Advertising Archives - Page 4 of 12

20Jul 2014 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways Your Brand Can Stand Out on Twitter

Advertising, Branding, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter

With over 241 million active users on Twitter, more and more brands are realizing that establishing a presence there is no longer an option. It’s a must. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to get up and running on this social media channel. Building a substantial audience that hangs on everything you’re saying in 140 characters or less? Not so much. Success on Twitter takes time as well as a deep knowledge of the best practices that only comes with experience through trial and error. Keeping an eye on what others are doing on the channel is an excellent way to learn the latest strategies and tactics as well. To monitor how brands are using Twitter to capture the attention of their constituents, I’ve compiled a list of…

22Jan 2014 by Bob Cargill

Using Signage to Drive Social Media Traffic

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media

In this day and age, most businesses and brands realize the importance of having a presence on social media. However, far too many still don’t know how to attract an audience to these channels. They either mistakenly subscribe to the notion that if they build it, they will come, or they simply have no idea how to drive such traffic. The good news is there are countless ways to generate more likes, followers, fans and friends. You can cross-promote your Twitter account on Facebook and vice versa. You can put your social media credentials on your customers’ receipts. You can promote your social channels on your own website, on your business cards, in your email signature, in a company newsletter and even in paid advertising campaigns. But perhaps the easiest…

07Dec 2013 by Bob Cargill

How I Was Surprised and Delighted by Pretzel Crisps on Twitter

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media, Sudbury

Anyone in marketing knows what it means to surprise and delight your customers and prospects. It means to reach out to members of your target audience in an unexpected manner, providing them with a positive brand experience out of the blue that leaves them with a favorable impression of your products and services. It’s a proven, age-old strategy that every brand and business should leverage once in a while, one that I was on the receiving end of recently, compliments of Pretzel Crisps. That's right, several weeks ago – November 11, to be exact – I received an unsolicited tweet from Pretzel Crisps complimenting me on my Twitter bio and offering to send me a free gift pack. I didn’t know what I had done to deserve such a treat,…

23Nov 2013 by Bob Cargill

An Outdoor Ad That Stopped Me in My Tracks

Advertising, Branding, Marketing

My friends and followers know how much I like to share pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, many of which I take during the course of my long runs. These pictures are taken almost everywhere I go, from the trails of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, one of my favorite places to run, to the streets of Boston, where I log plenty of miles after work during the week. Honestly, if I had my druthers where to run and shoot pictures, it would have to be a toss-up. I like the variety of my routes. I see as much color and scenery while running in the city as I do in the country. One of the pictures I took in the city recently was of this wicked…

28Sep 2013 by Bob Cargill

A Sign of Smart Marketing

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing

I haven’t gotten my flu shot yet this year, so this sign certainly caught my attention, but not just because it seems way too early in the season to be worrying about coming down with the dreaded influenza. The marketer in me thought it was such a great idea to offer those who get their flu shot at this CVS/pharmacy on Brighton Avenue in Allston a 20% Off Shopping Pass. After all, people who come into the store to get vaccinated aren’t necessarily thinking about meandering up and down the aisles. But if you give them that discount along with the needle, they’re certainly more likely to buy a thing or two on their way out the door. It’s a good deal for the customer and a great strategy by CVS. It’s…

16Jun 2013 by Bob Cargill

Why Businesses and Brands Should Try Vine

Advertising, Marketing, Social Media

Now that Twitter has released an Android version of Vine, there’s really no reason why anyone involved in marketing, advertising and social media shouldn’t at least experiment with this cool, new video-sharing app. Having debuted on January 24 of this year as an iOS-only app, Vine’s user base is growing at an incredibly rapid clip, so fast that the mobile service is poised to become mainstream among those who can appreciate the value of telling short, visually arresting stories online. If you’re not familiar with Vine, it’s really quite simple. Once downloaded, it allows you to record six-second, continuous-loop video clips from your mobile device which can be shared on Twitter and Facebook. You may wonder how much value you can provide to your audience in such a short period of…

07Feb 2013 by Bob Cargill

The Cure for the Common Sign

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing

On a visit to the Burlington Mall recently, shortly after I had entered the building, I came across this very cool sign from Lahey Clinic at my feet. Okay. It’s just a sign, but the marketer in me couldn’t help but be ridiculously impressed with how much it had going for it. Seriously, I was so smitten with its stopping power, I had to, well, stop whatever it was that I was doing and take a picture of it. I like this sign for more reasons than one… It's located on the floor, where you might not necessarily expect to see a sign. Its message serves to reinforce the Lahey Clinic brand and goes a long way toward the promotion of healthy living. For walkers, it’s a very practical sign with an…

26Oct 2012 by Bob Cargill

Presentation: 10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Business, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Marketing, Social Media

10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter from Bob Cargill My first job out of graduate school many years ago was as a copywriter for RCA Direct Marketing in New York City. And the rest, as they say, has been history. Since that first gig writing about popular records (yes, vinyl) and tapes (cassettes and eight-tracks, to be specific), I've written about an incalculable number of other products and services, from business cards to books, healthcare to software, magazines to music, travel to tuxedos and more. I've also written direct response fundraising copy for dozens of charitable organizations -- which, by the way, has been some of the most satisfying work I've done over the course of my career so far. I may have worked for a number of different companies, developed new…

28May 2012 by Bob Cargill

The Picture of New Marketing — Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Business, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

I've been seeing the same physician in the same building in Wellesley for more than 20 years. And I've been happy -- very happy -- with the healthcare he and his colleagues have provided me with there at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates all that time. Some things never change. And that's a good thing. But what has changed over the years is how this group medical practice markets itself. And that's also a good thing. I can't honestly say I remember how they used to promote their services back in the day. But I've definitely taken note of their marketing activities of late. And maybe that's the point. Thanks to their blog (where they publish articles about everything from "Tips for Getting Ready for the School Year" to "Computer use and…