A: With the recession prompting many executives to rethink their spending priorities, marketing budgets are already looking pretty lean. So one might wonder how to trim even more fat from expenditures as fiscal planning for 2010 gains steam. “Straight Line” posed this question to leading direct marketers, who shared the following tips for conserving much-needed resources in a tough economy. See how Grant A. Johnson, Johnson Direct, and other experts answered this question.

This Question and Answer are just one feature covered in the latest issue of Johnson Direct’s Marketing that’s Measurable eNewsletter. If you didn’t receive your copy, please subscribe to ensure you don’t miss a future issue. In the meantime, catch up on the hot topics covered in the July/August issue.

Denise B. Hearden
eMarketing Director
Johnson Direct

Feature Story in July BtoB magazine:  With the recession prompting many executives to rethink their spending priorities, marketing budgets are already looking pretty lean. So one might wonder how to trim even more fat from expenditures as fiscal planning for 2010 gains steam.

“Straight Line” posed this question to leading direct marketers, who shared the following tips for conserving much-needed resources in a tough economy. See how Grant A. Johnson, Johnson Direct, and other experts answered this question.

Would you support the ban of water bottles in your community? The New South Wales Southern Highlands town of Bundanoon hopes their decision to ban the sale of bottled water will encourage you to say “Ban the bottle!” 

“Huge amounts of resources are used to extract, bottle and transport that bottled water, and much of the package ends up as litter or landfill,” said environmentalist Jon Dee from activist group Do Something. “Environmentally, it makes no sense and… what we are trying to do in Bundanoon is show that a community can live without single-use bottled water.”

Learn more at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/09/2620882.htm?section=justin

The water bottle ban news is reminiscent of San Francisco’s attempt to ban large grocery stores and pharmacies from distributing disposable plastic bags in March 2007. Of course, the plastics industry put a stop to that. The news reports since then show that when communities try to put the kibosh on bags they’re met with fierce opposition by the paper and plastic industries. Communities are then forced to adopt voluntary recycling programs or form committees to investigate recycling programs.

Do you choose Paper or Plastic? Which is the better choice?  Reusable cloth bags is the best choice, but if you’re caught in the store without one, should you choose paper or plastic? This interactive look at the environmental impact of your bag habits will guide your decision making: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23358591/

Will this latest news make you think twice about your personal use of water bottles and paper/plastic bags? Let me know!

Denise B. Hearden
eMarketing Director
denise.hearden@johnsondirect.com

Here’s our latest Johnson Direct Newsletter for June, 2009.

I hope it helps lift your marketing results.

Grant A. Johnson

Chief Marketer Magazine asked me to write a feature story on the power of Direct Branding. Here it is.

For more details on Direct Branding RESULTS click here or you can click here for more details on the process.

Grant A. Johnson

May 26th, 2009

Dear Marketing Colleague,

You have to do marketing anyway, so why not focus on ‘marketing that’s measurable?”

That’s a question that I still ask every single business day. When the choice comes down to what works and what does not work in your advertising/marketing investments, the choice should be simple, right? I’d like to believe so.

A few problems inevitably get in the way:

• Slick salesmanship – someone over promising, under delivering and flat out lying to clients like you
• Pretty creative execution over relevant, meaningful work that’s designed to get results
• Lack of testing – the right way typically takes a bit longer, but the payoff is huge
• Disbelief that a proven process does exists that both enhances your brand and gets you the results you need

As I type this I really, truly hope that you’ll give me a chance to show you how effective and measurable your advertising/marketing can and should be. That’s why we’ve developed and refined a process called Direct Branding. Ask yourself if your current programs are getting you results like these:

• Doubled the sales rate of a specialty insurer by implementing Direct Branding, helping them compete with HUGE competitors
• Opened not one, but two new channels profitably for a high-end manufacturer of natural vitamins & supplements
• Re-branded a capital goods manufacturer to compete globally with a player that is much, much larger
• Helped re-brand and better position an insurance provider to fend off a competitor who entered the market and outspent them 15:1
• A gourmet food company that realized a 7% lift in sales thanks to our process

My passion is helping companies grow, getting good people promoted and helping to make your advertising/marketing as testable and measurable as possible.

So why does it work? Because it combines the best of branding with the best of direct marketing. It has taken us years to refine and get the process correct. It utilizes a test-centric approach that’s predicated on fact-based analysis, market research, deep-dive analytic crunching and relevant creative/message positioning to help you compete more intelligently. It uncovers where the market potential is and shows you where to allocate your marketing resources based on relative market potential. It also uncovers new opportunities – markets that are underserved or are being missed by you and your competitors. It really works!

As the economy remains tight, this process has helped us to discover how to position your messaging (yes, it needs to be different now), so that you can succeed. Again, I do not want to over inflate expectations, but do want to help as many folks as possible to market smarter and grow during these tough times. I hope you take this email seriously and call me at 1-262-782-2750 ext 131, or email me at grant.johnson@johnsondirect.com

Once we talk we can determine if a fit exists between us. I am only interested in helping those who will commit to the process and those who rely on marketing to drive sales and need a lift in their ROMI. If that’s you, let’s talk for 30 minutes. If not, that’s ok and I truly thank you for your time. Here’s to better marketing results for you and your organization…

Grant A. Johnson