Hi. I'm Mark Johnson. I've been President/CEO of two well-regarded advertising agencies in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
I bring national-level experience and new thinking to small-to-mid-sized marketing communications agencies (integrated, advertising, digital, direct marketing, DRTV/direct response, media management and more) throughout the United States. I co-founded and helped grow my own agency in Los Angeles to more than $100MM in billings, 60+ very smart people and being ranked among the 2-3 most profitable of its size in the country per annual AAAA surveys.
I then led the dramatic turnaround of a long-troubled agency in Las Vegas. Since 2008, I've been a full-time advisor and growth catalyst working with many different kinds of agencies from California to New Hampshire (with 200+ people to two).
WHAT I DO FOR THE OWNERS OF INDEPENDENT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AGENCIES
I have the hands-on experience, knowledge and tools to help these agency owners to:
I'll help you to effectively address any of the management issues which agency owners face each day. And I will help you beat much larger, better-known competitors for blue-chip new business (almost $400,000,000 in incremental billings and counting). Unlike so many self-proclaimed "New Business Consultants", I've actually won major new accounts. Nestle, Target Corp., MGM Resorts International, PETCO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and more (including B2B).
I'M NOT SIMPLY A "CONSULTANT". I'M A GROWTH ARCHITECT FOR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AGENCIES.
I've developed specific tools to help you grow and succeed by applying all of the first-hand, real-world knowledge which I've gained from running two very different advertising agencies. I've personally done everything which I'll recommend to you (or tell you NOT to do). I've been there before.
I'll immerse myself in your business. I'll make specific, actionable recommendations. No theories, platitudes or generalities. I will give direct, candid answers to your questions. No waffling. I will also be your contact and personally do the work.
I provide high value for the money... and may cost less than you think.
Thank you for visiting my website. Please look around. You'll find plenty of free, useful information which you can apply right now to help solve problems and grow your business. (Yes, that's another difference.)
I bring national-level experience and new thinking to small-to-mid-sized marketing communications agencies (integrated, advertising, digital, direct marketing, DRTV/direct response, media management and more) throughout the United States. I co-founded and helped grow my own agency in Los Angeles to more than $100MM in billings, 60+ very smart people and being ranked among the 2-3 most profitable of its size in the country per annual AAAA surveys.
I then led the dramatic turnaround of a long-troubled agency in Las Vegas. Since 2008, I've been a full-time advisor and growth catalyst working with many different kinds of agencies from California to New Hampshire (with 200+ people to two).
WHAT I DO FOR THE OWNERS OF INDEPENDENT MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AGENCIES
I have the hands-on experience, knowledge and tools to help these agency owners to:
- Increase profitability (even at current revenue level).
- Evaluate the agency's financials vs. norms (overall performance, EBITDA, employee costs and overhead, receivables aging), revenue concentration and profitability by client, actual cost of service, systems and controls, setting departmental goals, achieving buy-in.
- Assess staffing, structure and services (including what to offer, add, discontinue, outsource or not provide at all).
- Strengthen the agency's creative product (philosophy, communications strategies and execution).
- Develop fresh thinking and new insights for keeping clients happier... and lengthening client tenure.
- Create or adapt processes which can be branded and marketed to clients at higher margins.
- Make more informed decisions in almost every management area by better understanding what their staff, clients or both truly feel about the agency today.
- Stand out more clearly to prospective clients by better differentiating their agencies in the face of intense and often “Me too” competition.
- Create higher awareness of the agency among prospective clients by Identifying the product/service categories or target audiences where the agency’s knowledge and insights are deepest… and will appeal most strongly to potential clients in those categories or who want to reach those audiences.
- Reach larger numbers of prospective clients in the areas of the agency’s deepest knowledge through tightly targeted, insight-rich and relentless e-mail marketing.
- Win high-quality new accounts more often by developing new business presentations which are strategically-driven, insight-rich and have a much better chance of winning.
- Deliver those presentations with more discipline, focus and impact.
- Generate a higher number of quality leads by enhancing the agency’s website to be more engaging (new business-friendly) and impressive to prospects who visit the site… and also make the website easier to find through stronger SEO.
- Enhance any or all of the agency’s external communications to become stronger, sharper and shorter – Outbound messaging (including e-mail prospecting in target categories), website, case studies, capabilities presentation, new business presentations, responses to RFPs, management bios and more.
- Determine the current market value of the agency.
- Increase that market value by identifying underperforming areas within the agency and recommending specifically where and how the agency can improve performance.
I'll help you to effectively address any of the management issues which agency owners face each day. And I will help you beat much larger, better-known competitors for blue-chip new business (almost $400,000,000 in incremental billings and counting). Unlike so many self-proclaimed "New Business Consultants", I've actually won major new accounts. Nestle, Target Corp., MGM Resorts International, PETCO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and more (including B2B).
I'M NOT SIMPLY A "CONSULTANT". I'M A GROWTH ARCHITECT FOR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AGENCIES.
I've developed specific tools to help you grow and succeed by applying all of the first-hand, real-world knowledge which I've gained from running two very different advertising agencies. I've personally done everything which I'll recommend to you (or tell you NOT to do). I've been there before.
I'll immerse myself in your business. I'll make specific, actionable recommendations. No theories, platitudes or generalities. I will give direct, candid answers to your questions. No waffling. I will also be your contact and personally do the work.
I provide high value for the money... and may cost less than you think.
Thank you for visiting my website. Please look around. You'll find plenty of free, useful information which you can apply right now to help solve problems and grow your business. (Yes, that's another difference.)