Bob Cargill's Marketing Show

Episode 162 - The Dairy Queen Brand Extension My wife, Barbara, and I recently had lunch recently with my mom at the same Dairy Queen in Bellingham, Massachusetts that my family went to back in the day. Only now it is a Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, not just a place to get soft-serve ice cream, milk shakes and other frozen treats. Talk about a big brand extension. I mean, this company has been around since 1940 and has over 7,000 locations today. When I was a kid, we'd get whatever we wanted for our birthdays. That was awesome. This time around, we got whatever we wanted, too.

Episode 161 - Attracting the Attention of your Audience If you don't attract the attention of your audience in advertising and marketing, you won't have any customers and clients. It's that simple. And in this day and age, it's more difficult than ever to stand out among the competition and clutter, to get people to notice what you have to offer them. However, I couldn't help but notice a truck recently that was conspicuously parked in the huge, empty parking lot along Sudbury Street outside of Mill & Main, the old, historic mill complex in Maynard. Bull Spit. That was the name on the truck. Bull Spit. Catchy name for a business. Right? Attention-getting to say the least. Both the double entendre of the name of this brewing company and the fact that this truck was so strategically parked in that lot where you couldn't miss seeing it certainly captured my attention. I'm sure many others have noticed it as well. Turns out that by no coincidence, of course, one of their locations is situated right there

Episode 160 - What's Your Current Situation?  What's your current situation? That's a thing on social media...telling people where you are and what you are doing now. You may already know that and even do that in your personal life, share your current situation with those who follow you on social media. But do you do that in your professional life? Documenting your days in real time is an easy and effective way for brands, businesses and professionals to establish a strong, steady presence on social media. It shows you care enough about your audience to share your life with them. It satisfies their curiosity. It deepens the relationship you already have with them. It leads to greater engagement and unlimited possibilities for bigger and better things between you and those who look up to you. It's a win-win. Keep those who follow you abreast of your whereabouts and goings-on. Share your current situation on social media as often as possible.

Episode 159 - Be Like Kevin Kevin Cronin is the lead vocalist and front man for the ridiculously awesome rock band, REO Speedwagon. He's a great performer and a great guy. But that's not why I want to talk about him today. I want to talk about how great he is on social media. Brands, businesses, professionals, people...everybody likes listening to Kevin and his legendary band perform, right? But not everybody knows how much they can learn from Kevin about how to use Facebook, Twitter and the like. It was more than 40 years ago when I saw REO Speedwagon at the Boston Garden. They put on a spectacular live show then, as I am sure they still do today. Yes, they're still touring, and I would love to see them again in concert. But in the meantime, I enjoy following Kevin on Facebook where he is as much a star online as he is on stage, documenting where the band is on the road, what they're doing and how he's feeling. That's how to do it on social media. Give people a look behind the scenes, an up-close and per

Episode 158 - Making My Book with Maria Antonia Silva and Morgan Hume  In this episode of my podcast, I talk with Maria Antonia Silva and Morgan Hume about the making of my new book,  Twenty Jobs, Twenty Lessons - a Long, Strange Career in Marketing, from Junk Mail to Social Media. Maria was the designer of the book and Morgan the editor. Both of them are recent graduates of Suffolk University in Boston, where I am an adjunct professor. I can't thank them enough for their skills, talent and support.  

Episode 157 - Using Twitter Spaces in a College Classroom Wait! What? You're not using Twitter Spaces yet? My students and I hosted a Twitter Space recently, and it was such a ridiculously awesome educational experience. In hosting this Space - a discussion about what's new in social media - we built a community, we positioned ourselves as thought leaders and we learned a lot from those who partook in this public conversation online. Hosting your own Twitter Space is a great way to engage with your audience and develop long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with like-minded professionals. See for yourself. Host one today.

Episode 156 - Marketing, Networking, Empathy, Authenticity and More with Melissa Merrifield In this episode of the podcast, Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, Bob talks to fellow American Marketing Association member (Melissa is from the Iowa chapter, Bob is from the AMA Boston chapter), Melissa Merrifield, about marketing, networking, empathy, authenticity and much more.  About Melissa Merrifield (from Melissa's LinkedIn Profile) My vision is to apply excellent leadership, communication, networking, and design talents in a professional team setting. To demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit and execute creative ideas in a growing environment, becoming a strong company asset in the design and development of modern-day business and technology. • Over twenty two years of hands-on marketing management experience; versatile, results-oriented marketing professional, who knows how to manage a company's reputation as an asset • Designed all aspects of marketing pieces including branding, graphic design, and “content,” u

Episode 155 - The 6 Ps of Retail Marketing There are four Ps of marketing...product, price, place and promotion. All are equally important. When it comes to retail marketing, though, there are two additional Ps, presentation and personnel. How you execute with regard to all these Ps can make a difference between success and failure for your brand or business. Many retailers are struggling in this day and age. Are they focusing enough on the two additional Ps, areas where they could possibly establish a competitive advantage over the competition? Amid COVID and a marketplace in which the only constant is change, nothing is easy today for brick-and-mortar stores. That's one reason why we're seeing more and more empty store fronts on main street. That's one reason why more and more retail is going etail.

Episode 154 - The Importance of Engaging Your Audience  Do you know the song, We Will Rock You, by Queen? Of course, you know the song! It was written by Brian May for Queen's 1977 album, News of the World. It was featured in a great scene in the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. It provided Queen with a ridiculously awesome opportunity to engage with their audience. I used that song in my marketing class recently as an example of the importance of engaging with your audience as a brand or a business. The more those on the receiving end of your messages are involved with what you have to offer, the more likely they will be to support you. Stomp, stomp, clap...  

Episode 153 - Don't Be Stuck for Content Stuck for content? Not sure what to put on social media? Share what you're doing on the job. Show off your knowledge and expertise. Take pictures behind the scenes. Record what you're working on with your colleagues. Don't worry about it. Don't sweat it. Don't think that everything published on social media has to be created from scratch. There are plenty of things you're doing on a regular basis already that you could be putting out there for public consumption.

Episode 152 - Marketing, Personal Branding, Leadership and More with Richard Conner  In this episode of the podcast, Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, Bob talks to fellow American Marketing Association member (Richard is from the Southern Connecticut chapter, Bob from AMA Boston), Richard Conner, about marketing, personal branding, leadership, running and much more.  About Richard Conner (from LinkedIn) Global-minded Strategic Marketing Professional with 15 years of experience in B2B marketing for organizations, both domestic and international markets. I have a passion for innovative technology and developing new products that drive profitable growth. Proven success in brand and marketing strategy, market research and customer segmentation, new product commercialization, portfolio management and leading marketing teams. Experience includes developing customer-focused marketing campaigns, and educational events that drive awareness, generate new leads, and increase market share. Accomplished cross-functional le

Episode 151 - The Growing Need for Content Content marketing is only going to grow in importance. Consumers want to hear from companies on a regular basis. Not so much about what you have to sell to them, though. No, they want to see what's going on behind the scenes. They want to get to know the softer side of businesses and brands. They want to get to know you as human beings. So, use social media to put yourselves out there. Share as much content as possible about your corporate culture, your people, your products and services. Be conspicuous in your presence as often as possible both online and off. #ContentMarketing #SocialMedia #Marketing #Content

Episode 150 - The Personal Brand In a recent blog post, Mark Schaefer wrote about Five Things I Would Do Differently If I Were Starting Over, one of those things being to place "more intent on the personal brand." That's saying a lot, coming from someone who has such an extraordinarily strong personal brand. Mark is renowned far and wide for his marketing expertise and knowledge, his teaching and public speaking, his books and blog. If someone as conspicuous in their presence online as Mark is thinks he could place more emphasis on his personal brand, what about you and me? That's saying all of us could benefit from even more personal branding. Thanks, Mark, as always, for the words of wisdom.

Episode 149 - Empathy in Marketing with Pat Timmons In this episode of the podcast, Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, Bob talks to marketing professional and author, Pat Timmons, about his new book, Feel Something, about empathy in marketing and how understanding the feelings of your audience members can help you level up each phase of the buyer journey.  About Patrick Timmons Patrick Timmons is a “swiss-army knife” in marketing, with industry experience in tech, music business, advertising, and PR. His passion for marketing began at Emerson College, where he acquired a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications and entrepreneurial studies. He then studied at Berklee College of Music and received a master's degree in music business with a focus on independent musicians. While marketing is a strong passion for Patrick, so is getting to know people and understanding why people do what they do. Being immersed in social media marketing, Patrick noticed an urgent need for empathy. He then began his journey to u

Episode 148 - Entrepreneurship, Technology, Marketing and Social Media with Morissa Schwartz In this episode of the podcast, Bob Cargill's Marketing Show, I have a conversation with the multi-talented, super successful entrepreneur, Morissa Schwartz. We talk about the different businesses she runs and how she uses social media so effectively to stay in front of her constituents. At one point during our chat, I praised Morissa for being so positive and nice to others, and she said she was asked recently about how she keeps up her productivity, and her answer was, "By staying positive and keeping an upbeat attitude." She said, "The byproduct of being positive is being more streamlined and things going more smoothly. She added, "Being nice to people, being positive...they're so rewarding in so many ways."  Thanks, Morissa! You're such a very positive role model for so many fans, followers and friends, as both a professional and human being.  About Morissa Schwartz   Morissa Schwartz is the owner of DrRissysWri

Episode 147 - Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Social Media  It used to be reading, writing and arithmetic. That's what was taught in grammar school. I think it should now be reading, writing, arithmetic and social media. I'm serious. Social media is how more and more people communicate in this day and age, especially young people. If we teach students how to use social media at a young age, we will have much less of a computer illiteracy problem in the world and certainly far more instances of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and the like being used for good.

Episode 146 - Putting Yourself Out There on Social Media Unless you're a big brand or a celebrity, to be effective on social media means to put yourself out there. That's the SOCIAL in social media. You have to be willing and able to share content frequently that is educational, enlightening, entertaining even. You have to show the personal side of what you do for a living, not just the professional side, giving people a look behind the scenes, helping those on the receiving end of your messages get to know you and your colleagues as fellow human beings. The more your audience gets to know you on #SocialMedia, the more likely they'll be to do business with you when the opportunities arise.

Episode 145 - If I Were a Business or a Brand with the Budget If I were a business or a brand with the budget, I would hire people whose sole responsibility was to use social media on my behalf. They would cover everything that's going on behind the scenes, sharing content day in and day out with our audience of fans, followers and friends. The content they create and share would be educational, informative, insightful, supportive, inspirational, entertaining even. They would be conspicuous in their presence, responsive and engaging, friendly and dependable. They would interact with those on the receiving end of our messages and learn from them. They would be a better and more successful company in the long run because of this commitment to #SocialMedia.

Episode 144 - The Tree That Falls in the Woods  Don't be like the tree that falls in the woods, yet it doesn't make a sound because nobody is around to hear it fall. After all, you want to be heard - loud and clear - on social media. You want to make some noise. You want people around you to hear what you have to say. You want an audience.

Episode 143 - What Can You Do for Social Media?  What do you need to do to get social media to pay off for you? Sorry to disappoint, but it doesn't really work that way. It's what you need to do to make sure that social media pays off for those on the receiving end of your messages. If the content you have to share on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and the like is educational, entertaining, informative and insightful, your audience will reward you with their undivided attention and support. So yeah, it's what you're going to do for social media, not the other way around.