As a freelance healthcare copywriter, I was asked to create a new brochure for its Health Center. People who use this Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Center that promotes personal and individual care are usually recovering from a heart attack, strokes, broken hip, reconstructive knee surgery, or other injuries. With both private and semi-private rooms, the Portola Valley Health Center offers skilled nurses, on-site physicians, licensed therapists, state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment, gourmet meals, and wonderful views.

Download Health Center Brochure PDF.

Healthcare copywriting by Gil Zeimer, art direction/design by Andre Cohen.

As an established IT managed services company serving clients in the San Francisco Bay Area, IPSO FACTO IT SERVICES works with small businesses, medium-sized businesses, large enterprises, and government entities, as well as not-for-profit groups.

Visit the site of approximately 50 pages: www.ipsofacto.info

Copy by Gil Zeimer; Web design by Naoki Nitta.

(Caption) Kingsley Leung, of Terra Linda High, (front right) and fellow TL student “attorneys” Wilhelmina van Royen (wearing vest, left) and Natsuko Porcino (far right), applaud for their school during the awards ceremony at the 2010 Mock Trial Competition, coordinated by the Marin County Office of Education at the Marin County Courthouse in San Rafael, on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Terra Linda and Tam High were selected as the mock trial finalists, facing off in the “People v. Bratton” case, in which students examined the orgins of the Fourth Amendment and discuss privacy and protection against unreasonable search and seizure. (IJ photo/Jeff Vendsel)

This article has nothing to do with copywriting and everything to do with blogging. As Betty Suarez said last week on ABC-TV’s “Ugly Betty”, “some people blog because they don’t write for a national fashion magazine or a TV station.”

I blog about advertising copywriting, marketing, branding, and travel. But today, I’m blogging about my daughter Sara’s performance yesterday at the Marin County Mock Trial finals held at the County Courthouse in San Rafael, CA. She (shown above, second on the left) and several of her Terra Linda High School teammates were also given awards for their outstanding performances.

The finals were covered in the article below by the Marin Independent Journal reporter Jennifer Upshaw Swartz and photographer Jeff Vendsel: Tamalpais High School advances to state mock trial competition.

Tamalpais High School, which for years has dominated Marin County’s mock trial competition, did not disappoint Saturday, beating finalist Terra Linda High School to advance to the state finals.

Twenty-seven Tam students, who won the Marin County Mock Trial Championship for the 15th year in a row, also competed for the right to advance against The Branson School, Marin Academy, Marin Catholic High School, Sir Francis Drake High School and San Marin High School during the competition Jan. 30 and Saturday at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael.

Winners of the California Mock Trial Tournament, set for March 19-21 in San Jose, will advance to the national championship, won by Tam students in 2005. Winners of this year’s state finals will compete May 6-8 in the 2010 National High School Mock Trial competition in Philadelphia.

“I love these kids,” said David Vogelstein, the Tam attorney coach and a local criminal defense attorney from Mill Valley. “I love teaching them and learning from them. I’m a mock trial junkie.

“They develop moral and ethical toughness and learn to think on their feet,” he said.

Mock trial veteran Sam Katsin, 23, a Tam High and Cal Berkeley graduate who now works in the Marin legal community as he prepares for law school, said he loved returning to his roots.

“This program gave me more than I could ever possibly give back,” he said. “I want to make sure that everyone has the same fantastic experience that I had. Frankly, I miss being part of it.”

A group of local attorneys scored the competition, which was presided over by Marin Superior Court judges and commissioners. This year’s case was People v. Bratton, a murder trial in which a comedian was accused of killing a man who wrote a poor review of his routine.

During the finals, in which each school’s team served as both the prosecution and defense in separate courtrooms, students enacted a jury trial, arguing motions, delivering impassioned opening and closing arguments, grilling witnesses and, occasionally, objecting.

“They do their job as if it’s a full court,” said Robin Gerrity, Marin County Office of Education competitions coordinator, who said the students benefit from “the academic challenge and the moral and ethical challenge of the law.”

“I think you are an inspiring group,” Marin Superior Court Judge Andrew Sweet told the students after one of the two final trials ended in a mistrial due to the jury’s inability to render a verdict. “This is my first year judging this competition. I’m blown away by what you guys do here. It’s awesome.

“I think today may have been one of the most enjoyable days I’ve ever had in a courtroom.”

It wasn’t until last summer, while having dinner with Brian Jacobson of Focus Design in San Rafael, that we discovered we’d worked together on this project. Brian was the designer at Michael Osborne Design and I was the freelance packaging copywriter, but we one of the company’s account executives was the liaison. So we never knew about our collaboration until 2009.

In fact, Brian told me that this had been a creative test project vs. a number of other top design firms, and that his company had actually won this account through this project. The salad dressing group was the first product release of a national repositioning to compete with top-name brands on a national level. The new design featured a new word-mark and logo to communicate Trader Vic’s international heritage and commitment to quality with a natural, fresh image to the consumer.

How’s that for delayed gratification?

Download Trader Vic’s Salad Dressings PDF.

Here’s an article that Gil Zeimer and  Norm Levin of Prime Road Marketing and Communications co-wrote about this great community swim team for ages 4 – 18. The photo caption is on page 7 with the article on pages 14-15. Norm shot all of the images.

Download the January 2010 Terra Linda Wind (PDF).

Welcome Message
Hi there,

One of my dogs squatted on a trail recently to pee and got stung by a bee. But isn’t that the type of year it’s been? Just when we think we’re getting some relief, someone bites you on the butt! Having said that, by the number of calls I’ve gotten recently to start new projects of all sizes, I’m bestowing the brightest of holiday wishes to all of my clients, colleagues and friends for a rousing end of an otherwise challenging year.

Cheers and happy holidays!
Gil Zeimer

What’s New?
Speaking of new, Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe is proud to now offer the services of Ellen Young, a highly skilled media pro with 20 years of experience. Ellen specializes in freelance media planning and buying for Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Network TV, Cable TV, and Online Media. So if you need to purchase or place media for an upcoming campaign, Ellen is the perfect consultant to contact. Read more about Ellen.

What I’ve been doing:

• Creating sales materials for a new oral care product
• Wrapping up a bilingual Website for Mexico 2010
• Writing more e-newsletter articles for an East Coast nurse recruitment group
• Completing the copy for a Bay Area IT company’s revised website
• Starting a Web revision for a local business consultant
• Blasting out more Webinar emails for a leading tech client
• Scripting pro bono projects for the Terra Linda Orca Swim Team

Read past issues of Zeimer’s NewZletter:

• October 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• March 2009

Recycled Creativity
As a Certified Green Bay Area Business, I took a pledge to reduce my carbon footprint by using recycled products and services wherever possible. To that end, I’m recycling some of my past successes as a freelance copywriter in each of these newsletters.

Here’s an example: Batter Blaster

This :60 Flash/Video that I wrote in 2007 highlights the product’s attributes with a fun demo that shows the “then” of how it used to be done in the 1950s in grainy black-and-white and “now” of how easy it is to “make a better breakfast faster with Batter Blaster.” My talented colleague, Brian Jacobson of Focus Design was the art director for this video; he also designed the retro packaging. Jim Kerns of Moving Monkey Productions directed it and provided the voiceove

Batter Blaster has really taken off. During 2009, it rolled out nationally to Costco, Whole Foods, and other stores. When it’s stocked by Wal-Mart Supercenters in January 2010,  the product will be available in 75% of all possible retail grocery locations across the US!

Humor Is A Very Funny Thing

If you want to laugh at the absurdity of promoting the latest, greatest technology gizmo, watch this “Sony Piece of Crap” video on YouTube. But be forewarned: this is not for anyone who dislikes swearing. Though it is sprinkled wih numerous “f-bombs” and other four-letter words, I think it’s very frigging funny and guarantee it will have you laughing out loud! Again, if you are offended by swearing, don’t watch it.

Why I Love Referrals

Projects come and projects go, but my BNI Embarcadero chapter has been a constant source of friendship, networking, and referrals over the past five years. I’m very active in this group and it’s created many new business opportunities for me and my colleagues, especially the Marketing Makeover Team of a web designer, art director, publicist, videographer, sign maker, event planner, promotional products pro, printer, and SEO expert. This chapter, the largest on the West Coast, now has over 62 members and is still growing. Plus, we’ve referred over $1,000,000 of closed business to each over for each of the past three years, despite the recession. To find out more about BNI Embarcadero, give me a call.

Holiday Greetings From Gil, Ellen & Sara

About Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe

Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe is an award-winning copywriting consultancy and ad agency. I write ads, brochures, direct response/email campaigns, radio and TV scripts, Websites, White Papers, newsletters, and more.

For information or to receive an estimate on your next project, contact gil [at] zeimer [dot] com or call me today at 415.491.1058.

© 2009. Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe. All Rights Reserved.

Portola Valley Health Center Brochure Copywriting

As a freelance healthcare copywriter, I was asked to create a new brochure for The Sequoias – Portola Valley Health Center. People who use this Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Center are usually recovering from a heart attack, strokes, broken hip, reconstructive knee surgery, or other injuries. Download Health Center Brochure PDF. Healthcare copywriting by Gil Zeimer, art direction/design by Andre Cohen.

Newsletter Copywriting for NCPHS

Northern California Presbyterian Homes & Services Newsletters, San Francisco Bay Area: I wrote these bi-annual newsletters for three upscale Life Care communities through this non-profit that exists to serve older adults: The Sequoias – San Francisco, The Sequoias – Portola Valley, and The Tamalpais – Marin County.

• Download Spring/Summer 2010 Sequoias – San Francisco Newsletter;

• Download Fall/Winter 2009 Sequoias – Portola Valley Newsletter;

• Download Spring/Summer 2009 Tamalpais – Marin County Newsletter.

Newsletter Copywriting for Maxim Healthcare Services

• MAXIM HEALTHCARE SERVICES – This national healthcare, home care and nurse recruitment company based in Maryland contracted with me as a freelance healthcare copywriter. Here are some recent monthly articles I wrote for their two newsletters.

Caregiving Now — Offers advice on professional homecare, health and lifestyle tips, plus frequently asked questions.

• The Importance of Getting A Flu Shot, November 2009

• November is Home Care & Hospice Month, November 2009;

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2009;

• Travel Tips for Seniors, August 2009;

• Utilizing Long Distance Homecare for a Family Member, August 2009 ;

• Nursing Now–– Provides industry news, job search tips and lifestyle tips:

• Lifestyle Tips: What Are Your New Year’s Resolutions?, December 28, 2009;

• Career Advice: Using Social Media to Find A New Job, December 28, 2009

• How Technology Helps Nurses Respond to Patients Faster, December 27, 2009;

• Picking Up Extra Shifts During The Holidays, November 16;

• A Month To Honor Our Homecare & Hospice Heroes, November 13;

• Hassle-Free Recipes For Busy Nurses, November 13;

• The Current Status of H1N1 (Swine Flu), August;

• How To Boost A Nurse’s Immune System for Flu Season, August 24;

• Valuable Interviewing Tips for Nursing Careers, August 24;

• Recognizing National Adult Immunization Awareness Week, September;

• September is Healthy Aging Month, September 30;

• Post-Interview Tips for Nurses, September 30

Newsletter Copywriting for St. Joseph’s Medical Center

• St. Joseph’s Medical Center for Health Excellence — I created the freelance healthcare copywriting for this two-sided, eight-panel Centerings Newsletter about News, Events and Education for Holistic Health. Download Health Newsletter PDF This was just one of a number of direct response projects that I’ve written for Baltimore and Philadelphia area hospitals (St. Francis Hospital, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Anne Arudel Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center, Towson Health Express), including nurse recruitment direct response projects, emails for Web landing pages, and more.

Website Writing

for Online Drugstore

• drugstore.com – I wrote content on 18 Buying Guides which included these product areas: Breath Sprays, Toothbrushes, Sunscreens and Self Tanning Products, After Shaves, Hair Removal Products, Shaving Creams, Deodorants, Bar Soaps, Tissues/Cotton Swabs, Razors/Blades, and Children’s Sun Care Products.

Script Writing & Audio Production For Enclara Care Companion

• Enclara Care Companion – I wrote, directed and produced the script and audio track for this healthcare portal that helps families create online communities to help them through end-of-life issues for a loved one. This PPT script was turned into an online Flash-style presentation utilizing Adobe Presenter software by the very talented Sharon Schanzer at Red Letter Day Graphic Design and voiceover by the equally talented Johanna Parker. Listen to a portion of the audio track.

Website Copywriting for PlanetRx.com

• planetrx.com - For this site’s launch, I was one of six Associate Creative Directors. My team of four experienced healthcare copywriters and me created over 210 pages of content for vitamins, minerals and dietary supplement products, while the overall the team of 22 writers cranked out over 1,500 pages in two months to meet the rapidly approaching launch date.

Direct Response Writing for CancerTrust

• cancertrust.com– I wrote the Web site and self-mailer to oncologists for CancerTrust.com. Though the company failed during the dot.com bust in 2000, this was an invaluable experience in working with a medical start-up by offering them healthcare copywriting. Download Front of Self-Mailer PDF. Download Back of Self-Mailer PDF.

To contact me as a freelance healthcare copywriter for your medical –– or even a non-medical — Website, contact me today via www.zeimer.com/contact.

We had them at “Wilkommen.”

From the moment Herr Richard Reinholdt started singing “Wilkommen”, the audience of 90 members, visitors, and guests on October 28th was enraptured. One visitor said, “I’m ready to drink the Kool-Aid now!”

Our Visitor’s Day to celebrate BNI Embarcadero’s 13th anniversary was an overwhelming success. Ed Craine, SF Regional Director, praised our efforts. I want to put the spotlight on President Seth Tajbakhsh who did a great job as Master of Ceremonies and recognized our marketing team for a job well done. Multiple BNI members of other chapters were amazed at how entertaining our presentation was.

Only time will tell how many new members we’ll get out of this Visitor Day. But I’m so proud to be part of an organization where each member so freely shared his and her successes over the years during the Testimonials and Referrals part of our meeting. Those word-of-mouth advertising messages were so heartfelt that I couldn’t have written them better myself.

Again, here’s a recap of Seth’s email thanking everyone:

Wow! What a meeting. I want to thank everyone who was involved in organizing the meeting today. Both Gil and I received many compliments from members and visitors today. Special thanks goes to (in no particular order):

* Gil Zeimer who was the mastermind behind this meeting with his lyrics for the songs
* Richard Reinholdt, Dan Joraanstad, and Kathy Olberts for singing and keeping us entertained
* Ezra Palmer-Persen for doing a great job spinning and keeping the energy consistent with background music, even as visitors entered the room at 6:30am!
* Gabriel Gasca for producing a great marketing video
* The Visitor Host team for getting people in, paid and situated smoothly
* Bradley Charbonneau for helping with the Evite, website, and posting the new video to our site on 10/29
* Jenny Appel for coordinating with the restaurant
* Mischa Purcell for providing us with his A/V equipment
* Additional helpers (lots of you guys) for showing up early to help with setup
* Marty Wall for his cartoon on the Evite
* Andy Foster for printing the T-shirts with our new logo on them
* Lauren Deane for designing the signage and handouts
* Kevin Casey – BNI Embarcadero history
* Ed Craine – BNI presentation

I want to salute each of you members for becoming BNI Ambassadors for our chapter’s continued growth and success by giving such great testimonials to entice visitors to join. Gil said he gave out at least eight applications today, so we’ll see who joins in the coming weeks and months.

We are, as advertised, The Best Damn Chapter. Anywhere!

PS: Two applications went to BNI members of a chapter in Marin who now want to transfer to BNI Embarcadero. Others went to guests who had been invited by members of our chapter.

PPS: Ezra Palmer-Persen emailed this: Thanks to you guys for letting me participate. Your chapter is totally great. It was a fabulous event! I can only imagine that all the visitors wanted to join.

This article first appeared in the BNI Embarcadero November Newsletter.

1. Welcome Message
2. What’s New?
3. A Recent Success Story
4. Featured Blog Article
5. Recycled Creativity
6. Humor Is A Funny Thing
7. Why I Love Referrals
8. Ad Trivia
9. About Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe

Welcome Message
Hi there,
How’s business? In the words of Larry David, “September and October to date have been pretty, pretty good!” I saw a tipping point in mid-August when many companies I’d been courting realized they should be advertising during the recession. Now, I’m up to my eyeballs in a variety of short-term projects and long-term campaigns.
Cheers and best regards,
Gil Zeimer

What’s New?
What I’ve been doing:

• Writing newsletters for Life Care communities on the West Coast and a healthcare company on the East Coast;
• Creating a seven-part direct marketing campaign for a dental practice in Southern California;
• Editing Websites for a Japanese health care products company and a solar heating and roofing company in the Bay Area;
• Generating publicity for Kosrae, Micronesia through writing travel articles;
• Writing an article for Referral Success Magazine;
• Read past issues of Zeimer’s NewZletter:
  – August 2009
  – July 2009
  – March 2009

A Recent Success Story
In each newsletter, I share a copywriting success story. Here’s a recent one.

The Problem: The Arc of San Francisco is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization for adults with autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families living in San Francisco and san Mateo counties. They wanted to host their 8^th Annual Arc Angel Breakfast to raise needed funds in a year where charitable giving was lower than it had been in years.

The Solution: My colleague, Sharon Schanzer of Red Letter Day Graphic Design (http://www.rldgroup.com/), created a clean, bold invitation using my headline; “Angels Wanted. No Experience Necessary.”

The Result: Our invitation helped raised almost $150,000 in under 90 minutes. The “Angels Wanted” theme hit home, with 16 new Arc Angels pledging their support for The Arc’s clients in multi-year commitments that will help keep their services available in these particularly tough times.

Featured Blog Article
Last year, I published “The Branding Name Game” on my site. It began: Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

But what if your dessert was named Spotted Dick of Steamed Suet Pudding? What if you offered your guests Lamb Thymus Gland instead of Braised Sweetbreads? What if your waiter told you of tonight’s special fish dish was one of the 45 species of Grilled Darwin’s Slimehead instead of Orange Roughy?

And what if that famous actor being chased by an airplane in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest” was better known as Archibald Leach instead of Cary Grant? Read more.

Recycled Creativity

As a Certified Green Bay Area Business, I took a pledge to reduce my carbon footprint by using recycled products and services wherever possible. To that end, I’m recycling some of my past successes as a freelance copywriter in each of these newsletters.

Here’s an example: Direct Response Ad For Genealogy Software

This is one of my favorite ads for two reasons. First, because I crafted a fun direct response headline that draws in the reader: “She Has Her Mother’s Eyes, Her Father’s Smile, And Her Uncle’s Website”.

Second, I used a photo of my daughter Sara when she was about two years old. Download Family Gathering Ad PDF. Art direction, layout and design by Michael Feldman Creative Services, www.mfeldman.com.

And third, this ad helped this client gain a foothold and market share in the genealogy software industry.

Humor Is A Funny Thing

Periodically, I’ll be featuring a customized business cartoon from my colleague Fritz from http://www.fritzcartoons.com. We like to work together to offer a humorous cartoon for client newsletters (both online and published), Websites, ads, direct response projects, calendars, and other media. So next time you want to get someone’s attention, consider hitting their funny bone.

Why I Love Referrals

A long-time friend of mine emailed me a referral from local investor with a limited advertising budget. I edited his letter and this was his testimonial: “Gil is great to work with. He helped me put together a direct mail copy for my real estate investment work. He spent lots of time understanding what needs to be done and put the copy together after accommodating several edits. Furthermore, he is very well connected in the advertising world. Gil put me in touch with a direct mail fulfillment agency. Thanks to his advice and suggestions, my direct mail response rates have gone from 0.01% to a whopping 3%. If you decide to work with Gil, then be prepared to get outstanding service for a affordable price.” – G. JoshiGirish, Santa Clara, CA

Advertising Trivia
Every issue, I’ll ask a few questions about Advertising Trivia. The first correct responses from a new entrant will win a Starbucks Gift Card.

The winner of the August Trivia Contest was Ms. Lanny Udell of San Rafael. She correctly answered “Oh Thank Heaven For 7-11” (Texas convenience chain slogan), The Pepsi Challenge (Soda taste test winner), Mary Wells Lawrence (Female ad personality) and Phil Dusenberry (BBDO CD and “The Natural” author).

The October issue’s trivia questions are:

1)    What city was put on the advertising map by The Pillsbury Company?

2)    What Oscar-winning actor made a TV commercial for a imported car shortly after his film debut?

3)    What crazed “Mad Man” once threatened to jump from the window of his office building if the client did not approve his new campaign?

4)    What stars of “Bonanza” later endorsed many products as commercial spokesmen?

5)    What famous comedy team starred in Blue Nun Wine TV ads?

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND:

1) Go to: http://www.zeimer.com/contact

2) In “Other,” type OCTOBER TRIVIA CONTEST

3) In the Message Box, type your answers in the box.

4) Click “Send Email.”

About Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe

Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe is an award-winning copywriting consultancy and ad agency. I write ads, brochures, direct response/email campaigns, radio and TV scripts, Websites, White Papers, newsletters, and more.

For information or to receive an estimate on your next project, contact gil@zeimer.com or call me today at 415.491.1058.

© 2009. Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe. All Rights Reserved.

This article appeared in the September 2009 issue of Referral Success Magazine, September 2009 issue.

I don’t have an empty bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1990 on my desk as I write this. But I am an expert in gauging the timeliness and quality of referrals that I both give and receive to my fellow BNI members.

For example, some referrals can be opened immediately and savored for the opportunity they present. Categorized by BNI as “5” or “Hot” referrals, these almost always become a project that leads to closed business.

In fact, I just got a Hot referral from the former graphic designer of my BNI chapter, who has moved back to the east coast with her son to be closer to her family. She sent me an email 10 days ago with the subject line: “New Gig”. Today, I delivered the first draft of brochure copy for her technology client and have already received my retainer fee. So that was definitely a “5”,

Some referrals are “3” or what I call “Luke Warm”. They might become a project in a week or a month. I keep these referral slips on my desk and go through the stack every few days and update my notes on them.

But some referrals are “1” or “Tepid” and have to sit for a while in the dark in your cellar. Dormant, but not forgotten, you have to tend to them. You have to check in with the potential client periodically to ascertain their status. You have to constantly look at them in the light of day and see when they’re ready to yield their ripe fruit.

In other words . . . and again I swear I haven’t touched a drop of anything alcoholic while I’m writing this . . . some referrals are like a bottle of wine and have to be nurtured until they’re ready.

Case in point: I received a referral two years ago from the printer in my BNI Embarcadero chapter from one of his best clients. When I called her, she said she wasn’t ready to move forward yet with her project.

I checked back a month later. She still wasn’t ready.

A few months after that, she agreed to let me revise the content of her Website. I referred the task of revising her layout to my BNI Web designer and the client was very pleased with the new site, which I have updated for her since.

Four months later, the client handed me a huge editing and proofreading project. For that, I referred the client to the graphic designer of my BNI chapter who has worked with her for several years now.

So remember that all referrals aren’t ready for uncorking and savoring. Some have to sit on the shelf and mature.

This article appeared in the September 2009 issue of Referral Success Magazine.

About Gil Zeimer: When Gil’s not giving referrals, he’s writing websites, brochures, ads, newsletters, and more at www.zeimer.com.
© 2009 Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe. All Rights Reserved.