Advertising Archives - Page 5 of 13

23Nov 2013 by Bob Cargill

An Outdoor Ad That Stopped Me in My Tracks

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…

07May 2012 by Bob Cargill

The Picture of New Marketing — Redbox

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing

Netflix. Amazon Instant Video. Blockbuster @Home. The Apple iTunes Store. On demand from Verizon, Xfinity, Comcast or another cable TV provider.... I don't know where you rent your movies, but my wife, Barbara, and I are huge fans of Redbox. We love both the convenience and affordability (only $1.20 per day) of renting movies via the big, bright, candy apple red kiosks, of which there are two in Sudbury (MA), the town in which we live, at the Shaw's and Sudbury Farms supermarkets. Redbox. Brilliant business model. Great branding. And, if you ask me, the picture of new marketing. So...where do you rent your movies? And why? Please don't hesitate to join the conversation by leaving a comment below. Thanks. To learn more about Redbox, click here.

22Apr 2012 by Bob Cargill

My Blog Post on Video Series: 10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Business, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

If you're a content creator like me, someone who goes to great lengths to share your own knowledge and opinions via social media, you know how important it is to get the most mileage out of your original work. Frankly, I’m always thinking of new ways to leverage and repurpose my efforts. So as I was writing the posts in my “10 Ways to Succeed as a Copywriter" series, I’ll admit that I was thinking all along that they might lend themselves quite well to video. After all, I had already turned a number of blog posts into short clips that I had uploaded to YouTube, each of which featured me talking straight into the camera from a variety of different locations. I envisioned this series to be no different. What…

04Apr 2012 by Bob Cargill

Talking about Social Media at the Sudbury Social Tweetup

Advertising, Blogging, Business, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

I was very happy to co-host -- along with Phil Hollows -- the eighth Sudbury Social Tweetup last week. Phil and I started this series of networking events for people who are interested in social media in July of 2011, not really knowing what to expect. How many people would we attract? How often would we meet? What about an agenda? These were just a few of the questions we had at the time. But we're now more than up and running, hosting a gathering of about 10-15 people on the last Thursday of each month from 6-8 PM at Bistro 20 in Sudbury, Massachusetts. At the March 29 Tweetup, Ashley Hin treated the group to a fabulous presentation about Foursquare. And I had the opportunity to ask four of those…

Category: Advertising