Bob Cargill’s Marketing Show

A Good Bedside Manner Goes a Long Way

Episode 93 - A Good Bedside Manner Goes a Long Way

My wife, Barbara, wasn’t feeling well one day earlier this winter.

After talking to her doctor’s office on the phone, we decided to go to a local on-demand healthcare facility, CareWell Urgent Care in Marlborough, where she could get the quickest treatment possible.

We didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes before she was seen by two different nurses and thoroughly checked out.

Not only did she receive exceptional care at this facility, the medical team’s bedside manner was ridiculously awesome.

They spent a lot of time examining her as well as just plain comforting her.

They weren’t just extremely professional, they were incredibly personable as well.

BIG thanks to Kristen and Virginia, the two nurses who took care of Barbara during our visit.

You. Me. We can all learn a lot from this dynamic healthcare duo. Being good at what you do is one thing, being nice is another. Both are equally important. Affability matters as much as ability.

Every business and brand should care for its customers as well as this place cared for Barbara.

A good bedside manner goes such a long way, whether you’re in the healthcare field or not.

Be nice. Be kind. Be good to those around you in both your professional and personal lives.

A Few Words with Sarah Ginand

Episode 92 - A Few Words with Sarah Ginand

In this episode – recorded on Thursday, January 16, 2020 – I talk to Sarah Ginand about her work as an independent marketing consultant and how she provides her clients with such exemplary service.

About Sarah Ginand (From Her LinkedIn Profile)

Proven strategic marketing consultant focused on helping small businesses grow. Recognized as a versatile leader with experience in driving marketing strategy, planning, execution, and implementation. Expertise finding innovative ways to present implementable solutions to clients in the areas of strategic marketing; market positioning, competitive analysis, process improvement, CRM, social media marketing, integrated marketing, corporate communications, and training, managing, and mentoring staff.

How Close Are You to Your Customers and Prospects?

Episode 91 - How Close Are You to Your Customers and Prospects?

In business, we want to think of our customers and prospects as relationships, not transactions.

We want them to like and respect us, to think so highly of our businesses, brands, products and services, that they’re loyal to us forever.

We want them to feel close to us, to know that we’ve got their backs, that we’re listening to them, that we care about them, that we want them to be happy with everything they get from us.

I recently read a blog post written by Mark Schaefer in which he talked about something called parasocial relationships. As Mark explains in his post – which you can read here: https://businessesgrow.com/2019/12/12/parasocial-relationships – a phenomenon that started out in the ‘50s, with people feeling so close to the stars they watched on TV that they felt they were friends, is now associated with social media.

You. Me. Anybody can take advantage of this idea.

We may see it in ourselves as viewer, readers, listeners and consumers.

But as marketers, we can capitalize on it. We can use social media and other forms of communications to form long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with those on the receiving end of our content.

Bad Ad, Good Ad

Episode 90 - Bad Ad, Good Ad

You’ve probably seen the ad. Surely you’ve heard about it.

I’m talking about the recent Peloton ad, the one where a woman is gifted a Peloton stationary bike by her husband and looks like she’s under pressure to use it.

For many reasons, it’s not a good ad, if you ask me, and it has received a ton of negative publicity. The ad comes across as sexist, insensitive and out of touch with reality.

In a word, clueless.

The star of this controversial ad, however, Monica Ruiz, reappeared very quickly on screen in an entirely different ad for Aviation American Gin, which was clearly poking fun at the Peloton ad.

This time around, she’s sitting at a bar with her friends, they toast to “new beginnings” and she guzzles her drink. Too funny.

Not only did Aviation American Gin (actor, Ryan Reynolds, apparently has a stake in the company) move fast in rolling out this spot, they newsjacked the Peloton ad debacle and went viral for all the right reasons. Their ad was timely, funny, topical and authentic.

Good for them. Good for Monica Ruiz. Not so good for Peloton.

Humanize Your Brand

Episode 89 - Humanize Your Brand

Real success in business is achieved when you use real people in marketing and sales, real people in real time being really honest with their audience.

When I saw Mark Schaefer speak earlier this year, he emphasized the importance of being human as marketers.

I saw Seth Godin a few months later, and he pointed out that human marketing takes time.

They're both right, of course. Consumers are tired of being bombarded by the constant cacophony of cries for their attention from brands.

There must be a better way to win friends and influence people in business.

That’s why I’m such a huge proponent of social media.

Social media levels the playing field, making it possible for companies to engage with consumers - and vice versa - as human beings. Social media keeps it real, allowing for discourse and disagreement, ensuring everybody has a voice, for better or worse. Social media, used correctly, works faster than you may realize to separate yourself from the competition, connect with your constituents and turn prospects into customers.

Put a face on your brand and a smile on your face. Put the social in social media to work for you today.

The Future of Advertising...It's About to Get Real

Episode 88 - The Future of Advertising...It's About to Get Real 

To break through the clutter and win consumers over, advertising and marketing need to get real.

That’s what Bud Light did recently. During game five of the 2019 World Series, Washington Nationals fan, Jeff Adams, took a home run ball to the chest while holding on tightly to his two cold beers.

That’s when Bud Light sprang into action. Not only did they take quickly to Twitter to call attention to the moment, they tracked down the fan and by the next game, had him the star of a television campaign that featured the actual video footage of him being hit by the ball.

This scenario was remarkably well played by Bud Light, to say the least. Borrowing a page out of the social media handbook, they wasted no time in leveraging the equivalent of user-generated content (UGC) to take advantage of the moment. Including real people in real situations in real time (if possible) to connect with consumers...that's how all brands should be playing the advertising and marketing game today.

 

People Don't Like Advertising and Marketing

Episode 87 - People Don't Like Advertising and Marketing

I hate to break it to you, but people don’t want to be interrupted by advertising and marketing.

I know. That’s the last thing I want to hear, too, as I’ve earned my livelihood in this business for years.

But we can’t bury our heads in the sand. We can’t look the other way. We can’t say we weren’t warned.

Not after reading a recent article in The New York Times (“The Advertising Industry Has a Problem: People Hate Ads" (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/business/media/advertising-industry-research.html) that painted a very pessimistic picture of what my colleagues and I do for a living.

Consumers are turning off and tuning out, going so far as to pay extra to receive news, information and entertainment without being bothered by brands’ incessant cries for attention and engagement.

This is what I’ve been saying for a while now in my videos and presentations, advertisers and marketers have to change how they do business or else.

This is why I believe so strongly in social media, as it represents a much more authentic, credible way of communicating with our audience members.

What's Your Goldfish?

Episode 86 - What's Your Goldfish? 

"The goal of marketing is to capture the mind and ultimately conquer the heart of your target audience,” says Stan Phelps, CSP.

I couldn’t agree with him more.

Brands and businesses need to provide their customers and prospects with an exceptional experience they’ll remember for a long time and rave about among their own respective networks.

If you don’t know Stan, you’re missing out. He’s an acclaimed public speaker, a best-selling author, a rock star of a marketer and a great guy, too. He’s written a bunch of books about marketing using the goldfish as a symbol for that little something extra that makes a mighty big difference to the consumer.

What’s your goldfish?

What do you do differently to stand out from the competition?

Are you capturing the minds and conquering the hearts of those on the receiving end of your marketing messages?

Are you going above and beyond to provide those in your audience with a remarkable experience, one that will keep them coming back to you time and time again?

A Few Words with Ed McDonough

Episode 85 - A Few Words with Ed McDonough

In this episode - recorded on Friday, October 18, 2019 - I talk to Ed McDonough, Founder and President of ECE Marketing Services, about his new book, The Email Marketing Advantage, and a range of marketing-related topics and issues. 

About Ed McDonough

Ed McDonough is a nationally recognized Email Marketing Consultant, Creator of the Quantum Email Marketing Platform, the author of The Complete Internet Marketing Strategy Guide, The Email Marketing Advantage and the founder of the marketing agency, ECE Marketing Services (established 2009).

Since 2001 Ed has been a successful entrepreneur and multi-business owner who has a unique talent for developing and implementing long-term profitable marketing strategies.

In addition to his business owner experience, Mr. McDonough spent over 25 years as a top-level Information Technology professional and Project Management Consultant in Corporate America, making him well versed in all facets of the business environment.

Ed is a graduate of the EPC Institute and the Expect Success Academy; he is a certified Email Marketing Specialist and Consultant.

Active in the local business community, Ed is an experienced business speaker who is engaging, informing, entertaining and educating. He tells it like it is and passionately shares his knowledge and real-life experiences with an open heart so the audience can take action and being growing their business as soon as they leave one of his seminars or workshops.

Mr. McDonough is also active in the local community. He is on the Board of Directors for the Friends of St. Patrick association in Walpole, MA and the former Chairman of the Board of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with being a supporter of other local community-based organizations and events.

Ed currently works with companies to increase their cash flow, generated more revenue and maximize their profitability through the implementation of predictable, measurable and strategic email marketing business systems.

Contact Information:
Ed McDonough
Founder
ECE Marketing Services
869 Main Street
Suite 1
Walpole, MA 02081
508-296-5001

 

A Few Words with Jeffrey DeSocio

Episode 84 - A Few Words with Jeffrey DeSocio

In this episode - recorded on Thursday, October 3, 2019 - I talk to Jeffrey DeSocio, accomplished IT professional and well-known networking authority, about marketing, social media, Toastmasters, the Boston networking scene and even our shared passion for reading Rolling Stone magazine. 

About Jeffrey DeSocio (In His Own Words from His LinkedIn Profile)

I am an accomplished Information Technology Leader and Strategic Professional with extensive experience leading information technology initiatives in retail, health care, high-technology, manufacturing, education management and financial services industries. I have demonstrated ability to impact the enterprise bottom line and performance through expert alignment of technologies with corporate mission. I have built talented teams, continuously providing members with training, support, resources, guidance, and motivation to exceed organizational objectives. I have a reputation for completing complex, multi-million dollar projects on time and within budget.

I am also the founder of Mass Professional Networking and Mass Tech Networking, which is one of Greater Boston's leading business networking groups with monthly events and business networking advisory services. The mission of the groups is to connect professionals and help build a resource to help further their careers and business.

I am also an accomplished digital and internet marketing professional with a rare blend of technology and marketing acumen. An avid public speaker, business networker & connector, with a goal of helping others in business through my knowledge, products, services & connections.