26Dec 2018 by Bob Cargill
Will All Media Become Social Media?

Will All Media Become Social Media?

Media, Social Media
In the future, will all media be social media? That’s what some prognosticators say. I tend to agree with them. The Pew Research Center announced recently that social media had outranked print newspapers as a source of news for Americans. Such a momentous milestone not only illustrates the prevalence, popularity and power of social media today, it’s a warning sign of what’s to come to those businesses and brands who still aren’t up to speed with online communications channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the like.
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24Nov 2018 by Bob Cargill
Rock Your Audience

Rock Your Audience

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media
I recently saw a ridiculously awesome movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. You know the story. It's about the legendary rock band, Queen, and their late, great lead singer, Freddie Mercury. There's a scene in this movie in which the band is developing the idea for their song, "We Will Rock You." You know the song. They wanted to engage their audience. They wanted their fans to be part of that song. Watching that scene and listening to that song gave me a thought. As it was for Queen in playing that song, it is for all brand and businesses. You want to engage your audience. You want to involve them in whatever it is you do in some way, shape or form. You want to rock your audience.
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07Nov 2018 by Bob Cargill
Corporate Culture Counts

Corporate Culture Counts

Boston Red Sox, Business, Leadership, Motivation
The importance of having a good, positive culture in the workplace cannot be underestimated. The Boston Red Sox won 108 games during the regular season this year, the most in franchise history, and then cruised through the postseason to win their fourth World Series title since 2004. The Sox had to compete against plenty of other talented baseball teams in 2018, but perhaps none had the camaraderie and culture the Boston team had in their clubhouse. Maybe none had such a supportive, selfless manager like Alex Cora at the helm, either. Talent and skills aren’t always the determining factors in winning. Without the right culture instilled into the workplace, even the best teams – and businesses in general – can fall behind the competition. Without a strong leader installed at…
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25Oct 2018 by Bob Cargill
Transparency Beats Privacy on Social Media

Transparency Beats Privacy on Social Media

Social Media
You can't have social media without being social. And...you can't really be social without being transparent. That’s why transparency beats privacy on social media...every time. Being private means to be holding something back, to be hiding something from public view…and ideally, social media is transparent, fully transparent. That's what I believe, anyway, and that was the premise...kinda sorta...of the 2017 movie, The Circle. The Circle was based on a novel written by Dave Eggers in 2013. The movie is about a tech company called The Circle which places small cameras everywhere to provide real-time video of practically everything. It's a little creepy, sure, and certainly scary for some. But it is my opinion that the premise of the movie, the pros and cons of being fully transparent, is something that…
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11Oct 2018 by Bob Cargill
The Importance of Customer Service

The Importance of Customer Service

Business, Customer Service
It's known as friction. It's anything that gets in the way of anything less than a stellar customer experience. Brick-and-mortar retail operations can't afford to have any degree of friction come between them and their customers in this day and age. There are simply too many competitors vying for the same sales, whether that competition is located down the street or somewhere on the internet. Customer service can be the difference between success and failure. Poor customer service is not only bad for business, it can put you OUT of business. The best products, the best prices, the best marketing, the best advertising...can't overcome an abundance of friction.
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21Sep 2018 by Bob Cargill
Satellite Stages on Social Media

Satellite Stages on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Social Media
I heard Bono on Sirius XM Satellite Radio recently say something about satellite stages. His band, U2, uses these types of stages, often set up in the middle of the audience, to get up-close and personal with their fans. That’s how it is for brands, businesses and anyone who uses social media for professional reasons, too. Your website is your main stage, your presence on social media your satellite stages. Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like to give your own audience the opportunity to see and hear more from you as a human being, not just a corporate logo. Put yourself out there. Connect with your followers. Engage with your fans. Use social media like a series of satellite stages on which you display a more believable and…
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06Sep 2018 by Bob Cargill
Take a Stand Like a Big Brand

Take a Stand Like a Big Brand

Advertising, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Marketing
Good for Nike. I think it's incumbent upon brands and businesses to speak up for what they believe in...not just on behalf of sales. It doesn't matter how they feel about the issue. What matters is that they realize they have the platform and the responsibility to say something...as long as they believe they can make a positive contribution to the dialogue. The marketer in me thinks this may even help, not hurt Nike's revenue. But much more important, as a human being, I have greater respect for those who are authentic, transparent, open and honest. People do business with people, not corporate logos. Iconic swoosh or not, Nike just let consumers know that they are just like us. Like it or not, they dared express an opinion and join…
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21Aug 2018 by Bob Cargill

200 Boston-Area Agencies on Twitter

Advertising, Boston, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter
Who knows how many marketing, advertising, social media and PR agencies are located in and around Boston? I doubt anybody knows exactly how many there are around here, but I have found 200 of them on Twitter for you to follow. Large, small, old and new, together these agencies represent the best and brightest our industry has to offer. Seriously! Under their roofs right here in Beantown, you could arguably find enough talent, prowess, knowledge and expertise to launch the most sophisticated and successful campaigns in the world. While what they can they do in 280 characters or less on Twitter, of course, isn’t quite the same as what they can do on a blank canvas and an unlimited budget for their clients, that doesn’t mean they’re not worth following…
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