Deanna Mingo

I touched down in Anchorage yesterday evening around 7 p.m. It was quite a bit of a change leaving 70-degree spring weather in Chicago for Alaska’s cold and snow. But the views are absolutely beautiful and I’m ready to take in all this experience has to offer.

I quickly got connected with the rest of the Creative Missions team that was having dinner at the Spenard Roadhouse. There are folks from Texas, Maryland, North Carolina and as far as Portsmouth, England (my roomie Catherine!). There are photographers, web developers, graphic designers, videographers, social media experts and copywriters— all gathered to creatively serve Alaska’s churches.

I’m so excited about all that God is going to do in the coming week as we partner with the local churches here. It seems like we’ve got a great group of creatives this year and I’m eager to see where God will lead.

Stay tuned for more stories and photos.


On Spenard Road in Anchorage. Across the street from our hotel, the Puffin Inn.

It’s no secret among my friends, family and those who follow me on social media sites that I’m a huge fan of Beyoncé. I think she’s one of the top, hardest working performers of our time. But besides her high-energy dance moves and fiery girl-power anthems, I’m a fan of how well she approaches her marketing and branding. Her team is famous for its very intentional marketing that pushes strong visual content, generates buzz, and capitalizes on opportunities to engage her audience. There’s a lot that organizations can learn from her team about the importance of thoughtful marketing planning, and generating and sharing quality content.

In the latest news about the pop diva, Beyoncé has banned all professional photographers from her shows. This raises an interesting question: can content really be controlled? I certainly understand Team Beyoncé’s commitment to preventing undesirable photos of the singer from being spread across the Internet. But I wonder if hindering professional photographers (and giving media outlets no choice but to rely on amateur fan photos) is the answer.

How successful (or unsuccessful) has your organization been in monitoring and controlling online content about your brand?

Leave a comment and share your experience.