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…
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08Nov 2013 by Bob Cargill

Do You Thank Your Customers Enough?

Branding, Business, Marketing, Public Relations
As a longtime Boston Red Sox fan, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the 2013 Major League Baseball season. After all, my beloved Red Sox not only became the 11th team in history to go from worst to first in the division the very next season, they won their eighth World Series title, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in a riveting, unforgettable six-game duel for the ages. Not to mention the fact that I was there to see the historic series-clinching game in person with my brother, Tom, at Fenway Park last Wednesday night. Talk about unforgettable memories. But as closely as I was paying attention to the Fall Classic this year, there was something else that stood out to me while I was glued to the TV…
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25Oct 2013 by Bob Cargill

The Red Sox Rock (Not Just on the Field, But on Twitter, Too)

Boston, Boston Red Sox, Branding, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
To say I’ve been a big Boston Red Sox fan for a long time would be an understatement. Yup, I’m old enough to remember The Impossible Dream season of 1967, when the Sox went to the World Series for the first time since 1946. In those days, I looked up to players like Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski, Jim Lonborg and Rico Petrocelli. Those guys were revered baseball idols and real-life heroes to a small Little League ballplayer like me with a young, impressionable mind. Over the years, I’ve stuck with this team through thick and thin, cheering them on year after year, rooting for Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Dwight Evans, Mo Vaughn, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and a whole cast of larger than life superstars to go…
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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…
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01Sep 2013 by Bob Cargill

What Brand Apps Can Learn from RunKeeper

Apps, Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media
At a recent networking event, I was talking to someone I hadn’t seen in a while about how great it is to keep up with each other through Facebook. I enjoyed the conversation, except for a remark he made about the fact that I share so much about my running regimen via RunKeeper, a very cool app that not only makes it easy to track your runs and other fitness activities, but distribute the details to your friends. “What’s with you and RunKeeper? Do I really care how many miles you’ve run?” Those weren’t his exact words. But that’s what I heard. The impression he gave me was that he could care less about something that means so much to me. Ouch. The truth is, though, everybody else in my social…
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14Jul 2013 by Bob Cargill

10 Reasons Why People Engage with Brands on Twitter

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter
Today, many marketers, brands and celebrities are using Twitter to engage with their customers, prospects and fans. Yet while some of them have already experienced tremendous success in this arena, others still haven’t found the sweet spot that lies between self-promotion and making real-time, meaningful connections with their followers in this channel. The fact is that there countless reasons why people follow — and engage with — accounts other than their friends’ and colleagues’ on Twitter. In this survey of more than 1,000 consumers in Australia, more than half were interested in discounts or offers and exactly one third were looking for specific product and service information directly from the brand. Those are two good reasons for brands to have an active presence on Twitter. After all, followers are sometimes customers, prospects…
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20Mar 2013 by Bob Cargill

How to Use LinkedIn in More Ways Than One

Branding, Business, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media
If you could only be active on one social network for the sake of your career, it would have to be LinkedIn. Seriously, LinkedIn is a must for professionals in all walks of business life. You would be conspicuous in your absence if you did not establish a presence there. I love LinkedIn. It includes similar features and functionality of its social media brethren – Facebook, Twitter and the like – but the activity there is far more buttoned up and includes few, if any, displays of frivolity. I have been a member of LinkedIn since July 26, 2004, having amassed a total of 961 connections, 51 recommendations and who knows how many endorsements so far. You can view my LinkedIn profile here. I'm a frequent visitor to LinkedIn, where…
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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…
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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…
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