14Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

Boston Marathon Runner Up for Bid on eBay for Children’s Hospital Boston

Advertising, Boston Marathon, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations
If you've been reading A New Marketing Commentator over the course of the last few months, you know that in less than five weeks, I’ll be running the Boston Marathon once again for one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country, Children’s Hospital Boston. This year I have pledged to raise a minimum of $3,500 for Children’s, and I still have a little way to go. So if you would like to contribute to this cause, I certainly would appreciate it. To make a secure, online donation, simply click here or write a check – payable to Children’s Hospital Boston – and return it to my attention at 33 Oakwood Avenue, Sudbury, MA 01776. To be honest with you, I thought I was conducting a fairly ambitious fundraising campaign…
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13Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

Using Blogs to “Connect Up”

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Marketing, Public Relations
In a conversation with Allan Hoffman on Monster, Scott Allen and David Teten, authors of “The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online” (a book I've written about before in this space and which my neighbor to the north, Ted Demopoulos, just reviewed on his blog), explain how to use social software – including, of course, blogs – to advance your career… Monster: Your book views blogs as powerful tools. Should everyone be blogging? SA: A blog may become as important, if not more important, than your resume. The resume may get you onto the long list, but the blog is definitely a tool to get onto the short list. If you're trying to position yourself as an expert, then you should be blogging about your topic and building…
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07Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

Using Direct Mail to Land a New Job

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations
If you’ve ever been between jobs, you know how much of a challenge it is to stand out in a crowd of those who are ambitiously jockeying for the same gig. After all, chances are you’re just one of dozens, if not hundreds, with relatively similar credentials in line for that one plum position. And unless you know someone in a corner office who can grant you the inside track, the odds of your resume getting past the gatekeepers and in the hands of the top dog are slim to none, never mind getting your foot in the door for an interview. With that said, in addition to going about my new job search in all the usual ways – posting my resume on online job boards such as Monster…
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04Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

How to Subscribe to the NEDMA Conference Blog — and Maybe Win a $10 Starbucks Card for the Effort

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Direct Marketing, Marketing
As you may recall, I announced here in January that the New England Direct Marketing Association had launched a blog to help promote its upcoming conference, NEDMA ’06, It’s a Brave New World. I also told you that, in addition to my position as co-chair of this conference, I couldn’t be more excited to be taking on the responsibilities of moderating this new blog. “Yes, like any blog, it’ll be a labor of love for all involved, but the truth is that using a blog as an online propagation tool should almost be a requirement for anyone staging a major conference amidst today’s new marketing landscape,” I wrote in this space some six weeks ago. Well, so far, so good. If I do say myself, I believe we have a…
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01Mar 2006 by Bob Cargill

David Baker: “Clients Care More About How the Work is Managed and Delivered Than the Work Itself”

Advertising, Branding, Client Service, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations
In an article published recently in his firm’s newsletter, David Baker, Principal of ReCourses, Inc., a management consulting firm that works exclusively with public relations, advertising, and design firms, makes the rather startling claim that “your clients care more about how the work is managed and delivered than the work itself.” At first, that notion may seem preposterous to many of us agency folks, especially those of us who toil away in the creative department day in and day out. After all, why would our clients care how we get it done, as long we get it done well? However, having had the opportunity to have met David before and to have been on the receiving end of his professional advice, I’m inclined to defer to his experience and expertise…
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20Feb 2006 by Bob Cargill

A Career Imperative at the Crossroads of Change

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations
If you know of an organization that’s looking for an experienced direct marketer and enthusiastic, entrepreneurial creative director, copywriter, blogger and public speaker, I know of someone who fits the bill. Moi. Yes, I’m here to tell you that even though my employment with one company has just recently come to an end, I have no intention whatsoever of letting even a few blades of grass grow like a contagion under my feet. Given such urgency and resolve, I have already touched base with my network of friends and colleagues in the terrestrial world, letting them know of my availability and desire to land a new full-time job – or contract assignment – as soon as possible. And, of course, I've been wading my way through Monster, Talent Zoo and…
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17Feb 2006 by Bob Cargill

Alan Rosenspan to Receive Caples’ Andi Emerson Award

Advertising, Direct Marketing, Marketing
Congratulations to my fellow New England direct marketer, Alan Rosenspan, for being chosen by the John Caples International Awards committee to receive the prestigious Andi Emerson Award, honoring his years of “exemplary service to the creative community.” As reported today in DM News, the award will be presented to him on March 2 in a ceremony held at New York’s Metropolitan Pavilion. A past winner of the New England Direct Marketing Association’s Direct Marketer of the Year award (1997), Alan is an icon and inspiration to so many in the industry in which I earn my livelihood, and a kind and generous man as well. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading his book, "Confessions of a Control Freak," don’t hesitate to treat yourself and order a copy now.
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06Feb 2006 by Bob Cargill

George Mercer’s Marketing Professionals Network

Advertising, Direct Marketing, Marketing
Given that I’ve recently become a free agent (although keeping up with A New Marketing Commentator sometimes seems like a job in and of itself), I thought it would be a good time to write about my friend and fellow New England direct marketer, George Mercer, and the networking group he runs for job seekers called the Marketing Professionals Network (MPN). If you’ve ever met George, you know what I’m talking about when I say he’s as much a gentleman and a scholar as a humorist and raconteur. George has a warm heart, an engaging personality and a remarkable ability to both challenge and cheer on those who wish to gain a better foothold on the proverbial corporate ladder. George is not just a great career coach and meeting facilitator,…
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25Jan 2006 by Bob Cargill

A “Star-Spangled” Testimonial for Word of Mouth Marketing

Advertising, Direct Marketing, Marketing
If you live and breathe marketing so much that you make time to read about it here and elsewhere throughout the blogosphere, chances are you already know a thing or two about referral marketing. It's the idea of asking your customers and constituents to turn on their friends, relatives and colleagues to whatever it is you may have to offer. Book and CD clubs, auto dealerships, banks, professional services providers and many small businesses rely on such referrals, often bestowing deep discounts, cash incentives and free this-and-that upon those helping to extend their brands. In fact, asking your constituents to spread the word for you can be so effective, it really is quite surprising that more organizations haven't put referral marketing to work for them. But, according to a story…
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