Consumers are getting fed up with THEIR information being used, shared and readily accesible.

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Years ago, before Northwestern University seemed capable of recruiting a “real” college football team, the Wildcats’ fans would stand in frustration near the end of yet another blow-out loss and shout:

"Laugh now. Someday you’re
gonna work for us!”

The implication was obvious – they didn’t have much of a football team because they were actually students and smarter than the jocks. They would have the lower score after four quarters but they’d win in the game of life and careers. Being “Smarter” can still work to your advantage.

You can defeat the big guys by competing and marketing smarter. At the risk of sounding like a commercial for Johnson Direct, I’m going to show you how we employ the “smarts” to help folks just like you achieve unbelievable results while spending less.

1: We take fact-based research and combine it with our own proprietary approach, Direct Branding™, to achieve unparalleled market penetration and success. It takes a little longer to do the research, but pays big dividends in the long haul.

2: We then use the information gleaned from our research to examine a number of variables: who is your customer base made of, where do they come from, what are their business practices, what attributes make them distinctly yours, and why do they buy from you?

3: Next, we develop a sophisticated marketing schematic that allows mappings of a variety of business attributes that differentiate you from your competitors. We use a “test centric” approach, a process, that determines what works and what doesn’t, and which allows you to market smarter year after year. This allows us to determine which markets you should spend your money in … and just as importantly, which markets to avoid.

Consequently, you are able to compete very aggressively with larger companies that outspend you 10, 20, even 50 times or more by marketing to the areas where people are most likely to buy from you.

This approach has proven itself time and again to be very powerful. It’s a unique approach because it combines fact-based research and years of experience in achieving awesome success. It is so successful that we are now dealing with clients both nationally and internationally who might not have even considered us in the past. Why? Results. It really works!

4: This is very important! Don’t look at failure as a bad thing. It’s an opportunity to learn. Never be afraid of learning! As Albert Einstein said, “Anybody who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

5: Remember, while this approach is greatly effective and certainly the hallmark of Johnson Direct, there are new ways being developed every day to compete smarter. Be open to them. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Outsmarting the competition requires perseverance, courage, patience and wit. If you’re ready to face this battle, be prepared to sink more time, resources and intellectual blood, sweat and tears into a new, smarter and more competitive game plan.

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

So, what is the most important part of measurable marketing...OUTSTANDING client service. We live in a day and age where customers are amazed when we simply deliver what we promise them. People are used to being disappointed and expect mediocrity. "Grant, I wanted to call and thank you for all your team's hard work. You met our timeline and budgets." My response typically is a genuine thanks, followed by, "We were only doing our job and there is no need to thank us for meeting agreed upon expectations."

So why am I penning about this today? Because gaining share of wallet (from your current clients), is more important than gaining market share (from strangers). Direct just featured research that 2008 budgets will focus 61% on prospecting and 39% on retention. Yes, prospecting is important, but not as important as keeping current clients happy.

Satisfied clients will spend more, refer more and help your business grow with less effort than lots of new clients. And, because of information overload, word-of-mouth is more important today then in years past.

Clients that are raving fans fight to keep your budgets and even get you more dollars. They refer you to others within their company and recommend you to your peers.

Pick ten clients and focus, I mean really focus on exceeding their expectations. Let me know what happens. I'm confident the test will prove worthwhile for you.

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

The best answer to the question on copy length came to me at a seminar I attended: "People don't read long copy or short copy. They read what interests them." That's why relevancy is even more important today then it was in 1988. People have information overload and, because of Google, perhaps, people have shorter attention spans. That was the theory I came across at a recent Wall Street Journal Blog entitled: "Is Google making us stupid?"

Maybe 1 out of 100 tests I have conducted have proved that shorter copy wins, but as readers of this blog know, you should always test to lift results. The web has added a new dimension, as you can drive them to a site with shorter copy and have virtually no limits on copy length once they click your desired URL.

As for email, it seems to me that the long form email format does a better, more complete job of selling, yet clients still want copy short, especially because it's email. And, as such, may be short changing their ROI.

I'd love to hear your results...

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Most products or services have a seasonal factor. For instance, most people in the Midwest would not consider buying lawn mowers in December, and thus very few firms market them then. Snow shovels typically sell briskly after the first winter's storm.

I recall a program I did in 2001 that illustrates the point. The company called me in in the 4th quarter of 2000 to do some direct mail testing for "final expense" insurance, or burial policies. I was to test against another direct mail package. The mail date was September and the 100,000 pieces were co-branded with Chase and the test was to take place in Manhattan.

Do you recall 9/11/01? It was the day America was attacked.

The client called and asked what to do. I explained they should scrap the program and save the postage. They mailed anyway, two weeks later than planned. The results: 3 responses, two angry letters and an empty reply envelope. Although the campaign had been in development for some time, the timing of the mail drop date was horrible. Most folks assumed that the company was taking advantage of them... at a time when their fear was heightened.

So please, keep in mind timing when planning your marketing. Be willing to adjust time frames up, back or even scarp the campaign if need be. You'll be very happy you did. The results will prove it.

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Yesterday I spoke very frankly with a team of decision makers for a food industry company. Honesty paid off, and I feel really good about it.

They were looking to specify a third-party software solution for their new (not yet designed) website. I shared my experience ... Building the new corporate website before adding brand new functionality is a more prudent approach. As their new agency, the Johnson Direct team will learn a great deal about them and how their audiences have, will and want to interact with them online. And, with a solid, highly relevant, competitive and usable website foundation, we'll have the basis for identifying parameters before we source and qualify viable software options.

The client agreed!

In this case, honesty paid off. But there are times customers really don't want to hear the truth. If you've got a tale to tell - when telling the truth did or did not pay off - blog me! I'd love to hear about it.

Denise B. Hearden

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Enjoy the show!

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Grant A. Johnson

1-800-710-2750

www.johnsondirect.com

Why is this the case? Because direct marketing is counter intuitive to traditional advertising and marketing thinking where the killer idea and killer creative reside. For measurable marketers it's about the results. And results can be improved upon in direct marketing by segmentation and testing. After we reach our goals we do more testing.

Traditional advertisers swing for the fence, whereas direct marketers are happy to move the base runners and are even more comfortable striking out -- as long as we learn and can apply that knowledge to our next at bat.

It is why direct marketers are in demand. The "new" media is measurable and thus requires the thinking of direct response pros.

And it's about time!

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

This point was brought up again this year (You may recall I blogged about it last year) on the PR Crumudgeon blog.

Here's to silly marketing spends...

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

 Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

I have also completed a tips booklet, 99 (Plus one for good measure) Bright, Measurable Marketing Ideas that's yours for the asking. Simply email me at info@johnsondirect.com with FREE Tips Booklet in the subject line and complete postal address information, including your name and company,  and I will send you a copy. Quantities are limited to a "first come, first served basis." I'm currently working on my second book.

I hope this spurs discussion on the subject and that your 2008 marketing efforts are testable, measurable and ROI strong.

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

If you have not read his book, If Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and Accidents from a Hall-of-Fame Career in Advertising, put it on your short list.

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750

The Milwaukee Master

In my opinion, the best direct marketing agency isn’t in New York or Chicago.

 It’s Johnson Direct up in Milwaukee. From starting as “the little agency that could” they’ve grown to attract several huge national clients, and have done an excellent job with each.

 I was fortunate enough to hear their CEO Grant Johnson speak at a recent conference, and I wanted to share some of his comments with you, which you may find as valuable as I did.

* Marketing now has “C”-level attention (CEO, CFO, CMO).
It’s not an expense, but rather an activity that now is measured as an investment, with its own Profit & Loss column.

 That means your work is more important and more visible than ever.

 * Research has shown that it takes an average of 6-7 different messages to influence a prospect or even generate a lead.

 Multi-channel marketing is now essential, and if you’re just doing direct mail, or just e-mail, or just telemarketing...you’re not doing what’s best.

* Grant also showed quite a few extremely creative ads, some of which I didn’t understand. He quoted Lester Wunderman, industry legend, who said “Stop being clever! Tell me something I want to know.” 

      This is great advice for any media and any communication.

I have been a friend of Grant’s for several years, and I admire him and his work. He also has a free newsletter, with terrific information and case-histories. You can subscribe at www.johnsondirect.com

Grant A. Johnson 

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750 

Grant A. Johnson

Johnson Direct LLC

1-800-710-2750