Bill Murphy

Current

Marketing & Public Relations Consultant at PurpleCrayon Direct

Past

Director of Marketing & Public Relations at Community Circle Theatre
Direct Marketing Consultant/Sr. Copywriter at Alexander Marketing Services
Director of Direct Marketing Services at Brady Marketing Group

Senior Copywriter/Leadership Team Member at Reiman Publications
Senior Copywriter/Associate Creative Director at Wilson Sculley Associates

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2 more...

Education

Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Ferris State University

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Recommended

11 people have recommended Bill

Connections

120 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

My Website

Bill Murphy’s Summary

Marketing professional with nearly 20 years of experience in strategic planning and creative direction, research, competitive analysis, public relations, branding, non-profit fundraising, creative direction, relationship building, Web 2.0, and effective tactics (award-winning copywriting for ads, catalogs, speeches, brochures, letters, press releases, radio, TV, web sites, e-mail, and podcasts).

Worked with Fortune 500s, as well as non-profits.

Adjunct university professor. Master’s degree. Former board member for the Wisconsin Direct Marketing Association. Current member of the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing, the American Association of University Professors, and the West Michigan Film & Video Alliance.

Bill Murphy’s Specialties:

RESULTS! Copywriting (long form and short form), direct marketing, logo and tagline development, fundraising letters, new product launches, sweepstakes law, screenwriting, speechwriting, podcasting, blogging, radio/TV scripting and production.

Industries served: Publishing, financial, health care, heavy equipment, performing arts (live theatre and music), industrial, higher education, non-profit.

I speak B2B and B2C.

Bill Murphy’s Experience

Marketing & Public Relations Consultant

PurpleCrayon Direct

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

May 1999 — Present (10 years 8 months)

Conceive and implement successful marketing tactics based on sound strategies. Direct marketing, website maintenance, strategic planning, copywriting, public relations, Web 2.0, social media, and general advertising.

Partial client list: Zondervan, George Winston (pianist), Philip Michael Thomas (actor, Miami Vice), House of Staunton (world famous makers of chess sets), Win Jones (watercolorist), Judy Barnewolt-Jones (watercolorist), ProgPower USA (music fest), West Michigan Film & Video Alliance, Nightmare Records (an indie label based in Minneapolis), Big Mo Trains (named by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989 as the world's largest mobile train), John Douglas (former Grand Rapids Press movie critic).
Director of Marketing & Public Relations

Community Circle Theatre

(Entertainment industry)

August 2004 — October 2006 (2 years 3 months)

Season ticket holder renewal campaign and acquisitions, single ticket sales, web site development and maintenance, creation and maintenance of interactive online forum, podcasts, and blog, market research, direct mail, e-marketing, advertising, PR, radio and TV (scripting and producing), creative direction, managing design team, working with outside vendors (printers, media, etc.), new logo and tagline based on research, Web 2.0...and strengthening relationships between Circle and production staff, actors, the Board, and patrons.

Partial results: Increased playbill advertising 5% and attendance 11% in 2005 (over the 2004 season) -- despite national trends indicating decreases in both sales and attendance. Web site visits skyrocketed from 1,500/month in 2004 to over 5,000/month (from 20 countries) in 2006. "Sticky-ness" of web visits increased from around 45 seconds before I was hired to nearly 4 minutes after I applied Web 2.0 strategies.
Direct Marketing Consultant/Sr. Copywriter

Alexander Marketing Services

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

January 2000 — February 2003 (3 years 2 months)

All phases of direct marketing, from initial client meeting through creative execution. Client contact for Dow Chemical. Account rep for The Humane Society of Kent County. Executive-level speechwriter. Created web sites for new Dow Chemical products. Wrote high-level (classified) materials for Dow Public Affairs. New business acquisitions. Revamped and streamlined process for direct marketing projects.

Partial client list: The Dow Chemical Company, Pentair Pool Products, Siemens Dematic, The Humane Society of Kent County.

Partial results: Lead generation direct marketing package for one client’s product earned a 21% response -- 50 new leads and three new customers. Another new launch resulted in a response rate of 15% -- and generated more leads than the sales force could handle.
Director of Direct Marketing Services

Brady Marketing Group

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)

February 1997 — May 1999 (2 years 4 months)

Direct marketing, branding, customer retention, new product launches, lead generation, sales support. Co-edited safety-control book for client.

Partial client list: Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation, Miller Electric Mfg., Komatsu America, University of Chicago Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Philips Medical Systems, Elekta Oncology, Marquette Medical Systems.

Partial results: Client relationship skills, strategy and powerful benefit-driven copy boosted response rates as high as 42%, with an average of over 10% (industry standard is 2-3%) from dozens of DM packages. Example: Allen-Bradley Mini Sensor dimensional lead generation mailing. Response rate: 42%. Leads overwhelmed A-B’s sales force.
Senior Copywriter/Leadership Team Member

Reiman Publications

(Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Publishing industry)

January 1995 — February 1997 (2 years 2 months)

Direct marketing copywriting for three divisions: Country Store Catalog, World Wide Country Tours and Wholesale Book and Fundraising. Promoted to head the Country Store Catalog’s creative team.

Partial results: Vornado humidifier direct response ad (as supplement in Country Woman magazine and full page in Country Store catalog) lead company with $600,000 in sales during 1Q ’96.
Senior Copywriter/Associate Creative Director

Wilson Sculley Associates

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

August 1993 — January 1995 (1 year 6 months)

An integral part of every aspect of direct marketing, general advertising, and public relations -- from initial client contact and presentations to new business development, branding and copywriting.

Partial client list: First Bank, Boatman’s Bank, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Missouri Valley Life & Health, Anheuser-Busch Employees’ Credit Union, Norwest, Six Flags, Silver Dollar City.

Partial results: Blue Cross & Blue Shield’s St. Louis subsidiary (Missouri Valley Live & Health) went from fifth place small business health care provider to #2 in just 18 months. Plus, a package (a DMA-St. Louis award-winner) created for Anheuser-Busch Employee’s Credit Union boosted VISA and MasterCard applications 18%.

Bill Murphy’s Education

Grand Valley State University

Master's , Communication - Marketing emphasis , 1992 — 1995
Grand Valley State University

Bachelor's , Journalism , 1986 — 1988
Ferris State University

Associate's , Journalism , 1979 — 1981

Additional Information

Bill Murphy’s Websites:

My Website

Bill Murphy’s Interests:

Screenwriting, web design/maintenance, reading Sherlock Holmes stories, music, biking, hiking, Earl Grey tea, Scottish Fold cats, and life!

Bill Murphy’s Groups:

Member: Chicago Association of Direct Marketing

Member: West Michigan Film Video Alliance

Former Board Member: Wisconsin Direct Marketing Association

Adjunct professor in the School of Communications, Grand Valley State University