10Mar 2005 by Bob Cargill No Comments

The Celtics Are Winning on the Court — and in the Marketing Arena as Well

Advertising, Fundraising, Public Relations
Believe it or not, the Boston Celtics are looking more and more like a team that will not only make the NBA playoffs this year, but one that could legitimately contend for the Eastern Conference championship.Of course, much of such new found optimism is a credit to three-time All-Star Antoine Walker, who recently returned to the team with which he played his first seven seasons in the league. In a handful of games with the Celtics since he was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks just a couple of weeks ago, Antoine is playing like the rejuvenated veteran he is, and his teammates seem to have stepped up their game as a result.Those who follow the Celtics have also responded enthusiastically in kind, packing the FleetCenter – on July 1, to…
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02Mar 2005 by Bob Cargill 1 Comment

A Blog Would Probably Work Wonders for JWT

Advertising, Blogging
Kudos to JWT for re-launching itself just a couple of days ago as a "billion-dollar startup” – it won’t happen overnight, but you can count on a powerful and positive ripple effect throughout the advertising industry.This was no cheesy publicity stunt, after all. This was the largest advertising agency in the United States proudly – and loudly – formalizing its belief that “time is the new currency of savvy consumers who know what they want and refuse to waste their time on choices that don’t meet their needs.”This was a watershed moment not just for JWT, but for anyone else who makes a living in advertising, direct marketing, public relations, fundraising and, yes, even in the blogosphere.What this legendary, 140-year-old agency is acknowledging – and responding to – is a…
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12Jan 2005 by Bob Cargill

Terry Gets Lax

Advertising
In today's Boston Herald, the Inside Track reports that Terry Francona, manager of the World Champion Boston Red Sox, has signed on as a spokesman for Metamucil. According to the article, written by Track gals Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa, the Sox skipper has “been downing the fiber laxative daily for a decade.” H-m-m-m, maybe that explains why Procter & Gamble ran such a prominent Sox "congratulatory" ad for its popular fiber supplement so soon after the conclusion of the latest – and perhaps most remarkable – postseason chapter in Major League Baseball history. The company was behind Terry every step of the way. If you recall, following the Sox’s World Series victory, I wrote an article here – in A Fine Kettle of Fish – in which I ranked…
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21Dec 2004 by Bob Cargill 1 Comment

Why Advertising, Marketing and PR Pros Should Blog (Part Three)

Advertising, Blogging, Direct Marketing, Public Relations
7. Blogs are Enjoyable. There are many sound business reasons to blog, but let's not forget how much of a pleasure they are for both author and audience. Seriously, the fun factor should not be underestimated. Most blogs are quick and easy to absorb, and a refreshing change of pace from typical marketing riffs and age-old corporate-speak. Bloggers aren’t just writers, they’re also publishers, opinion-leaders, risk-takers and entrepreneurs. They’re people who are inclined to live by the mantra, carpe diem. They’re passionate about their craft and evangelical about their content. And in many cases, their readers are just as fanatical.8. Blogs are Authoritative. We’re not talking about those cathartic, diary-like blogs kept by moody, meandering teenagers. We’re talking about the most sophisticated among the blogosphere, the ones owned and operated…
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14Dec 2004 by Bob Cargill

Why Advertising, Marketing and PR Pros Should Blog (Part Two)

Advertising, Blogging, Direct Marketing, Public Relations
4. Blogs are Immediate. A blog makes it possible for the everyday communications professional to distribute newsworthy, thematic content to a large, like-minded audience – without many, if any, layers of approval – almost instantaneously. If timeliness is a critical element of your publishing plan, it’s an irresistible platform. A blog allows you to draw out invaluable feedback, too, without having to lollygag through the traditional rites of business courtship. Comments from readers are akin to free market research. If your goal is to establish an open, online dialogue with prospects and influential people who might otherwise not give you the time of day, a blog just may be your entrée – it certainly is a unique ice-breaker. 5. Blogs are Infectious. Like any good viral marketing campaign, the content…
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07Dec 2004 by Bob Cargill

Why Advertising, Marketing and PR Pros Should Blog (Part One)

Advertising, Blogging, Direct Marketing, Public Relations
Most advertising, marketing and public relations professionals know a blog when they see one, but when it comes to actually using this relatively new, self-publishing platform, there are still many skeptics and naysayers among us. This time next year, however, those people will likely have come to their senses. In 2005, I dare say you would have to be either misinformed or just plain obstinate to not at least consider adding a blog to your business plan. Here are ten reasons why: 1. Blogs are Interactive. In many cases, marketing is a monologue, a well-choreographed sales pitch to an audience of passive prospects. But one of the key attributes of a blog is that it allows readers to provide honest, public feedback that is posted below the author’s spiel. It…
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04Nov 2004 by Bob Cargill

Sox Congratulatory Ads Swing for the Fence

Advertising
Red Sox fans had to endure a long, legendary 86 years since the home team last won the World Series, but less than 12 hours after the latest – and perhaps most remarkable – postseason chapter in Major League Baseball history was put to bed, dozens of so-called “congratulatory” ads were put to paper on behalf of the Boston baseball club. And just like their subject matter, these ads were the center of attention. All eyes were on the BoSox, after all – including everything said and written about these local baseball heroes. So like superstar sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, the copywriters behind the headlines were swinging for the fence. And I for one enjoyed this show of creative talent, as displayed in the pages of The Boston…
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21Oct 2004 by Bob Cargill

Scared Into Submission or Frightened Away

Advertising
There are a number of reasons why people are motivated to speak up and take action, many of which could be chalked up to feelings, not facts. Those in the business of proselytizing – such as lawyers, preachers and, yes, politicians – know that much, if not more, about the human nature of their target audience. And so do the more experienced direct marketers and advertisers among us. Play to people’s greatest fears and desires, and chances are they will respond accordingly. You can either place doubt in their minds or provide them with hope on the horizon, depending on the emotions – and response – you want to trigger. This is all easier said than done, of course. It’s not a stratagem to be taken lightly. After all, whether…
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07Oct 2004 by Bob Cargill

A Reasonably Good Ad Campaign

Advertising
With the home team in the American League Division Series and playing baseball like they really mean it this year, it certainly is a good time to be able to call yourself the Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox. After all, winning is contagious. But that's just one thing Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has going for it this fall. Something else that’s been working in the hospital’s favor lately is its current advertising campaign, which is designed to call attention to the many different reasons people (750,000 of them annually) become patients there. In a series of large, clever display ads in this town’s two major dailies (of course, there may be other publications on the media schedule of which I’m not aware), this nationally-renowned academic…
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