Has anyone out there watched the TV show called Undercover Boss on CBS?  I caught the first episode featuring the CEO of Waste Management after the Super Bowl. I finally had the chance to sit down and watch the episode featuring the CEO of the Hooters restaurant chain.  I know what you’re thinking.  It had nothing to do with catching a glimpse of the scantily clad waitresses.  I read in February that Hooters wasn’t doing well financially due to the recession and was shopping itself to a number of private-equity firms.

I’m sure the recession has some bearing on the financials of Hooters but after watching the episode I think Hooters suffers from what Don Libey affectionately calls “Idiot Son Syndrome!”  While his late father started and successfully built up Hooters, the second generation son who took over the chain, obviously born with a silver spoon in his mouth, seemed clueless about the obvious reasons why the chain was having not just sales issues, but major morale issues with its people.

I could not believe how clueless the CEO was about the day-to-day operations of his business.  For example, in one undercover assignment he worked at one of the company’s packaging plants and stated to one of the managers that he hadn’t set foot in the place since he was 17.  The manager told him most of the people in the plant have never seen the new CEO and don’t even realize it’s the son!  The son has to be in his mid to late 40’s.  Where has he been the past 25 years?  Collecting a pay check and playing with his toys instead of making himself visible….obviously.

In another segment of the show the CEO participates in a street promotion-handing out coupons to a new restaurant that just opened in Dallas-with two Hooters gals at his side.  Doing this he hears positive but mostly negative feelings people have towards the restaurant chain.  The CEO seemed concerned and rather surprised to hear these remarks.  He must have ear muffs on for the past 10 years sheltering him from the feminist cries!  Again clueless!

In today’s economic climate, CEOs and business leaders have to be visionaries and at the same time not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to know all the facets of the business they are in charge of.

I’ll be placing a call into Hooters pronto.  They could definitely use Johnson Direct’s PR Services!

Rob Trecek
Director of Business Development
rob.trecek@johnsondirect.com

Johnson Direct turned 11 yesterday and as part of our celebration we launched a landing page to showcase our expertise in one of the many services we offer: branding.

Branding is as much – if not more – a strategic and methodical process as it is a creative service. In fact, if you embark on a branding, or rebranding, initiative without the proper investment in Fact-Based Research and Strategic Planning, you’ll eventually learn that your focus on creativity and design has been wasted. And we all realize, in a down economy, a company’s shrinking marketing budget should be put to work – with measurable results and a positive ROI.

Our process, Direct Branding™, is an in-depth approach that guides organizations through “brand discovery” — taking your brand promise, products and services, values and methods under consideration. Over the past 11 years we’ve taken many clients through this process and the results have been tremendous. To view our brand identity showcase, visit DirectBrandIt.com.

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

Happy Monday to you!

Today, March 1st, 2010, Johnson Direct turns 11-years-old. We could not have achieved this milestone without great clients like you. So, thank you!

Back on March 1st, 1999 my dream was to build a multi/cross-channel marketing communications agency that focused on results. Real, honest-to-goodness marketing that is measurable, testable and helps boost your bottom-line. One built on the premise of on-going testing and discovery from controlled successes and failures which leads to breakthrough marketing results.

Being strategically creative rather than simply producing “killer creative” really DOES make a huge difference. Testing through our exclusive Direct Branding process is the end result. Because of you we have refined our process and continue to see improved results.

Thank you for allowing me to help you reach your goals and for turning my dream into a reality.

A funny thing does happen when you really partner with clients, strive for continuous improvement and look out for their best interests. You grow. You get referrals and the word gets out that the marketing you are doing is indeed working. Yes, even with the economic downturn we are helping clients get great, measurable results.

It’s an unbelievable feeling when you prove that marketing can still lift sales. The proof is the “thank you” emails, calls and letters and, of course, referrals I continue to receive.

Of course, we are always looking for more client partnerships, so if you know anyone who needs to add measurability to their marketing, please have them call me.

In closing, I am proud of our work together and for the partnership we have created. I look forward to another 11 years of increased marketing ROI with you.

Sincerely,

Grant Johnson

I’ve been busy carting my kids around to ball games, forensic meets, band concerts and scouting events.  It surprises me that I get to read anything anymore.  Just read a great story that the Girl Scouts of America utilized social media to assist in their cookie selling campaign this year.

My daughter has been involved in scouting for 8 years.  She gets very excited over the cookie sales. She pounds the phone the day after receiving the cookie sales sheet calling all the relatives and everyone on our Christmas Card list.  She even hit up her friends at school. (It’s yet to be seen if we will collect any money from them!)  The first weekend of the campaign she was out in the cold soliciting from the neighborhood.  I asked if she wanted me to drive her around.  She refused.  “People will buy more if they see me walking in the cold”, she informed me.  The kid already is a sales psychologist!

The Girl Scouts of the USA campaign included viral video on YouTube which linked to a microsite. The site asks visitors to enter a ZIP code to find a local troop.  According to a DMNews article the site also captured e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

Who says you can’t teach an old nonprofit a new trick!  They didn’t do a good job promoting the campaign down to the local troops.  I didn’t know about it until after the cookie sale was over.

I don’t know how well the campaign did…but I’m sure it helped spread the word, build the brand, and most importantly, sell more cookies!

Rob Trecek
Director of Business Development
rob.trecek@johnsondirect.com

This afternoon I was working with @denisebhearden on compiling results from a recent social media campaign we did on behalf of one of our long-standing clients when I noticed a link from a blog post in 2008 floating around the “twittersphere”. The article, originally posted on Ad Week in 2008, described how a TNS Media Intelligence/Cymphony poll showed that “agencies don’t get it”. Among the chief complaints was the agency treatment of outlets like blogs and social networks as traditional media. I hope that since social media has come such a long way in the past couple of years more agencies have come around to understanding the dynamics and power of social media. Has yours?

Johnson Direct has. We’ve produced measurable results over multiple channels for our clients, and that includes social media. If your in house team or agency is still struggling to define social media ROI , then it’s time to take control and realize that you are already behind. Playing catch-up with your competition is never an easy task and it’s about time to start looking into ways to increase your market share and in turn improve your bottom line. Johnson Direct has helped both B2B and B2C clients navigate the murky waters and make sense of social media so you can focus your resources on things that matter most to you: building and maintaining a dominant presence in your industry. After all, isn’t that why you hired an ad agency in the first place?

Anthony Piwarun
eMarketing
anthony.piwarun@johnsondirect.com

In the recessionary economy which we all find ourselves in today, you’d think that most salespeople and businesses would be fine tuning their follow up skills with not only their existing clients but especially with their interested prospects.  Unfortunately, more often than not, this is not the case.  Regardless of the industry, product, service, big ticket item or small purchases, it’s stunning to me how little businesses follow up with prospects and even customers.  They’re missing a fortune because the follow up is rarely done or non-existent.

Here are some amazing statistics related to sales that should inspire you to crank up your follow up efforts within your business:

• 48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
• 25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
• 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
• Only 10% of sales people make more than three contacts

Now here’s the case for following up with prospects:

• 2% of sales are made on the first contact
• 3% of sales are made on the second contact
• 5% of sales are made on the fourth contact
• 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelve contact

Ask yourself this question, how much do you follow up on referrals and prospects?  I’m certain most companies can improve on the number of contacts they make.  I’m a big believer in developing a formalized process to stay in touch with prospects that didn’t convert immediately but still have a high chance of converting down the road if you stay in touch with them.

I recommend you print off this blog post and highlight the statistics in yellow and place it near your work space as a constant visual that follow up is where the fortune is made.

To put my sales cap on, Johnson Direct and our team of professionals can assist in developing such a formalized follow up process!  There are many channels/tools to help you stand out, keep top of mind awareness and close more sales.  These tools include an e-zine or e-newletter, creating a series of touch base postcards, utilizing social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs and YouTube, and holding a special customer appreciation event.

Remember that for each month that goes by without some form of communication to existing customers and prospects, 10% of top-of-mind awareness for your company disappears.  People are buried with choices, media and aggressive competitive offers trying to lure them away from your business.  Developing a sound formalized follow up process will help you create what my friend Tony Rubleski calls “Mind Capture” and assist you in winning more business!

Rob Trecek
Director of Business Development
rob.trecek@johnsondirect.com

I recently was shopping for a research subscription and contacted a couple of industry leaders for a price quote. In both cases, membership levels and prices were not available in print or online. I had to provide my name and contact information and wait for a sales representative to contact me. A week later and I’ve only heard from one of the research providers. I’m sharing with you the shocking experience I had today with the more popular research company.

On January 15, I submitted my “urgent request” to hear from a new business developer via phone AND web/email. I waited six business days to before I received a phone call.

During this call, the rep asked some questions and explained the options. I expressed interest in the basic membership level and he offered to put me in touch with a senior-level rep who could talk to me about discounts and negotiated subscription rates. I was contacted by rep #2 later that same day. After hearing a typical sales pitch, and nothing I hadn’t heard from rep #1 that morning, I told him that I’m interested in the basic membership and ask him if there are discounts or variations of which I should be aware.

Rep #2 quickly announced that his company does not sell the basic membership without the mid-level membership (more than double the basic level price). Of course, I’m at a loss as to what the basic level membership is for, since the mid-level membership already includes the basic level benefits. I announced to rep #2 that I am surprised regarding this major discrepancy in membership options and frustrated by the fact that we had to wait a week to hear from a sales person that could provide pricing. Rep #2 chose not to explain my options further or to soften the blow. Instead, with an obligatory tone, he apologized for the misunderstanding and concluded the call immediately.

I sat for moment, mouth agape, bewildered by this brief sales call. It left me feeling bitter because at Johnson Direct, we fight very hard to retain our current clients and win new clients. Our philosophy is to go “above and beyond” whenever possible. Day in and day out, everything we do is aimed at supporting our clients AND prospects. After all, a prospect seeking a new marketing partner may not sign-on as a client today, BUT you never know when your paths may cross again in the future. Leaving them satisfied short-term may reap benefits long-term.

I can’t believe that a large, well-known company can afford to perform new business activities in this manner. If I’m treated like this before the contract is even signed, how can I expect my needs will be met responsively and respectfully as a paying customer?

Sound familiar? I hope not! But, if you’ve had an unfortunate experience in any way similar to this, share it with me!

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

We can all agree that when it comes to marketing, 2009 was the year of social media. A recent Marketing Profs article provided statistics showing a dramatic increase in the number of business utilizing social media to increase brand awareness and sell products last year. It seems a lot of companies decided to dive into social media because it’s the “in” thing, and forgot about their bottom line. Let’s face it, you can post, tag and tweet all you want, but if your efforts don’t produce results then you are out of luck when it comes time to justify your budget to the executives.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that communication is a two way street and social media is no different. Engaging your audience is perhaps the most important aspect to any social media campaign. People interested in your product or service don’t subscribe to your list, follow you or become your fan only because you ask them to. Just as we seek a return on investment for marketing dollars, our followers seek a return on their time invested.

Success in social media can easily be achieved by engaging your audience. Take a look at the 5 tips below and incorporate them into your social media strategy to produce measurable results.

1. Keep an eye on your public profiles- Read comments, messages and questions posted on your profile to see what your audience wants to tell you directly
2. Use social media monitoring tools- Utilize some of the many monitoring tools available to see what your audience is telling others about your brand
3. Respond to questions and comments- When someone asks you a question, respond… and do it quickly!  Depending on the network you are using, low retention rates are something to keep in mind. Social media adds a whole new meaning to “real-time” information and if a potential customer wants to know something they want it now.
4. Utilize surveys or polls- Customers want to know that their opinions matter. Spice things up a bit and change your tone by asking them what they think. Running a successful survey will improve participation and lead to a positive view of your brand.
5. Run promotions specific to your social network- What better way to add value than providing your audience with special discounts just for listening? Be sure to track sources if linking to a landing page so you can fulfill your promise.

Anthony Piwarun
eMarketing
anthony.piwarun@johnsondirect.com

Today’s BizTimes Milwaukee had an interesting story on a local non-profit leveraging social media networks to push it’s annual donation drive to younger donors.  The article, “Use Social Media to Build Your Tribe”, reports that the campaign was successful, bringing in $12,460 of new donations.  While the quantitative results of the campaign were positive, some organizations may look at the “small” number and think it’s not enough to cover the investment of time and resources.  Those companies are wrong…

Social media isn’t just about quantity.  It’s about starting the dialog with your audience.  My strong belief is that the true measure of ROI in social media isn’t quantitative in nature, its qualitative.  Engagement may very well be an overused, ill-defined buzzword, but the truth is that the number of followers you have, links you post or dollars you earn mean little unless you develop an ongoing relationship with those that show interest in your brand.  Conversing with your audience and providing useful, relevant information so it can be shared with others will benefit you more in the long run.

Fortunately, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee got it right.  The spokeswoman for the organization didn’t define success as the number of dollars raised, but said “the relationships we managed to build will be worth exponentially more in the future”.  Bravo!

Anthony Piwarun
eMarketing
anthony.piwarun@johnsondirect.com

How will marketing shape up in 2010?  Grant Johnson’s predictions were published in The Big Fat Marketing Blog this morning and we invite you to take a look.

Anthony Piwarun
eMarketing
anthony.piwarun@johnsondirect.com