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Not far from where I live there is a restaurant with a giant chicken right in front. I say “giant” because it is about 40 feet high. You can’t miss it, which, I suppose, is exactly what the owner had in mind. I’ve never eaten there so I really can’t say if the food is good or bad, but I want to use it as a way of responding to last month’s article.

Let’s say that I happen to know that the food at that restaurant is very bad, the service is poor, and the health inspector has issued several warnings to the owner about cleanliness and such. Let’s also say that I know several people who have eaten there and come away with food poisoning. Let’s say that almost everyone who lives in town knows about the poor quality of that restaurant and stays away from it like the plague.

The only way that place can stay in business is to lure “new” customers in because the locals – the people who have been around town for decades – are the ones who know what’s really going on inside that place. They’re the ones not getting sick because they’re the ones who aren’t buying the food.

STAY AWAY FROM THE GIANT CHICKEN RESTAURANT!!

Now you come to town and ask me, “Where is there a place to eat?” So I say, “Whatever you do, don’t eat at the restaurant with the “giant” chicken in front!”
And so you drive through town and you see a restaurant with a “giant” chicken in front and you go inside and eat and get as sick as you’ve ever gotten. And I see you a while later and you tell me that you ate in the restaurant with the “giant” chicken in front and got sick. I’m amazed that you didn’t heed my warnings and ate there anyway. And you say to me, “Well, you didn’t tell me the name of the restaurant.”

IF IT HAS A GIANT CHICKEN IN FRONT – RUN!!

Now I ask you, WHY IS IT NECESSARY FOR ME TO TELL YOU THE NAME OF THE RESTAURANT????????
I’ve given you all the information you need. If and when you happen to find yourself in front of a restaurant, and there is a “giant” chicken staring you in the face…DON’T EAT THERE!!!!!

GIANT CHICKENS IN SGM:

So, let me be very clear:

If any company refuses to give you a “Line Item Budget” clearly showing where every penny is being spent…THAT’S A GIANT CHICKEN!

If a company signs you to a recording contract and you pay for everything and they own the master…THAT’S A GIANT CHICKEN!

If a company tries to entice you to send a song to radio, but they don’t service the retail stores with your product…THAT’S A GIANT CHICKEN!

If a company has 60 or 70 artists and sends out bad compilations left and right…THAT’S A GIANT CHICKEN!

If a publication tries to talk you into taking out an ad thanking all the DJs for playing your song…THAT’S A GIANT CHICKEN!

Those are just a few of the things I’ve warned you about, there are more. I am not going to take a public forum such as this and name the names of companies or the names of people. They know who they are. That is not what I meant when I used the term “naming names.” I’ll explain what I meant by that in the next paragraph. When I describe for you the things they do, I’m telling you EXACTLY who they are.

Whether they’ve been in business for 3 days or 30 years, if they do the things I describe…IT’S THEM. They will tell you anything to get your business. Which part of this don’t you understand?

THE GIANT CHICKEN HELPS HIS FRIENDS

So now, let’s clarify what I said last month. Using the Giant Chicken analogy, let’s say that there are other restaurants just like the “giant” chicken place, you know, really bad places to eat, and all the professionals in the restaurant business won’t admit that they are bad and refuse to even talk about them. Why? Because the Giant Chicken sends them customers also. The Giant Chicken restaurant has signs that say, “When you’re in Toledo, eat at Joe’s Diner” – or – “The Best Chicken in Chattanooga is at Charlie’s Chicken”. So Joe wants people in his diner, and so does Charlie – and if the Giant Chicken restaurant is sending them customers, why would Joe or Charlie want to put the Giant Chicken restaurant out of business? Exactly. No one wants to kill the Golden Chicken.

So, I write about them in my article and say, “It’s time for all you professionals out there to start naming these bad places, and kicking them out of the Restaurant Association.”

I was referring to SGM industry leaders who KNOW what’s going on, yet are not honest and bold enough to put a stop to the scams.

NICK”S CHICKEN

And then someone says, “I ate at Nick’s place once and I didn’t like the food at all.” So you all jump all over that and the whole point of the article is lost in the process.

Anyone who is in business will admit that there will always be someone who is an unhappy customer. I do my best to do my best, but no one can be in business for decades without having an unhappy customer or two. That is decidedly different than a company that consistently and continually operates in a way that damages our industry. I was talking about SGM companies that KNOW they are deceiving their customers – and the fact that many SGM leaders KNOW it’s happening and say nothing. Why? Because sometimes the Giant Chicken gives them customers too…people who buy radio ads, people who buy newspaper ads, people who buy seats at conventions. My article last month was about companies who are ripping off our “newbies” and industry leaders who refuse to acknowledge this dark side of our industry.

CHICKEN HEARTS

I recently attended a high level committee meeting, with many of our SG leaders and it reminded me of the sad state of affairs in our nation’s Congress…leaders living in a bubble world, completely out of touch with the rest of the nation. These leaders of ours are the same way…living in a bubble and unwilling to address the problems caused by unscrupulous companies in Southern Gospel Music.

I AM DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

A wise marketing man once told me; “The way you drive home a point and the way you drive a nail are exactly the same…you keep pounding it in the head.”

I believe that everyone should have an opportunity to succeed in Southern Gospel Music.

There is a right way to build your SG ministry and it has little to do with radio promotion, charts, record deals, strip ads, or any of the “mumbo jumbo” currently being force fed to you by the “Bizarro Companies.”

Next month I want to talk to you about opening a Cookie Store. Stay tuned.

As always, I welcome your comments.

God Bless You,

Nick Bruno
http://www.nickbruno.com

Reader Comments

Nick, I really enjoyed this article. I've learned a great deal from you and I appreciate your efforts.

God loves all kinds of music if it glorifies Jesus Christ, but He taps His feet to Southern Gospel!

Reverend Tim Hill, Church of God Cleveland Assistant General Overseer

Gospel Sounds Ministries

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