world evangelization. In this sense, we may now be in the most exciting era in the history of the Church in which God’s people together finish the work He placed us here to accomplish.
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