Inside Direct Mail magazine interviewed me for this piece on what to do when budgets tighten and you still need measurable results from, in this particular case, your direct mail efforts. The bottom line is you need to market smarter. The best way to do that is continue to test.

Grant A. Johnson
Johnson Direct LLC
1-800-710-2750

For anyone who’s worked on the creative side of advertising, you have to see this spoof of the Charlie Brown Ad Agency. It’s a little bit too realistic.

Grant A. Johnson
Johnson Direct LLC
1-800-710-2750

First the Christian Science Monitor, now possibly Detroit Newspapers and perhaps next, many of the daily’s may halt home delivery of their newspapers. As someone who still reads three papers daily, and as someone who’s first job was as a newspaper delivery boy (The Milwaukee Sentinel) this saddens me greatly.

I recall wanting to read as much of the paper as possible as a youth before I finished my route so if someone stopped me on my route and asked “what’s today’s news?” I could answer enthusiastically. It also gave me plenty of fodder to open up conversations and made a Milwaukee boy seem a tad more worldly. I became the “know-it-all” in social studies class in junior high school and my teacher, Ms. Whitney (her great grandfather invented the cotton gin) would ask me daily what was happening in the world.

Like this entry you’re reading, online is taking over, but there is just something so right about reading a paper. The ink-stains on your fingers; the smell of the ink; the smell when it’s wet; the way you have to open it; the anticipation of finding a story on something new and learning; its transportability. If you’re a paper reader, you know what I mean.

We all know that reading makes us smarter, but reading a newspaper seems to make you special, perhaps a little bit more intellectual. I have to sign off now. I have a paper to read.

Grant A. Johnson
Johnson Direct LLC
1-800-710-2750

Want to know the secret to making your marketing hum along in any economy? Simply click here to discover the ways to marketing prosperity.

Grant A. Johnson
Johnson Direct LLC
1-800-710-2750

I came across this blog post and had to share it. It shows how three separate brands: Motrin, Ford and Starbucks, have all run commercials that are strikingly similar. It’s no wonder that mass media is becoming less and less effective with hyper-segmentation, but when the creative folks can’t even drum up original content, you know the ROI is bound to slip.

Grant A. Johnson
Johnson Direct LLC
1-800-710-2750

Direct Magazine ran a piece that I did that helps explain the different types of customers and how models today need to work by first understanding your prospects buying habits and channel preferences. It is, in my opinion, the best way to proceed in today’s over communicated world. Thanks to Kevin Hillstrom for his expertise and help with the piece.

Grant A. Johnson
Johnson Direct LLC
1-800-710-2750