Grant Johnson started his career in the business world as a boy with a lemonade stand. He worked as a freelance jazz critic for the then-Milwaukee Journal. He landed himself on the airwaves as a jazz disc jockey.
Eventually, Johnson became vice president of business development for a Midwest direct marketing agency before deciding to go out on his own.
Eight years ago, Johnson started Johnson Direct LLC, a full-service, measurable marketing communication agency in Brookfield.
“From the moment he started his own company in 1999, Grant Johnson has had one primary idea in mind: Do good work for good people and you will be successful,” said Steve Gardner, a public relations account executive who does business with Johnson.
Johnson Direct is planning to double its 13-employee workforce by the end of the year.
Johnson said his profession often is obsessed with sounding clever and winning awards, rather than devising ideas that actually achieve positive results for clients.
“I’ll take a happy client over a bucketful of creative awards any day,” Johnson said.
Johnson Direct draws business from national clients such as AAA Life, Humana and Microsoft Business Solutions, in addition to local companies.
Using his own approach, Johnson developed Direct Branding, a technique that bridges the gap between traditional image advertising and direct marketing.
“This innovative approach allows his clients to strategize, implement and, most importantly, measure their results,” Gardner said.
The proprietary approach combines traditional brand advertising and the immediacy of direct response marketing. Direct Branding demands relevancy, measurability and results from each marketing and communications effort, Gardner said.
“Reality marketing is about getting real, measurable results,” Johnson said, and he has made that the hallmark of his business.
In addition to his company, Johnson is in high demand to speak at marketing association meetings across the nation. He also writes professional articles about measurable marketing in Direct Magazine, Chief Marketer, Inside Direct Mail, Target Marketing and other publications, and he spends time with young marketers, as well as doing pro bono work for small nonprofit organizations.
Address: 250 N. Sunnyslope Road, Suite 203, Brookfield
Web site: www.johnsondirect.com
Industry: Marketing communications
Revenues: 19.11 percent increase over 2005
Employees: 13
