Blog - Page 13 of 58 - Bob Cargill

22Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill

Panera’s Free Coffee Offer

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as free coffee. Panera Bread has been offering free, unlimited coffee through Labor Day for a while now. All you need to do is sign up for it on the bakery-café’s website or app. Have you taken advantage of this ridiculously awesome offer yet? The consumer in me says it’s such a great deal! The marketer in me says it’s such a great campaign! In the infancy of the initiative, they were using Twitter to say they needed 500,000 votes for #FREECOFFEE4SUMMER to make the offer a reality. That got their audience’s attention - and the necessary votes. This subscription offer is classic direct marketing, signing up constituents for free, hoping to up-sell them,…

14Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill

Don’t Set It and Forget It on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

Automating the publishing of some of your content on social media is a smart strategy. Automating all of it, not so much. Using an automation tool helps you maintain a continuous, uninterrupted presence online, but you don’t want to rely on it too heavily. You want to include plenty of authentic, real-time content in your social media stream, posts that show you have a personality, not just a pulse. You want to be conversational and opinionated, not simply factual, which is almost impossible to pull off if you’re simply setting it and forgetting it. Personalizing your messaging is where you’re going to see the biggest gains on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like. The more engaging, the better. Don’t forget the social on social media. P.S. Don't have time…

04Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill

If This Doesn’t Get You on Social Media, Nothing Will

Social Media

These are difficult days, trying times. Not only are we all still dealing with a devastating pandemic, the coronavirus crisis, but after the tragic death of George Floyd, our nation is facing another crisis, racism, that can’t be ignored. Everybody needs to speak up. Everybody needs to listen. Everybody needs to be heard. Everybody is reeling for one reason or another. If this doesn’t get you on social media, nothing will. While we can’t get together in person for commiseration, collaboration, camaraderie and comfort, we can connect online. We can use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like to ask our friends and families, our colleagues and clients how they are doing and how we can help. We can show the human side of our personal and corporate brands. We…

24Jun 2020 by Bob Cargill

Senior-Level Executives and Social Media

Business, Leadership, Social Media

You already have a platform. You already have a following. You already have a fan base. Why not take advantage of it? Why not jump on social media? I’m talking to you, if you are a senior-level business executive, you who are invariably the least likely in your organization to use social media to communicate with your constituency, even though your words carry so much weight. The times are changing rapidly, however, and in 2020, your audience expects to hear from you on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and the like. They want to get to know you not just as a professional, but as someone just like them. They want to know what you think about the important issues of the day. They want to hear how you feel about what’s…

02Jun 2020 by Bob Cargill

Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. Saying so matters, too. To think that in the year 2020 this country still has a problem with racism. That is not just sad, that is shameful. As Nike has said so well in its timely, new ad, “Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America.” Whoever we are, whatever we do, wherever we live, we all have a responsibility to speak out and stand up against racism, bigotry, discrimination and injustice. In both our personal and professional lives, we can’t be silent when such a big problem exists. As brands, businesses, people and professionals, we all have a duty to stand together as one in the face of something so wrong and work hard to ensure that everybody in this country has equal opportunity to enjoy…

11May 2020 by Bob Cargill

A Few Words with Meaghan Edelstein

Branding, Content, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media

In this video, I talk to social media consultant, Meaghan Edelstein, about her new social media crisis strategy deck and how brands should be tailoring their marketing strategies and tactics during the coronavirus pandemic.

18Apr 2020 by Bob Cargill

This Is the Time to Show the Human Side of Your Brand

Advertising, Branding, Leadership, Marketing, Social Media

In these uncertain times, countless brands are adjusting their advertising and marketing messages. What about you? This is not the time to think you can just set it and forget it when it comes to communicating with your customers and constituents, especially on social media. This is not the time for your canned sales pitches. This is the time to reach out to your audience and ask how you can help them. During this pandemic, your business may still be in operation, but your focus should not just be on your bottom line, it should be on doing what you can for the greater good. This is the time to show the human side of your brand. This is the time to speak honestly about how the health crisis is…

27Mar 2020 by Bob Cargill

Staying in Touch With Your Audience During the Coronavirus Crisis

Advertising, Branding, Business, Leadership, Marketing, Social Media

Al Roker is delivering his morning weather forecasts for NBC’s TODAY show from his kitchen. Late-night talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel are presenting new DIY incarnations of their shows from home, too. Popular musicians and celebrities of all kinds are live-streaming on Instagram, Facebook and almost everywhere else on social media, performing hit songs and connecting with fans. They are doing whatever it takes to keep the show going on, making a huge positive impression on viewers and listeners during these difficult days. Brands and businesses can be doing the same thing, too. In fact, some of your most meaningful communications could be taking place during these tough times. Your customers and prospects will appreciate hearing from you. But they don’t want marketing and sales pitches,…

13Mar 2020 by Bob Cargill

How Marketers Can Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak

Advertising, Branding, Business, Leadership, Marketing

Amid the rapidly worsening coronavirus outbreak, marketers, advertisers, brands and businesses might need to adjust, if not pause their messages to consumers. It is important to be sensitive to the seriousness of this situation. The economy may be threatened, but lives are at stake. Take a look at any of your existing marketing campaigns and make sure to bring them up-to-date. Authenticity is always a priority in marketing, but now more than ever, what you say to your audience is a representation of how you feel as a brand. Business must go on, but think how you might be able to do things in a better way. Think like CVS Health. They announced today that they will deliver prescribed medications to customers for free. That's a win-win situation if ever…