Client Service Archives

16Sep 2009 by Bob Cargill

Blog Post on Video: Who Moved My Customers?

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Facebook, Fundraising, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter

To say that marketing has changed in the last few years would be to put it quite mildly. Marketing has been rocked, shaken, stirred, knocked for a loop and turned completely upside down not just by the Internet, but by the emergence of social media as an informational, educational and conversational platform leveraged by the masses. Watch this short video and learn what to do about it before it's too late... This “blog post on video” was recorded on September 13, 2009 on Old Connecticut Path (overlooking the Massachusetts Turnpike) in Framingham, MA. It’s an adaptation of a post I wrote earlier this year called “Who Moved My Customers,” which you can read in its entirety here.

10May 2006 by Bob Cargill

A New Marketing Commentator Goes on Hiatus

Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Miscellaneous, Public Relations

After more than 26 months and 62,000 words, I've decided to give this blog a rest. It may not be the end for A New Marketing Commentator, but it will be at least a short hiatus. Thank you so much for your support, love and friendship. As much as you've given me, I hope I've given you even more in return. Bob Cargill Copywriter and Creative Director May 10, 2006 Bob's Bio and Contact Information Bob's Work History (Resume) Bob's Speaking History Bob's Commercial Portfolio Bob's Nonprofit Portfolio Bob's Interactive Portfolio Tags: Bob Cargill copywriter creative director copywriting creative direction blogger direct marketing advertising marketing A New Marketing Commentator

24Apr 2006 by Bob Cargill

Why Johnny Can’t Brand: “Action is Branding”

Advertising, Branding, Client Service, Copywriting, Direct Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing

“Too many folks think “branding” is what airlines do when they repaint the planes every few years, or what banks do when they refresh all the signage in their lobbies and reengineer their logos,” write Bill Schley and Carl Nichols, Jr. (partners at david, inc., an international brand consulting firm), in Chapter Two of “Why Johnny Can’t Brand: Rediscovering the Lost Art of the Big Idea.” “In the airlines’ case, they spend millions to update the image on the tails of their airplanes," add Schley and Nichols. "Then they arrive late, stick you in a cramped seat with your knees bumping the food tray, charge you $1,000 more than the guy sitting next to you because you committed the crime of not including a Saturday night stay, and lose your…

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…

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…

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…

04Jan 2006 by Bob Cargill

Newport’s John Pannell: “Ask for a Test Package, Not a Proposal”

Client Service, Direct Marketing, Fundraising

In the November/December 2005 issue of NEDMA News, John Pannell, Founder and President of Newport Creative Communications (which, in the spirit of full disclosure, is the agency for which I work), questions the traditional client-agency RFP process. John Pannell Founder and President of Newport Creative Communications “Personally, I don't think nonprofit organizations should be making any big decisions about the future of their fundraising programs based on proposals received from a short list of direct response fundraising agencies,” writes John. “Don't send out that RFP and trust that the best proposal necessarily represents the best agency for you. Don't fool yourself into thinking that your suitors' references aren't carefully selected to provide only the most flattering recommendations. Don't mistake charisma for capability or promises for results.” His suggestion? “Clearly, there…

14Oct 2004 by Bob Cargill No Comments

The Art of Client Service

Client Service

If it wasn't for a pair of brown leather cowboy boots, my career in direct marketing may have taken a different turn a long time ago. The year was 1984, and I had a great job as a copywriter at RCA Direct Marketing. But when a friend told me about another job as an account executive at Grey Direct, my youth and ambition got the best of me. I applied for it. The interview went well, but word got back to me afterwards that I hadn't dressed the part. Sure, I was wearing the requisite Brooks Brothers blue pinstripe suit, but my feet were covered in Dingo boots instead of classic wing tip shoes. My bad! Today, of course, I would like to believe the fact that I didn't land…