A New Marketing Commentator

Experienced direct marketers know that an effective way to optimize their offers is to give away premiums as incentives to buy. Subscribe to this or that magazine and take delivery of a calculator or compact disc, compliments of the publisher. Give to such and such nonprofit organization and receive a free umbrella or tote bag. Buy something from us and we’ll give something to you. It’s only human nature, after all. People are more inclined to try something new if you can dangle an attractive, appetizing come-on as a reward for their business. You have to think quid pro quo. Which is precisely what banks in the Boston area are doing a lot of lately, according to an article appearing in today’s business section of The Boston Globe.

“Banks have been offering new customers coolers, folding chairs, beach towels, and small cash rewards for a couple of years,” writes Bruce Mohl, “but competition has intensified since Bank of America Corp. took over FleetBoston Financial Corp. last year. Promotions seem to be getting bigger and better and offered more frequently.”

According to the article, Citizens Bank is “testing a promotion that offers a free iPod mini or a $200 gift certificate to any person who opens a checking account with a $2,500 initial balance.”

If you ask me, that’s not just a carrot on the end of the stick, that’s a whole garden salad, dressing included.

Also, Sovereign Bank “is in the midst of a $200,000 sweepstakes” (the branch in Sudbury, my hometown, even has a sign on the door that says, “You could win a $2,500 shopping spree!”) and Eastern Bank “has been offering a free companion airline ticket to new customers.”

Not be outdone, of course, TD Banknorth Inc. – yes, the same bank all New England sports fans have to thank profusely for resurrecting the name of the legendary, old Garden – “will stay open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays starting next week and offer special gifts to customers who come in on Thursday to do business. The gift next month is a $50 VISA gift card to customers who open a home equity loan or line of credit.”

Good for all of these banks. And good for their constituencies, too. After all, premiums are more often than not a win-win proposition all around. From a marketer’s perspective, using a premium – especially one with a high perceived value or one that has a natural tie-in to your organization – to sweeten the pot will invariably result in a much greater demand for whatever it is you have to offer. The appeal and popularity of a premium will also go a long way toward solidifying the relationship between companies and customers or, on the nonprofit side of business, donors and charitable organizations. Everyone is happy to get something free and don’t soon forget such acts of goodwill.

Not to say there isn’t a potential downside to using premiums, however. Some consumers only want the free gift. Whether they realize it or not, they don’t care as much about your organization as they do about getting something for nothing. In the long run, they may not be as loyal as those who come to you out of a genuine interest in your products and services. They may be so dependent on incentives that the only way they’ll stay with you is if the gravy train continues to roll, doling out tchotchkes all along the way.

Premiums can be encumbrances in other ways, too. They can add costs and complications for which marketers need to be prepared. Ultimately, any such promotional lures and enticements should be tested carefully and, in most cases, used as an exception, not as a rule. They are most effective when you want to make a big splash for some reason or other, such as new product introductions or any new customer acquisition campaign amidst a fiercely competitive marketplace. In those instances, premiums are usually as good as, well, money in the bank.

Bob Cargill Advertising, Direct Marketing

Some 20,000 people ran the Boston Marathon just a few days ago (I was one of them, plodding my way along the legendary, 26.2 mile course – all the way from Hopkinton to Boston – in a painful, interminable 4:24:51), but only 26 of them had been selected to tell their stories prior to the mother of all road races and heralded as one of the Saucony 26. For the chosen few, it must have been a tremendous honor to be able to personify the marathon as such pillars of inspiration. From a marketing standpoint, of course, putting a warm, identifiable face on the company and its products was a brilliant way for Saucony to connect with its constituency.

“While each person will have a very real and very intense motivation to run this year’s marathon, these motivations are different for each and every one of them,” reads the copy from a 32-page, pull-out section – featuring all 26 runner profiles – commissioned by Saucony inside the April 2005 edition of MetroSports Boston magazine.

“It’s those differences that have inspired us to introduce the second selection of the Saucony 26 in Boston,” the copy continues. “Twenty-six stories of people from communities in and around the racecourse have been chosen to represent each full mile of the race. It’s a way for all of us to celebrate our differences as we also celebrate our collective and passionate love for the sport of running.”

This special section, entitled “Every Runner Has a Story,” is not unlike a custom-published magazine, intermingling quality, relevant editorial (e.g., “26 Tips for Marathon Race Day,” “26 Sites for a Runner in Boston,” etc.) with a little advertising and a lot of PR, including a letter of introduction from company CEO, John H. Fisher (e.g., “Just like last year, we have selected from those who will run the marathon 26 stories that are amazingly unique from one another except, of course, for their passion for running.”), and, of course, the 26 tales of triumph and adversity.

Speaking of which, you can read about each of these fascinating runners – most of whom ran Boston for one charity or another, five of whom were my teammates on the Children’s Hospital Boston Kids at Heart Marathon Team – on the exclusive Saucony 26 Web site, which you will find by clicking here. The accompanying head shots alone are worth taking a look. All 26 shiny, happy faces are not as much photographed as captured in pure, unadulterated pride and joy, a credit to the individual behind the lens (Rich Cruse Photography) as well as to the subjects themselves.

Yes, like the marathon is to the runners, clearly this special event-related marketing campaign was a labor of love to all concerned. It was crafted from the heart, but not without first grounding itself in a sound, time-tested strategy that can’t help but engender unanimous – and universal – raves from both runners and those who aren’t quite so peripatetic. It’s less about the brand than it is about the people who embody that brand. It’s more about the Saucony 26 than it is about Saucony. It’s a winning campaign from which we can all learn a thing or two or even 26.

Bob Cargill Advertising, Cause-Related Marketing, Public Relations

With only a few days to go before the 109th Boston Marathon, it’s a good time for me to follow up on the four-part, 2,637-word article I posted here in A Fine Kettle of Fish a couple of months ago on my experiences running this legendary race for charity. If you read my original piece, you know that I’ve participated in the Boston Athletic Association’s Boston Marathon Charity Program three times already, once for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (in 1996), and twice for The Home for Little Wanderers (in 2002 and 2003). And less than a week from now I’ll be doing everything I can to successfully complete the long, laborious 26 miles and 385 yards from Hopkinton to Boston once again, but this time around for a different charitable organization, Children’s Hospital Boston.

Let’s recapitulate. Since early February, I have mailed 112 homemade, heartfelt direct mail fundraising packages to my friends, relatives and colleagues, asking them to “please sponsor by Boston Marathon run with a gift of $25, $15, $50 or more to Children’s Hospital Boston.”

In the letter I wrote and enclosed in this package, I told the story of a courageous, young child named Hailey (my patient partner):“Your generosity will help Children’s Hospital Boston help children like Hailey, a cute, little girl living with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare genetic disorder – characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause – for which there is not yet a cure.”

“Imagine, Hailey is only six, but she’s already suffered 47 broken bones and undergone a number of serious surgeries,” I explained. “Thanks to Children’s Hospital Boston, however, Hailey’s OI is under control, and she’s making the most of her young life.”

Also enclosed in this package were a reply form and pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope as well as a snapshot of Hailey with the following caption (in her own handwriting):“Please help Bob raise funds for Children’s Hospital Boston! Thank you!”

In addition to mail, I sent the same message by email to many of my industry colleagues, people who are accustomed to hearing from me online and would be predisposed to making a charitable contribution that way. Writing about this personal fundraising endeavor in A Fine Kettle of Fish has been another method of engendering interest in – if not contributions to – my campaign.

The Results

The response – so far – has been overwhelmingly favorable. Sixty-nine people have participated in the campaign, donating a total of $2,537. Of those donations, six were a result of the blog and another eight were triggered by email. That means 55 people, or 49% of my audience, made a charitable gift to Children’s Hospital Boston after receiving the appeal in the mail. These 55 kind souls gave a total of $1,991, yielding an average gift of $36.20.

True to form, the response rate this year is remarkably consistent with those of my three previous Boston Marathon Charity Program fundraising campaigns – right around 50%. The main difference so far is that the average gift is less than it was in 2002 ($41.22) and 2003 ($45.89), but still higher than it was in 1996 ($33.95).

There’s Still Time to Sponsor Me

But my 2005 campaign is not over yet. Gifts are still coming in – thankfully – and I have no plans to close the books on this one until a few days after the marathon – say, Friday, April 22. So there’s still time to raise that average gift and reach my goal of raising $3,000. Hint, hint….

Yes, if you haven’t already, you can help me help Children’s Hospital Boston make dreams come true for more boys and girls. To sponsor my marathon run on Monday, just click here first before clicking on the Sponsor a Runner button. Charitable gifts of any amount are welcome and greatly appreciated. Thank you.

My Random Observations

Finally, I’d like to share a number of random observations I’ve made during the course of this campaign, details and idiosyncrasies I might never have had the chance to notice without having embarked on such a personal fundraising endeavor.

* Those most inclined to respond with a gift are those who either have a current, close relationship with you (the one who is asking for a donation) and/or the nonprofit organization you’re representing.

* About 20% of the gifts to this campaign have been made online.

* About 10% of my donors mailed business, not personal, checks.

* Very few people will give without being asked; it’s extremely rare to receive an unsolicited gift, even from your closest friends.

* By and large, though, people are glad to be asked to give to nonprofit organizations because they feel good about themselves when they’re able to help others less fortunate than them.

* More women than men wrote the checks and took the time to write personal notes which they included along with the donations they mailed to me.

* You can’t necessarily count on the same people from year to year. Their financial circumstances change, as does their view of you – for better or worse – and the cause for which you’re raising funds. So prepare yourself for such turnover.

* If people are going to give anyway, they feel even better giving through someone they already know, someone who is going to show them genuine appreciation for their support and generosity. That’s the beauty of pledge-based, fundraising events – due to their affinity with participants, the donors are extremely warm prospects.

* Giving to charity is a very personal, warm gesture. It’s different than paying for a product or service. It’s an emotional act of benevolence triggered by a dramatic plea for assistance. In most cases, people give of their hard-earned money for no other reason than altruism. So it is incumbent on those of us doing the asking to treat our donors like royalty. We need to thank them promptly and profusely. And we need to acknowledge that they’re going above and beyond the call of generosity to help us help others.

Bob Cargill Direct Marketing, Fundraising

Despite all the attention being paid by marketers today to exciting, newfangled online channels and strategies, traditional direct mail is very much alive and well and more effective than ever in reaching individual customers and prospects. That appears to be the premise – which, as much as I’m enamored with the Internet, I certainly couldn’t disagree with – behind the U.S. Postal Service’s recent launch of Deliver, a free, bi-monthly magazine that, according to the March 14 issue of B to B, “explores how the U.S. mail can play a key role in companies’ overall marketing.” If you weren’t one of the several hundred thousand to receive the March issue, you can apply for your own complimentary subscription here.

Creative Directors Take Note

In the March 28 issue of Adweek (where, coincidentally, you’ll find a clever ad for the aforementioned Deliver), David Tobin, associate creative director at Rives Carlberg in Houston, TX (and whom I’d like to believe is my kindred spirit, a fellow man of ideals), shares five lessons for up-and-coming creative directors, including “the law of exponentially rising frustration” (e.g., “By all means push your writers and art directors. Raise the bar. Fight complacency. Good isn’t good enough. Et cetera. But also keep this law in the back of your mind: At some point in the quest for perfection, you begin paying a rapidly soaring price in diminished morale.”), “the alchemy fallacy” (e.g., “‘All work submitted to me, I will touch and make better. Your bronze will become our gold.’ Maybe that attitude is necessary for a creative director to survive and prosper. I hope not. Humility has its place. Your judgment is not infallible. Practice saying the following: ‘I’m not sure about this, but you may be right. Let’s go with it.’”) and “the cherry-picking paradox” (e.g., “Steering high-visibility, high-reward projects to yourself is permissible so long as you also cherry-pick some lemons. I’ve worked for two creative directors who would on occasion spend the weekend handling the dregs.”).

Deceptive Advertising?

In the March 7 issue of DM News, freelance copywriter, direct marketing guru and, yes, fellow blogger Robert W. Bly ponders whether DMers are ever guilty of deceptive advertising. Given the recent controversy over Blockbuster’s questionable “the end of late fees” claim, Bly addresses “the issue of how far we can go in creating perceptions about our products and services versus describing them flat-out in literal, accurate, to-the-letter language.”

“Even formats can be deceptive,” writes Bly. “How about those mailings in which what appears to be a check shows through the envelope window?”

“Or those mailings that look like articles torn out of a magazine or newspaper with a yellow Post-it note attached that says, ‘Try this. – J.’ …and you have no idea who J. is?”

“Or ads in the newspaper, or those sections in the magazines, that look like articles, but are really paid ads?”

“Or those postcard and vouchers that look like they came from an official government agency?”

Bly’s conclusion? “The bottom line: If your gut tells you that your promotion is deceptive, it probably is. And you should probably fix it.”

Seth’s Seminars

And finally, marketing maven, entrepreneur extraordinaire, world-renowned speaker and best-selling author, Seth Godin (who could have had those new Blockbuster ads in mind when he wrote his latest book, “All Marketers Are Liars”), recently announced that he’s hosting two new seminars at his office on April 19 and 21. If you come from a company with more than 10 people, the price of admission is $1,000 for the first person and another $400 if you bring your boss. But if you’re a student or someone, in Seth’s words, “from a really little company,” it’s only $400.

Get this, though: The seminar on April 21 is for nonprofit organizations only, so if you work for one of them, it won’t cost you a cent. That’s a very nice gesture by Seth – and an extraordinarily good opportunity for the nonprofit professionals among us.

Space for both seminars is quite limited, though, so if you’re interested in spending a day with Seth Godin – and who isn’t? – drop him a line today.

Bob Cargill Direct Marketing

Before I got married, like most 20- and 30-somethings, I did my fair share of wining and dining and painting the town red. It was fun while it lasted.

Today, with a home in the suburbs and four children under the roof, my wife and I are certifiably too encumbered to get into Boston for dinner, drinks and dancing. It’s just not our time to party. Sure, we still enjoy the night life and we’re certainly not housebound, but it’s a lot easier for us – and frankly, more affordable – to eat out nearby instead of venturing into town.

Every once in a while, though, I’ll open up one of those roadside newspaper boxes and pick up a free copy of The Improper Bostonian, where we’ll read all about how – sigh – the other half lives. For us, it’s the next best thing to being there, a vicarious pleasure. It’s our little window on everything we’re missing out on at this time in our lives, but nothing we haven’t done before ourselves.

Needless to say, my wife and I are not exactly prototypical readers of The Improper Bostonian. In fact, according to the magazine’s Web site, the average age of their readership is 34, 77% of whom are single. And ranking highest among these reader’s leisure activities is – no, not shuttling the little ones to birthday parties, soccer games, piano lessons and school dances – attendance at bars, clubs and restaurants. Which explains why I was able to count so many – approximately three dozen – ads for such establishments in a recent issue of the magazine.

While feasting my eyes on this smorgasbord of advertisements, however, I couldn’t help but ponder which ones whet the appetites of other readers like me, which ones might actually bring new customers to the tables.

And so, like a discriminating food critic would evaluate the quality of his or her meal, I have taken it upon myself to speculate which of these restaurant ads are most effective, ranking the ten best – in my opinion – among all those served up in the March 23-April 5 edition of The Improper Bostonian.

Bob’s Top Ten Restaurant Ads (from The Improper Bostonian, March 23-April 5, 2005)

#10 – Anna’s Taqueria

Boston’s Best Burrito
1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004
– The Improper Bostonian

Anna’s Taqueria
Burritos & Tacos To Go!

Bob’s comment: “A relatively bland ad for one of the hottest restaurants in town with a record of success that, yes, speaks for itself.”

# 9 – GYUHAMA of Japan

“fish is good for you unless you’re a fish”

Gyuhama of Japan
Sushi House

Bob’s comment: “With the construction of its own quirky aphorism, Gyuhama gets the attention of – and a laugh from – its audience at fish’s expense.”

#8 – Legal Sea Foods

Taste the Legal Difference
We could tell you our seafood is the freshest. But we’d rather prove it.

Legal Sea Foods

Bob’s comment: “One of the best seafood restaurants in the whole country, never mind Boston, makes a big splash with this ad.”

#7 – Parish Café and Bar

This ain’t no joke…
SPRING is finally here!
Patio opens April 1st

Parish Café and Bar

Bob’s comment: “If you open it, they will come.”

#6 – Big City

Pool Hall – Pizza Kitchen – Beer Bar

Thirsty Thursday
Buy a Table Tap, get your choice of nachos, pizza or fries FREE

Tuesday is Ladies Night

25 Cent Wings
During Pats, Sox, Celts & Bruins games!

80 Beers on Tap
20 Pool Tables
Foosball
Full Menu ‘til 1AM
Weekend Brunch 10 – 3 PM

Big City

Bob’s comment: “One of the busier ads in the magazine for what I’m guessing is one of the busiest places to eat in the city.”

#5 – Vox Populi

THIS IS THE TYPE OF BAR WHERE EVERYONE SEEMS ATTRACTIVE, EVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NIGHT.

Vox Populi

Bob’s comment: “This is the type of ad that everyone seems to pay attention to, even if it is one of dozens in the magazine.”

#4 – Cactus Club

“I’d do ANYTHING for a MARGARITA”

Cactus Club

Bob’s comment: “And I’d walk a mile for a Camel – not!”

#3 – Rebecca’s Café Special Events

The Recipe…

1 cup of great menu planning
1 cup of personalization
1 cup of professional partnership

Leads into a Great Special Event

Rebecca’s Café Special Events

Bob’s comment: “One of the most original restaurant ads of all, using a concept – the recipe – made from scratch.”

#2 – Fire + Ice

Why pay round-trip prices if you only travel one way?
INTRODUCING OUR ONE-TRIP DINNER OPTION
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights for only $12.95*
(Includes one trip to our fresh markets, one trip to our salad bar, rice and fresh tortillas)
*FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Fire + Ice

Bob’s comment: “Their food gets rave reviews. Their advertising is just as good.”

#1 – Pho Republique

Fee, Fi, Pho, Fun

Sophisticated Asian Food, Exotic Cocktails, Casual Dress

Pho Republique

Bob’s comment: “A tongue-twisting headline for a mouth-watering meal!”

Bob Cargill Advertising

If you haven’t gotten around to it yet, don’t hesitate any longer to pick up a copy of The New Marketing Conversation: Creating and Strengthening Relationships Between Buyers and Sellers. Written by Donna Baier-Stein and Alexandra MacAaron, both past presidents of the New England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA), it’s a comprehensive model for marketing in the new millennium, an indispensable guide for anyone selling, well, anything.

Speaking of NEDMA, those who attended the association’s 26th Annual Paul Butterworth Copywriting Seminar the other night in Boston heard from a trio of illustrious direct marketers, all previous winners of the New England Direct Marketer of the Year award – Steven Tharler (Tharler/Opper), Nancy Harhut (Hill, Holliday) and Tracy Emerick (Taurus Direct Marketing). This free seminar – named after the late, great copywriter whose innovative DM approaches are still being used successfully today – is one of NEDMA’s perennially shining moments, and this time around it was sponsored by ProofreadNOW, a business-to-business professional proofreading service.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to welcome two other direct marketing pros – and fellow copywriters, no less – to the blogosphere. Bob McCarthy, yet another past president of NEDMA, is now sharing his wealth of knowledge as The Direct Response Coach, a blog he launched just a couple of months ago. And Jonathan Kranz, author of Writing Copy for Dummies, recently launched Kranz on Communications, “an evolving compendium of perspectives on effective marketing communications.” Ideally, their willingness to so openly opine and converse will – akin to Bob Bly’s blogging debut – attract a new legion of marketers (e.g., their own respective clients and constituencies) to the blogosphere and help this revolutionary, self-publishing platform reach critical mass in the industry in which I earn my livelihood.

Bob Cargill Blogging, Direct Marketing

People “do stupid things” and “don’t always use common sense,” according to two different ads – for Vonage and UnitedHealthcare respectively – that appeared in the latest edition (March 11-13, 2005) of USA WEEKEND, the Sunday newspaper magazine supplement.

If I hadn’t laughed out loud when I first saw these ads, I might have been insulted.

Coincidentally, both ads use similar headlines and are able to get away with poking fun at their audience by breaking one of the cardinal rules of copywriting: Anyone who writes headlines in advertising knows to address customers and prospects in the second person, “you.” It’s one of the easiest ways to command the immediate attention of your readership.

But in these two instances, the headlines were purposely impersonalized by using the indefinite pronoun, “people,” as the subject, and not the personal pronoun, “you.” This simple, but significant, tactic by the wordsmiths made it possible for each of these ads to come across as funny and effective, not disrespectful and counterproductive.

“You do stupid things” or “you don’t always use common sense” wouldn’t go over very well at all.

The ad for Vonage – which bills itself as The Broadband Phone Company – really is a hoot. To illustrate just how, uh, stupid people can be, it features a photograph of one small portion of a stark, nondescript parking lot, over which a carport has been erected, the support beams of which are planted smack, dab in between two clearly marked, white-lined parking spaces.

D’oh!

The copy underneath the photo reads: “People do stupid things. Which explains why some haven’t switched to Vonage yet. If you have broadband, you can start saving money. Talk about a no-brainer.”

The concept behind the UnitedHealthcare ad is especially relevant, exceedingly consistent with the company’s tagline, “It just makes sense.” Visually, this one stars a clueless, middle-aged homeowner balancing himself precipitously high up on a ladder, about to annihilate the mother of all bee’s nests with both a long, green garden hose and a motorized weed whacker, clearly not able to anticipate the dire consequences ahead.

Double d’oh!!

“People don’t always use common sense,” reads the short copy block. “Fortunately, there’s a health care company that does.”

To use humor successfully in advertising is a challenge, to say the least. Even the best stand-up comedians are sometimes the butt of their own jokes, after all. But with these two ads, both Vonage and UnitedHealthcare have brought a broad smile to our collective face without overshadowing their products or primary marketing objectives. And for that they deserve applause, if not a good return on their investments.

Bob Cargill Advertising, Copywriting

Believe it or not, the Boston Celtics are looking more and more like a team that will not only make the NBA playoffs this year, but one that could legitimately contend for the Eastern Conference championship.

Of course, much of such new found optimism is a credit to three-time All-Star Antoine Walker, who recently returned to the team with which he played his first seven seasons in the league. In a handful of games with the Celtics since he was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks just a couple of weeks ago, Antoine is playing like the rejuvenated veteran he is, and his teammates seem to have stepped up their game as a result.

Those who follow the Celtics have also responded enthusiastically in kind, packing the FleetCenter – on July 1, to be officially renamed the TD Banknorth Garden – to the rafters and appearing, yes, giddy about the team’s playoff prospects.

The Celtics have been playing like champions – and they’ve been marketing their brand just as well.

Take, for instance, the team’s new green silicone rubber wristbands (not unlike the yellow ones that have called so much attention to the Lance Armstrong Foundation). Sold to the public for $2 each – with all proceeds going to the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations providing healthcare, shelter and vital services for New England children – thousands of these little tchotchkes have already been scooped up by rabid fans, who wear them to show their solidarity as much as to make a fashion statement.

Other good examples of the Celtics’ marketing prowess can be found on the team’s Web site. There, you’ll see that the business minds behind the basketball players are clearly cognizant that promoting your product (any product) nowadays means establishing sincere, mutually-beneficial relationships with your customers and constituencies. Legendary NBA basketball franchise or world-renowned manufacturer of widgets – regardless of your superiority – it’s not enough to just pound your chest anymore.

The idea that “if you build it, they will come” is, well, so yesterday.

The fact is, a lot has changed since Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish ruled the parquet, and I’m not just talking about the Celtics’ winning ways. Sports today are a business, and fans consumers – with more options and control than ever – who want a reasonable return on their investments of both time and money.

You can’t get away with ignoring the hands that feed you anymore. You can’t afford to default to corporate-speak and old-school communications tactics amid today’s savvy and skeptical purchasing public. Superstars or rising stars, whatever you do as an organization, you need to do it among your devotees, not above them. You need to reach out and embrace those who believe in you and whatever your “team” is selling. You need to follow the Celtics’ example.

At www.celtics.com, you’ll find a section where guard Marcus Banks answers questions from fans (e.g., Q. “Why do you wear number 11?” A. “I always liked Isiah Thomas. Besides, my college number (#3) is retired for Dennis Johnson.”).

You’ll also have the opportunity to follow Delonte’s Diary, rookie Delonte West’s refreshingly down-to-earth take on life in the NBA (e.g., “When I saw the ball on the floor, I knew we had to get control of it, so I just dove down there and grabbed the ball, and my natural reaction was to call the timeout.”).

And, finally, among so many other good things, you’ll be able to read a heartfelt letter Antoine Walker wrote upon returning to the Celtics, in which he confided in fans as follows…

“I just wanted to take a minute to tell you how good it is to be back in the green and white! Since the time I was traded 16 months ago, I hoped that one day I would be in a position to come back to the Celtics and play for this organization again, because this is where I really feel at home. I cannot tell you how happy I was when I got the call from Danny… don’t get me wrong, being traded is a difficult thing. But this is like a storybook situation for me and my family. For us, Boston is home – this is where my roots are. This is where I want to be, and you are who I want to be playing in front of each and every night.”

Any basketball fan around here can enjoy the Celtics’ fine play of late. Like both the Red Sox and Patriots did in the last six months, they’re giving all of us New Englanders reasons to be cheerful. But just as important, any advertising, marketing or PR professional anywhere can learn more than a few good lessons from this storied NBA franchise. The “green” don’t just know how to win games – they also know how to win friends and influence people. And in today’s newfangled marketing arena, that’s how to rise above the competition. And stay there.

Bob Cargill Advertising, Fundraising, Public Relations

Kudos to JWT for re-launching itself just a couple of days ago as a “billion-dollar startup” – it won’t happen overnight, but you can count on a powerful and positive ripple effect throughout the advertising industry.

This was no cheesy publicity stunt, after all. This was the largest advertising agency in the United States proudly – and loudly – formalizing its belief that “time is the new currency of savvy consumers who know what they want and refuse to waste their time on choices that don’t meet their needs.”

This was a watershed moment not just for JWT, but for anyone else who makes a living in advertising, direct marketing, public relations, fundraising and, yes, even in the blogosphere.

What this legendary, 140-year-old agency is acknowledging – and responding to – is a sea change in consumer behavior of which all of us marketing communications types need heed.

“We are now living in a world where the consumer is savvy, time-conscious, easily distracted and in control,” said Bob Jeffrey, Chief Executive of JWT Worldwide. “Today’s consumer is totally at odds with dumbed-down, formulaic, repetitive, voluminous messaging. Our greatest value to clients is our ability to recognize a changing world in which the customer is king, the currency is time and the rewards are measured in the length and strength of relationships. This understanding defines our role, purpose and belief.”

According to a press release, all of JWT’s 8,500-plus employees are signing a Creative Partnership Contract that reiterates the need to “stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.”

This is awesome. This is what Seth Godin has been telling us for years, that the traditional interruption marketing model is gradually giving way to permission marketing, meaning that after marketers have gained the attention and trust of consumers, they have to do everything they can to build mutually-beneficial relationships with them.

You’ve got to love it.

What you’ve got to love even more about JWT’s re-launch, however, is the agency’s plans to auction the office’s time on e-Bay to create a communications campaign for a charity. Barry Krause, President of JWT Chicago, said details of the auction will be announced to corporations, foundations and charity executives over the next week.

“We anticipate that the winning bidder will be a company or individual who can afford the kind of communications campaign that most non-profits cannot,” Krause said. “The winning bidder will designate the 501 ( c ) 3 organization that will benefit. We’re looking forward to giving our time to a worthy organization.”

Finally, when all is said and done, I can’t help but see JWT launching its own blog. Think about it…

In practicing what it’s preaching, a blog may just be the best way for the agency to deepen its relationships with its own constituencies.

A blog would allow JWT to break through the corporate-speak and put on a fresh, trustworthy face.

A blog would make it possible for JWT to establish an open, ongoing dialogue with clients, prospects and influential people without having to lollygag through any of the old-school rites of conventional business courtship.

Given the agency’s new point of view, a blog would probably work wonders for JWT. Wouldn’t you agree?

Bob Cargill Advertising, Blogging