David Garfinkel
David Garfinkel is a copywriter and the founder of Overnight Marketing, a marketing consultant company that specializes in helping entrepreneurial businesses get better results from their advertising. He has long been known as the Marketer’s Marketer because he works with established marketers and marketing departments to help them revise their tactics and come up with improved, strategic advertising and sales campaigns.
Started in 1985, Overnight Marketing asks every new client to fill out a questionnaire regarding what aspects of their marketing they are most interested in improving. Garfinkel is straightforward about the fact that not all companies thrive with his tactics, but claims that if a company is aware their marketing has room to grow, interested in direct marketing, and looking for a new advertising campaign, he will be able to increase profits by reaching a larger audience. Garfinkel also notes that his strategies have worked best for companies that are in the top rung of their market price-wise, have good sales but need to expand their market, and already have an effective, dynamic administration in place.
The Garfinkel Effect is the name given to the increased profits and market attention that Garfinkel’s influence creates. Having over two decades of marketing and copywriting experience, Garfinkel approaches each new client with the desire to see what they’ve tried and to point them onto the next step. Garfinkel works with companies either in person or over the phone but requires a detailed back history of the company’s advertising endeavors. Once Garfinkel knows what has been tried and has determined what will work best for the particular company he is working with, he writes out a plan for future advertising. After reviewing and revising the plan with the company’s leaders, the plan is implemented. Garfinkel works with companies of all sizes and in all financial situations to get them using the most effective marketing techniques and to help them expand their market.
Garfinkel has worked with United Airlines, PGE, IBM, the University of California, WIRED magazine and more. His workshops and speaking topics usually focus on using copywriting and direct advertising such as mailings to expand a company’s target audience and attract more customers. He also speaks about using marketing dollars effectively so that companies are getting the best possible results while staying within their current advertising budget. Garfinkel is an expert, experienced copywriter and often focuses specifically on that aspect of marketing when working with companies. He not only teaches businesses the importance of the written word but also shows them the tricks and tips of writing effective copy.
Garfinkel had dabbled some in Internet marketing though his heyday was in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the Internet was first appearing. Though he did work for some high profile corporations, most of his work was for smaller companies who needed immediate marketing improvement help. Before starting Overnight Marketing, Garfinkel worked as McGraw-Hill Magazines’ San Francisco Bureau Chief. He is also an award-winning journalist. For both his copywriting expertise and marketing know-how, Garfinkel has been sought out by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and many other U.S. newspapers and magazines. Garfinkel has worked as editor-in-chief for the print newsletter, “What’s Working Online,” and co-wrote “Effective Sales Management and Guerrilla Marketing for the Imaging Industry” and “Guerilla Copywriting.” He also wrote “Advertising Headlines that Make You Rich,” which was published in 1999.
Today, Garfinkel runs a blog called the World Copywriting Institute and continues to produce his World Copywriting Newsletter. Garfinkel is also the Executive Publisher for the Knowledge Exchange Press in San Francisco. He produces multimedia training products used by marketers and marketing departments throughout the U.S. and speaks regularly at general and niche marketing conferences and conventions. Garfinkel lives and works in San Francisco, California.
