Bob Cargill’s Marketing Show

PR and Corporate Communications with Maura FitzGerald

Episode 131 - PR and Corporate Communications with Maura FitzGerald

In this episode of Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, Episode 131, I talk to Maura FitzGerald, Co-Founder and Partner at V2 Communications, a Boston-based public relations and digital communications firm. During our conversation, we touch upon the challenges that businesses have faced during the pandemic, the importance of a solid internal communications program, hiring practices, employee empowerment and much more. 

About Maura FitzGerald

Maura is one of Boston’s most seasoned public relations veterans. With decades of experience and not one, but two, high-growth PR agencies under her belt, Maura was the 2019 recipient of Boston PR Club’s John J. Molloy Crystal Bell Lifetime Achievement Award.

Over her career, Maura successfully founded and grew one of the premier U.S. brands in strategic technology communications, FitzGerald Communications. Under Maura’s direction, the agency immediately became one of the fastest-growing technology public relations firms, rapidly transitioning from regional boutique to respected national brand in less than three years. After successfully building FitzGerald Communications to five offices and nearly 200 PR professionals, Maura sold FitzGerald Communications to Omnicom Corp. in 2002.

A serial entrepreneur, Maura could not sit back when she witnessed a market opportunity evolving. With new technology innovations flooding the market as a result of digitization, Maura was poised to address the sophisticated communications challenges of these emerging companies. Together with Jean Serra, an experienced technology communications strategist and senior executive from FitzGerald Communications, she launched Version 2.0 Communications, now V2 Communications, in late 2006.

After her experience running FitzGerald, Maura wanted to establish a firm that is boutique by design. Since its inception, Maura has grown V2’s client roster to include several unicorns, disruptors and pioneers in the mobility, green technology, enterprise software and even nonprofit spaces. Today, V2 is recognized as a “Best Place to Work” in Boston and beyond. 

Maura brings her unique blend of communications strategy and business management to counsel CEOs and senior marketing leaders from some of technology’s most innovative market pioneers, including Sony, Motorola, Digital Equipment Corp., Compaq, Sapient, Peregrine and Manugistics. Working with these industry giants from their early days, Maura has designed programs to establish industry awareness, bolster credibility and position these organizations for future successful liquidity events.

She continues to bring this expertise and experience to V2’s clients through her direct management and mentoring of the agency’s leading account teams. 

The Language of Global Marketing with Wendy Pease

Episode 130 - The Language of Global Marketing with Wendy Pease

In this episode of Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, episode 130, Wendy Pease and I talk about her new book, The Language of Global Marketing - Translate Your Domestic Strategies into International Sales and Profits. We talk about why companies would want to go global, how companies can go global, which companies have gone global successfully, which languages are most common around the world and much more. 

 

About Wendy Pease
Wendy Pease lived in a small agriculture town in Taiwan when she was 8-9 years old.  From that experience, she learned what it's like to be different and not know the language. For the last 15 years, she's owned Rapport International, a foreign language services company that specializes in multilingual marketing, and translation.  Her passion is connecting people across languages and cultures for a peaceful and prosperous world.  Prior to this role, she served in Senior roles in marketing and business development.  She has an MBA from Dartmouth College and graduated in three years from Penn State in Foreign Service.  For fun she likes to swim, spend time in the woods and connect with her teenage sons.

The Free Offer Works Wonders

Episode 129 - The Free Offer Works Wonders 

Giving something away for free is a great way to get people’s attention. It’s one way to introduce what you have to offer to a new audience. When I had my own small business in the ‘90s, I gave away 50 half-pound bags of ground gourmet coffee to a list of prime prospects as a way of drawing interest in my marketing services. I told those on the receiving end of my outreach that “some opportunities aren’t meant for the back burner,” and this was one of them. This was their opportunity to get my very best work, as I had every intention of perking up their results. This campaign was a success in more ways than one, earning me plenty of publicity and some new business as well. Whether it’s a free trial of your products and services or a complimentary gift of any sort whatsoever, putting something for nothing into your audience’s hands is a great way to win their favor.

Marketing Isn't Difficult

Episode 128 - Marketing Isn't Difficult 

Marketing isn’t difficult if those on the receiving end of your messages know that you care about them. If those messages are cold, impersonal, calculated and repetitive, they will see right through you and ultimately ignore you. If you’re listening to them, engaging with them and supporting them, they will gravitate towards your brand and everything you have to offer. People do business with people.

The Social in Social Media

Episode 127 - The Social in Social Media

Don’t automate everything you share on social media. Don’t be all business, either. Be all human. Share your feelings and opinions, not just news and information. Show what’s going on in your life and the lives of your colleagues, not just what you have to market and sell. Be there for your audience, those who are following you and supporting you. Give them as much attention as they give you, even more. Listen to them and engage with them. Praise them and thank them. Help them as much as possible. Don’t overlook the importance of the social in social media.

Involve Your Audience as a Marketer

Episode 126 - Involve Your Audience as a Marketer

Back in the day, early in my career, I learned the importance of involving my audience as a marketer. I worked at Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, Iowa. As a copywriter, my job was to write direct mail packages on behalf of the company's roster of magazines, convincing those on the receiving end to subscribe to them. One technique we used was to encourage recipients to move a sticker or token from one side of the order card to the other before returning it for a free trial issue of the magazine. The idea was to get them involved, to overcome inertia, to trigger a favorable action on their part. That was 1985. This is 2021. Yet the same principle still holds true in marketing today. Whether you're using direct mail or social media, print or digital, if you involve your audience as a marketing professional, chances are they'll respond more favorably to what you have to offer.

The Emotional Connection You Make with Your Audience

Episode 125 - The Emotional Connection You Make with Your Audience

Marketers, advertisers, brands, businesses...it's not just about the products or services you have to offer your audience, it's about the emotional connection you have with them. Kudos, props and congrats to Anheuser-Busch for reinforcing this very important point in their ridiculously awesome ad for simply getting together over a beer.

Purpose-Driven Branding with Katie Burkhart

Episode 124 - Purpose-Driven Branding with Katie Burkhart

In this episode of Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, episode 124, Bob talks to Katie Burkhart about purpose-driven branding, marketing, social media and much more. 

About Katie Burkhart

Katie Burkhart is a builder, founder, and communicator. Defining matter as equal parts strategic and positively impactful, Katie started by founding Matter 7, a firm that builds purpose-driven brands. She’s also the founder of MatterPulse, which enables ambitious teams to run and grow against the double bottom line.

 

Katie delivers critical focus while distilling the big picture into pointed actions. She's the author of MatterLogic and has been published in The Startup, UX Collective, and Boston Content.

Follow her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/katharineburkhart and subscribe to her newsletter at www.katieburkhart.me/newsletter.

What's What in Social Media with Angela Pitter

Episode 123 - What's What in Social Media with Angela Pitter

In this episode of my podcast, episode 123, I talk to Angela Pitter about marketing, social media and more.

About Angela Pitter

Angela Pitter is Founder and CEO at LiveWire Collaborative, a digital marketing consultancy. LiveWire Collaborative helps business owners and executives to tap into digital marketing solutions that unleash their brand’s full potential and to use social media to connect, collaborate, and convert their target communities. Angela is a highly sought-after speaker who was previously featured on the TV series Chronicle, WCVB, and has personally trained thousands of CEOs, business owners, and consultants worldwide on their signature LinkedIn Influencer system. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds both her M.S. in Administration and B.S. in Computer Engineering from Boston University. Angela currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Newton Needham Regional Chamber of Commerce. Follow her on Twitter: @angelapitter and visit website www.livewirecollaborative.com

Talking with Helen Pinchanski about Marketing and Social Media During the Pandemic and Beyond

Episode 122 - Talking with Helen Pinchanski about Marketing and Social Media During the Pandemic and Beyond

In this episode, I talk to Strategy Consultant, Purpose Marketing Strategist and Digital and Customer Experience Advisor, Helen Pinchanski, about marketing and social media during the pandemic and beyond. Helen is a fellow member of the board of directors of AMA Boston, a marketing industry colleague and a good friend. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to her areas of expertise and a great conversationalist, as you will hear. Listen and enjoy. 

About Helen Pinchanski (From Her LinkedIn Profile)

Experienced Strategy Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services, retail and consumer/business products industries. Skilled in Strategy, Purpose Marketing, Analytical Skills, Management, Start-ups, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship. Strong consulting professional and advisor with a Master of Liberal Arts, Marketing Management focused in Branding, Social Media and Customer Experience from Harvard University.