tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54363282627282255902011-09-07T16:42:13.813-07:00Let's Sell More TogetherCharlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-51272540156530588042011-06-22T21:08:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:08:58.217-07:00

Well, hello there! I haven't been blogging since 11/10 because I became a farmer - a direct response farmer to be exact. Due to a terrible 2010 in our "1-800" industry (for those who dare admit it) I had to start tilling the land and learning how to make new crops grow so I could look forward to a bountiful harvest in 2011. The turnip threatened to go dry for many of my clients in the B to C

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-52103303603818999352010-11-02T15:20:00.000-07:002010-11-02T15:22:51.730-07:00

Perhaps it is fitting that on voting day I announce a very important appointment at Synergixx.  Today we inagurated Synergixx's new President.  I am proud and excited to have, Scott Swanson, one of the most outstanding members of our industry and my long term friend, accept this position.  Effective today he is the new President for our growing company.  Below is the press release we have sent

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-75386966058855788502010-10-28T08:44:00.000-07:002010-10-28T08:44:24.300-07:00

If you haven't been combining radio and web marketing NOW IS THE TIME! Check this out! The percentage of U.S. adults that have visited a radio station’s website in the past month rose to 17.7% in 2010, up from 12.8% in 2006, according to the Media Audit. The study of 80 markets also finds that nearly three-quarters of radio website visitors are considered heavy or moderate listeners, listening

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-23069829459858463312010-10-26T20:13:00.000-07:002010-10-26T20:13:48.993-07:00

Hello again!  I've been gone a while because the direct response industry has been one wild ride this year and every spare moment has been dedicated to helping my clients maximize sales dollars.  My job is certainly not done yet - this year promises to hold more ups and downs!  But for this moment let's talk TV... The last two weeks in TV land (last week especially) have delivered SOFT, SOFT

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-16381562190726555512010-06-16T20:52:00.000-07:002010-06-16T20:52:18.901-07:00

I recently came across this article on "10 Small Business Social Media Marketing Tips". http://mashable.com/2009/10/28/small-business-marketing/ Check it out!  This article breaks down how to get started using social marketing methods to drive your business.  Good stuff! However, it does not really cover two important points about social marketing.  In order to get the results you desire when "

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-70320882516170363942010-06-05T04:04:00.000-07:002010-06-05T04:04:58.562-07:00

Thanks to one of my producers for stumbling across this article on reality shows and passing it along! The Reality Revolution http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/93740179.html It's a quick read and filled with thought-provoking ideas. I generally mock 90% of the reality shows and actually have called them a "fad".  Yet, I must admit that their popularity (and influence) cannot be denied.

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-68222784364865825062010-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:002010-05-03T19:54:46.942-07:00

Thoughts I had on things I read... THING #1: JellyBelly Jelly Beans (one of my favorites) have joined the anti-aging revolution!  In 2008, Superfruits were identified as one of the Top 10 Global Consumer Trends, according to DataMonitor.  Beverage companies, cereal manufacturers and most certainly supplement manufactuers have driven this trend successfully - and now so have Jelly Beans!  Now you

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-60805949042353610802010-04-06T19:42:00.000-07:002010-04-06T19:42:10.733-07:00

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to write anything in this blog universe... been swamped trying to sell products in a time when "buying" is the last thing on the consumer agenda.  It's a daily grind: managing media, pushing close rates, perfecting productions, driving web hits, and analyzing the details of it all takes more focus than ever.  Oh boy- all this sparked a new kind

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-10689228076944507342010-03-02T15:05:00.000-08:002010-03-02T15:05:56.205-08:00

SYNERGIXX BRINGS YOU A NEW ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY!!! Synergixx has just secured an exclusive relationship with the fantastic Hosts of America's #1 Health Talk Show - Duke and the Doctor!  This radio advertising package combines their strengths of educating the audience and getting them excited about your products with Synergixx expertise in converting calls to orders and using radio to insure TV

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-42088180410112560172010-03-02T14:44:00.000-08:002010-03-02T14:45:53.609-08:00

Fisrt Quarter Proves Time Does Fly!  For those of us in the direct response world 1st Quarter is an important time in our business.  It's sets the pace for our year in more ways than one.  So, if Jan/Feb are any indication of the 2010's pace - hold on to your seats! Between launching new shows, testing new media, reacting to new legislation in the merchant processing world and attending a Mega

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-10721181131252870162010-01-19T17:32:00.000-08:002010-01-19T17:32:05.529-08:00

Here are a few notes to remind us all of what we already know is true! Many of you send calls to a call center where you hope that Live agents answer the phone and "Nail-the-Sale".  You hope this because generally a Live agent can sell MORE per call than an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR)- and that's what you want - MORE REVENUE PER CALL.  So, let's look at some basic selling techniques

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-63554755503796620692010-01-14T18:02:00.000-08:002010-01-14T18:02:47.893-08:00

On February 1st the Electronic Retailing Association descends on New Orleans and hundreds of direct marketers from all over the world will spread like a virus through the city.  On the 3rd at 4:30p many savvy direct marketers will gather in one room to hear a discussion called    Viral Marketing: Real World Word-of-Mouth Tactics (http://www.eragreatideas.org/content/

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-62678060770714076042009-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:002009-12-17T09:32:36.340-08:00

Below is an email I sent to 200 people.  The subject line of the email read: Test Print Now! I sent the email out on Monday of this week.  As of this posting I have recieved 46 emails from people asking the same question (slight variations): "I tried to print it, it worked. Now what?" or "I opened this so I guess the test was successful?"  Of course they are referring to the obvious and then

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-71741074505923454132009-12-17T09:08:00.000-08:002009-12-17T09:08:07.434-08:00

YouTube- "I don't have an account but boy do I still get to watch videos all day!" Below is a list of videos that have been passed to me via email, Facebook, or text message at least 5X each in the last 2 weeks.  This is a prime example of Viral Marketing used for entertainment purposes only.  People think it is funny to send me video links to things with my name in the title (I find it

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-74897836022038443922009-12-17T07:52:00.000-08:002009-12-17T07:52:23.547-08:00

Do you FB?  Do you Tweet?  YouTube Junkie?  Cyber Date at all?  DVR much?  Or do you just hang out with your APPS? December 2009 - Fortune Small Business Magazine  Pg. 88 - 13.9 BILIION  = minutes Facebook users spent on the site in April - a 700% increase from April 2008.      WWCS? - I am a very active FB user and have probably contributed to this amazing increase.  Last April I could

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-49455034034694000672009-11-17T08:27:00.000-08:002009-11-17T08:27:56.204-08:00

Here are some snapshots from an article written by a great friend of mine, Marsha Friedman.  It talks about the status of print and online print and its ability to generate good results in this tight economy.  I found her article RIGHT ON!  I've extracted a few sections that I think you'll find as interesting. The Value of Web-Based Press Shines As Newspaper Readership Declines   by Marsha

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-12138300176935451252009-11-11T16:50:00.000-08:002009-11-11T16:50:09.701-08:00

It's 4th quarter again!  And this means everyone is rushing to test new shows for 1st quarter!  Hurry.  Hurry.  Test. Test.  But have we considered if we have anything to really OFFER? We all know what's up with our economy, the world, the war, politics, real estate, stock prices, gas, prices, internet fraud and diet failures... same stuff as always just more compacted and in our face this year.

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-17869031890213985462009-11-11T16:49:00.000-08:002009-11-11T16:49:58.978-08:00

 KNOCK KNOCK  Putting the Fun in Functional http://www.knockknock.biz/office-stuff/ One of the best ways I find to stay creative at work and not loose my edge is to surround myself with meaningless crap that puts it all in perspective.  Enjoy!

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-88247099785785014132009-10-22T21:38:00.000-07:002009-10-22T21:38:07.556-07:00

FACT: Multi-Cultural marketing is the IN thing- especially in direct response. FACT: Across the world 1+1 is always 2. FACT: Like words do not always have the same meaning from culture to culture. FACT: Everyone likes to laugh. Let's start here!  You go to a comedy club with a variety of comedians- White, Black, Hispanic, Chinese, Italian - pick your mix.  The comic tells a joke.  Half the

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-30054688504588139542009-09-30T19:58:00.000-07:002009-09-30T19:58:51.072-07:00

50's Flasback!  Retro Marketing Meets Modern Media! Friends of mine have been sending me photos of themselves transformed into different decades.  They urged me to go to http://www.yearbookyourself.com/ and do the same.  You can see the result above.  I came away from the social media pasttime with two thoughts.  1) I am positive that the 50's were definitely not my best hair decade. 2)

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-35455378610694655492009-09-22T08:26:00.000-07:002009-09-22T08:27:23.171-07:00

Here is a subject near and dear to my heart   SHOE OF-THE-MONTH-CLUB!  Perhaps you missed the recent Press Release released in PRWeek. From the September 01, 2009 Issue of PRWeek   Check it out! Here are the basics: Robert Shapiro from LegalZoom.com teams up with Fashionista Kim Kardashian to launch a shoe-of-the-month club!  For $39.95 a month, Kim and her team of stylists hand pick a shoe

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-74834543165864039872009-09-10T09:34:00.000-07:002009-09-10T09:34:34.488-07:00

3 Things Charlie Does To “Bust Through” Creative Blocks! 1. I try and stand in the Yoga Pose: Tree! It requires so much focus to keep me from keeling over that I get hyper-focused for a few minutes. When I get out of the pose my brain feels so free. 2. I try to break normal habits. My two favorites: eating a cookie before 12p or having pancakes for lunch – I’m a rebel. 3. I resist urges. In

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-56624288132632356292009-09-10T08:41:00.000-07:002009-09-10T08:59:48.520-07:00

Radio spot advertising just may be the most cost-effective and customizable direct response vehicle available.Radio is mobile. Eighty percent of adults listen to radio in their cars, and a quarter of the population also listens while at work. Or at least those were the old stats of yesteryear – how many now listen on their iPhone or other mobile devices?Radio is always new. Many stations now

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-30295643875239851412009-09-09T04:30:00.000-07:002009-09-10T09:42:13.775-07:00

In the life of any true marketer the need for validation is constant. We have a great idea but we want to know that others think it is a great idea BEFORE we expose it to the world. Enter SURVEYS and OPINION POLLS. While very formal procedures exist to gather statistically relevent data we must not forget the power of an "unsupervised opinion". By this I mean, the opinon people give when they do

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-18555112964044228492009-09-02T20:52:00.000-07:002009-09-02T20:56:20.891-07:00

CHECK OUT THIS HOT NEW PRODUCT THAT IS PREDICTED TO SELL AT A RATE OF 40k UNITS A WEEK ONLINE! Ok, so what’s a GoGirl?Simply put, GoGirl is the way to stand up to crowded, disgusting, distant or non-existent bathrooms. It’s a female urination device (sometimes called a FUD) that allows you to pee while standing up. It’s neat. It’s discreet. It’s hygienic. (more) Or visit www.go-girl.com

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-27856570968770871522009-09-02T19:11:00.000-07:002009-09-02T20:51:34.048-07:00

The convergence of TV and Internet marketing has certainly happened and is definitely here to stay. Advertising campaigns have increadible reach with the hundreds of TV channels now available and the ease of online video exchange. It has never been easier to sell ALOT of product very quickly using the combined power of TV and the Intenet. BUT! And it is a big BUT! The risk of loosing BIG

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-31334930822902063272009-08-21T05:08:00.000-07:002009-08-21T05:13:10.417-07:00

I have huge white boards all over my office - and today I decided to put them to good use. I read the below and now am trying to "draw out" a brainstrom idea to solve a huge problem in under 28 minutes! My hypothesis is that I can creatively solve problems faster using colors and a time limit - it is a significant combination of endorphines and mental visual focus. I'll let you know how it

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-56051537378472276282009-08-20T20:56:00.000-07:002009-09-02T19:08:54.436-07:00

Meet Indie and Pino, my Boxer and Bulldog. Indie was my "perfect child" for over 2 years when I decided to get her a sister. Enter Pino. After doing zero research I fell in love with her coffee stained face and she came home with me. Little did I know that as she grew to 75 pounds and ate everything in my house she would also turn my perfect little angle Indie into an accomplice. Things were bad

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5436328262728225590.post-17850813342750096372009-08-20T20:02:00.000-07:002009-08-20T20:48:12.097-07:00

A year ago I launched WhatWouldCharlieSay.com. It was a very well recieved website that was started to help generate creative thinking, marketing ideas and advertising solutions. It was a great start but it had one major flaw! I- the author- can't stand still and I certainly don't have time to maintain another website- it's too stationary, too cumbersome, too, too, too, NOT accesible through my

Charlie Fuscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01396183427015741871noreply@blogger.com0