25th Anniversary
We’re immeasurably grateful
Celebrating Our Journey from Direct Mail Shop to Digital Marketing Powerhouse
The Responsory story is about evolution. From our humble direct mail beginnings, we’ve navigated industry changes with innovation and strategic prowess to become the digital marketing leaders we are today. This milestone is a tribute to our journey, the partnerships we’ve cherished, and the goals we’ve achieved together. As we look forward, we invite you to join in the celebration by sharing your memories and messages on our anniversary wall. Thank you for being a part of our story.
25 Takeaways from 25 Years of Measurable Marketing
WATCH: 25 Years of Tips & Advice
Our Journey So Far…
Johnson Direct Founded
On March 1, Johnson Direct opens its doors in Brookfield, Wisconsin with a handful of clients and a passion for delivering results. Its promise: we’ll jump through hoops for you.
Johnson Direct Enters the Digital Age
With an eye toward the future, the company has already expanded its offerings to include internet marketing services. Company founder Grant A. Johnson is honored as the Wisconsin Direct Marketer of the Year.
Big Recognition and Big Name Clients
Johnson Direct is recognized as a 2003 Future 50 Company by the Metro Milwaukee Association of Commerce. It’s client roster includes Microsoft Business Solutions and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Wisconsin.
New Look and New Attitude
We freshen our logo and launch a new website. Both feature the company’s mission – Marketing that’s Measurable.
Trusting the Process Leads to Success
Our food and beverage experience attracts clients like Omaha Steaks, General Mills and Wall Street Journal Wines. Grant has also coined the term Direct Branding℠ and we begin offering this strategic process to clients. This same year, Grant receives the Milwaukee BizTimes Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
New Office and New Opportunities for Direct Marketing
The company expands its offices, more than doubling its space. New global client partners include ABB and Johnson Controls. Grant publishes Fairytale Marketing, a fable that illustrates the differences between traditional advertising and direct marketing.
99 Bright Ideas for Measurable Marketing
The agency publishes its second edition of 99 Bright, Measurable Marketing Ideas (plus one, for good measure).
New Technologies Open Up New Opportunities
The company’s services evolve as technology advances. We’re offering programmatic digital advertising that uses AI to continually home in on the right audience and message. By integrating this revolutionary digital display advertising platform, we’ve helped dozens of health insurance carriers add thousands of members.
Answering the Call for Measurable Marketing with Responsory
The company rebrands as Responsory to more accurately reflect its digital focus and broader services. Responsory is a musical term for a response that is recited or sung after a verse. From a marketing perspective, Responsory suggests dialogue with a target audience that leads to response and results.
Expanding Our Expertise Into Pharmaceutical Marketing
Responsory adds pharmaceutical giant Hikma to its client roster and within a few years we will have helped launch eight drugs.
Becoming a Digital Marketing Powerhouse
Responsory has expanded its digital marketing team deepening its benchstrength in digital advertising, SEO, UI/UX and project management.
Adding AI-Powered Research to Our Marketing Practice
Responsory acquires Rocket Man Digital broadening the company’s research and content offerings through a proprietary AI/machine-learning technique to deliver data-driven insights. We rebrand this as the Mindset Analytics Process (MAP).
25 Years of Measurable Marketing – and Counting!
Responsory celebrates 25 years in business.
Thanks for Making This Possible
Want to celebrate this milestone with us? Signing our anniversary wall with your memories, wishes or Grant-isms. Here’s to our shared past and an exciting future!
Thanks for letting me tag along! Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Started as a partner and I am now part of this very impressive and responsive team. Couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with a group of people who are as visionary as they are talented! Can’t wait for what the future brings for Responsory!
I’ve been honored to be a part of 22 of Responsory’s 25 years! Let’s keep rolling with the changes!
I know I’ve been with Responsory for only a sliver of those 25 years, but they have been some of the best ones of my career. So much learning, laughing and getting stuff done. Congrats, Grant and team!
Congrats on this milestone anniversary!!! The Responsory team’s talent is unmatched in the industry and we enjoy working with you all immensely!
Cheers to 25 years! Wow, how time flies. It’s been a privilege to be part of such a great team and continue learning all the while.
Yayy!!! HaPpY AnNiVeRsArY Responsory!!!
I remember when you first started Johnson Direct. You had a vision of how you could do marketing better, and boy have you excelled in doing so. I love how passionate you are and never stop evolving. Congratulations on your 25th anniversary Grant and team. Cheers to another 25!
I’ve told this story about 1,500 times over 20+ years. To this day, though, Grant is the only person/vendor I’ve ever worked with that called me an idiot and said I was spending too much on a project. Nearly every other agency I’ve worked with has miraculously matched the budget to the project cost. I’m sure many vendors have thought I was an idiot but I appreciated that he said out loud. But more importantly, he was right. We WERE about to spend too much on the project, and, unsurprisingly, he had a better idea for using the money more wisely to generate better results. To this day, that’s my definition of partnership—to be able to talk freely with each other and know they’re looking out for our best interests.