The Media Download with John Ondo

Send us Fan Mail AT&T’s “When the Connection Matters” Campaign: The Storytelling Lesson for Content Creators Media Consultant and Filmmaker, John Ondo, breaks down AT&T’s new ad campaign after seeing spots during the Masters, focusing on “Swing Coach” and “Doomscroll,” and argues they sell meaningful relationships rather than bandwidth or coverage. He notes that the ads target people who v...

Send us Fan Mail John Ondo, a 40-year TV and filmmaking veteran, compares HBO’s The Pitt and Paramount’s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy—both are teacher-and-student shows with very different outcomes—to explain what content creators can learn about respecting audiences. He argues The Pit succeeds by trusting viewers with real-time, authentic hospital storytelling, minimal handholding, and relatable...

Send us Fan Mail Names Always Matter: What the Corvette E-Ray Teaches About Branding John Ondo explains how naming and branding shape perception, using the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray as a case study. Though the 2024 E-Ray was a high-performance V8 hybrid with all-wheel drive and 0–60 in 2.5 seconds, many consumers assumed the “E” meant fully electric and treated it like a Tesla, hurting sales. In co...

Send us Fan Mail The One Production Tool That Changed My Shoots: DJI Osmo Pocket 3 John Ondo explains how the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has become the biggest production tool he’s bought and why it’s transformed his field workflow in an era of compressed budgets and schedules. With most clients expecting a half-day shoot and fast editing, he emphasizes “get in, get out” without sacrificing quality, especi...

Send us Fan Mail Photoshop vs. Canva: Craft vs. Convenience for Media Creators In this episode of The Media Download, John Ondo dives into the ongoing debate between Adobe Photoshop and Canva. He discusses the pros and cons of each tool—highlighting Photoshop's control, collaboration, and industry recognition versus Canva's speed, simplicity, and beginner-friendliness. Through thoughtful...

Send us Fan Mail Top Super Bowl Commercials of 2023: Hilarious & Heartfelt Reviews In this week's episode of The Media Download, John Ondo and his wife Angel review some of the top Super Bowl commercials of 2023. Despite neither of their favorite teams playing, they delve into ads from big brands like Michelob, PepsiCo, Budweiser, GrubHub, Ring, Hellman's, and Instacart. With a mix o...

Send us Fan Mail Join John Ondo on the Media Download this week as he walks through how Oasis City Church navigated a massive snowstorm that forced the cancellation of in-person services. Learn essential hacks and tips for pivoting to an online live-streamed service during emergencies. Discover the importance of pre-production communication, effective planning, and collaboration between media team...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'The Media Download,' Media Consultant, John Ondo talks with veteran radio broadcaster and podcaster Terry Dismore about the enduring power and unique advantages of audio podcasting. They delve into why podcasting remains an effective medium for communication, sharing personal viewpoints, and detailed discussion that isn't feasible on social media...

Send us Fan Mail Analyzing the Iconic Mary Tyler Moore Show Opening In this audio-adbridged episode of the Media Download, hosted by John Ondo, the focus is on the classic opening sequence of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. John delves into the techniques that made this sequence memorable, including insights into its editing, the significance of the music, and its visual storytelling. The episode highl...

Send us Fan Mail 5 Hacks to Instantly Improve Your Voiceovers In this episode of the Media Download, John Ando shares five practical tips to instantly enhance your voiceovers. Whether you're recording yourself, directing talent, or working with clients, these communication-focused hacks will help you achieve better results. Learn how to underline key words, give directions, project your voice...

Send us Fan Mail Managing AI Impact on Media and Business: Avoiding AI Accidents In this episode of Marketing Media and Cupcakes, John and Angel delve into the effects of AI on media and business. They discuss the potential pitfalls of AI-generated content, emphasizing the importance of human review and maintaining authenticity to avoid damaging one's brand. The discussion includes relatable...

Send us Fan Mail Marketing Media and Cupcakes: Cracker Barrel Rebranding and Its Fallout In episode 78 of Marketing Media and Cupcakes, hosts John and Angel Ondo discuss various aspects of marketing and media amidst the seasonal joy of fall. They dive into the controversial rebranding of Cracker Barrel, analyzing its impact, audience reception, and the underlying reasons behind such changes. They...

Send us Fan Mail The Return of Marketing Media and Cupcakes: COVID, Struggles, and Resilience On February 8th, 2021, John and Angel Ondo's podcast 'Marketing Media and Cupcakes' vanished, with no explanation. Returning after four years and seven months, the couple reveals the real story behind their hiatus. Following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Angel experienced health challenges...

Send us Fan Mail More interesting than the actual game, the commercials on this year's Super Game made some impressive statements. John and Angel review their favorite ads based on how well they made the connection between the brand and the content. John's commercial and documentary background  leads to his belief that its not enough to have a memorable ad, it must remind you of the actu...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to episode 75 of Marketing Media & Cupcakes, where we bring best practices for your business. This week John and Angel discuss best practices for your business. Angel has been training staff at her Fortune 500 company for many years. Traning is critical to having a consistent voice for your customers and clients. She shares 4 quick tips that can help your training be m...

Send us Fan Mail Email remains the most accepted way to connect with business communications. Even more so after 2020 and social media platforms becoming less reliable for existing. Angel reviews her best practices for composing emails. 1) Be clear and concise 2) Proofread 3) Copy back important point or responses 4) Use subject lines keywords to get attention 5) Don't say anything you don&ap...

Send us Fan Mail John and Angel are joined by guest Terry & Nay Dismore, small business owners, as they share ideas on how you can set effective realistic goals for 2021 for your business. They suggest that you shoot for small wins, finding areas that are nagging your productivity and set to resolve those issues. Listen to the right people. Don't let Covid talk discourage your mojo for su...

Send us Fan Mail This week John & Angel discuss how the pandemic and the changing regulations have forced businesses to look at best practices. Angel shares tips on dealing with customers who are upset with late deliveries. Then John shares 5 of his personal favorite documentaries and how they relate to telling a story in our media Finally Angel shares 3 quick dishes you can make in just minut...

Send us Fan Mail There are many words and phrases you should avoid in your marketing, advertising and just general communications. John will share 7 words or phrases that you should avoid in your online or broadcast advertising. Angel will share things your customer service team should never say to your clients or customers. John's 7 Words or Phrases you should avoid in your ad copy 1) Qualit...

Send us Fan Mail On this podcast: Angel Shares 5 tips that will help your customer relationships with your business.  John will share changes we are making as of this episode to upgrade Marketing Media and Cupcakes Angel shares some holiday dessert ideas that are Easy As Pie!  5 Ways to improve Listening to your Customers Remove Distractions - and make sure your team know you want them to complete...

Send us Fan Mail How important is believing and inspiring success in your business? Author & Podcast host Monica Guidry joins John and Angel to share about positive affirmation is not just some feel good team building activity but an actual best practice! Find out more about Monica:  monicacguidry.com and her podcast is at: wholeheART with Monica Guidry For more on John's media business:...

Send us Fan Mail What can we learn from political ads about how to better communicate with our customers?  John and Angel discuss some of the points from a great article in  Center for Civic Design (link here) about how to communicate with voters. But if you remove the word voter and replace it with customers, the same rules apply. Key thoughts 1) Know your media 2) Have a professional media desig...

Send us Fan Mail Attorney Rachel Alvarez from Orlando Florida joins us this week to dicuss best practices for you or your employees. We will disucss when can you use social media with your team to help your business, and how to best do that. And if you need to let an employee go the best ways to protect yourself. For more on Rachel Alvarez For more on John's business Ondo Media For more on An...

Send us Fan Mail Terry Dismore is a business consultant, and radio show host. He shares about his brand new podcast, "Quiz the Diz" which is premiering this week. How you can ask him questions about life, business and living a prosperous life. Terry answers some of our questions on the podcast today. Find "Quiz the Diz" on all podcast apps.  Like and share Marketing Media &...

Send us Fan Mail After John's brief rant about how he feels iPhones are not as easy to use as they use to be, he and Angel are joined by Lifestyle Strategist Monica Guidry. Monica is an entrepreneur and broadcaster who is helping her clients find passion in their business and lives. Fear is a big issue for most clients she meets with. Find out more about Monica:  monicacguidry.com  and her po...