Johnson Direct's Grant Johnson on the Magic of Measurable Marketing

In this uncertain economy and with so many businesses looking for better ways to market themselves through the mail and other channels, could there be a better time to make the case for direct marketing versus traditional advertising? Grant Johnson doesn’t think there has been. “Now IS the perfect time for all advertising and marketing practitioners to discover the accountability, measurability and testability of direct marketing,” says Johnson, who is the president and chief marketing officer for Johnson Direct, a measurable marketing communications and direct branding counseling firm based in Brookfield, Wis.

Recently, he published a book entitled “Fairytale Marketing: 7 Magical Discoveries” (available at www.fairytalemarketing.com), in which he also mentions the magic words—businesses making more money, better measuring results and experiencing greater returns on investments—that any business is desperate to hear today.

Boldt: How did the idea for this book take shape? And how did you arrive at the unorthodox title?
Johnson: The book and its title are a 100 percent outgrowth of my direct marketing journey. As I gained more and more experience in direct marketing, it became very evident to me that traditional brand advertisers knew next to nothing about direct marketing, and all the books out there were more or less textbooks that did not highlight the basic tenants of direct marketing. I hope after reading it they discover its power and have a thirst to learn more.

Conversely, direct marketers, those seasoned pros, often overcomplicate things and forget the basic principles of our wonderful discipline. The book is intended to get them to consider a back-to-basics approach to direct marketing and really push the basics and use those to create programs and campaigns that garner exceptional results, simply and powerfully.

As I researched books, not one single tome conveyed the basic keys to successful direct marketing as a business fable, so I thought, let’s publish this book and help tell the direct marketing story.

As for the title itself, from my experience, most people find direct marketing programs a “dream come true” when implemented correctly and have a hard time believing how powerful they can be, especially compared to traditional brand advertising. Thus the title was obvious, especially as it’s told as a business fable.

Boldt: It’s perfect timing for this book, right?