Craig Huey, president, Creative Direct Marketing Group, Torrance, Calif.
SIPA: What was your first job out of college and how did you get into this business?
CRAIG: In college and when I graduated with a secondary education credential, I had been working part-time on direct marketing for political and Christian campaigns. I decided instead of going into teaching that I would continue on with that marketing and acted as an independent contractor. Within three years, I began hiring staff. Then started a “real” company of my own.
Has there been a defining moment in your career? Perhaps when you knew you were on the right road.
The ones who had me working as an independent contractor before I started my company were true entrepreneurs who were pioneers in the whole direct marketing concepts in the mid ‘70s. Having been straight out of college and not sure what to do, the first couple of years working in direct marketing did not really produce enough viable income. However, around 1977, I acquired Howard Ruff of the Ruff Times as a client where I eventually mailed over 70 million pieces for him. This would be the breakthrough both in industry recognition for our capabilities of selecting mailing lists and properly creating direct mail and enabled me to be able to get many other investment newsletter writers as clients. It provided the capital to hire quality staff and allowed me the opportunity to apply theory to real campaigns in a historic success story. During that time, I started getting experience in public speaking by giving Bible studies at church and speaking at marketing conferences for business. This experience has been influential in our success and growth.
In brief, describe your business/company?
My company has over 30 people including copywriters, web artists, account executives, production and staff working on email and postal lists. As a direct response ad agency, 60% of what we do are corporate websites, microsites and landing pages. For our clients we create Google paid search, web ads, mobile marketing, texting, direct response TV, radio and still a lot of direct mail. We sent out about 6 million emails last month and 3 million direct mail pieces for our clients.
What are two or three important concepts or rules that have helped you to succeed in business?
The two rules in creating a success beyond my wildest dreams are:
1. To truly love and appreciate the clients and prospects/customers who we are marketing to. As a Christian, I believe in a philosophy of giving value; that has paid off greatly for our clients. When I speak, I will always want to make sure every single person benefits from that talk with specific, relevant, actionable ideas. When we market, each website, email, direct mail is not just sales hype, but value added marketing.
2. Technology may change but human nature does not and in marketing we may be using different technology but the direct marketing rules are the same. You suffer when you break the rules.
What is the single-most successful thing that your company is doing now?
We are always looking to stay one step ahead of the trends, always trying to improve the results, always testing new concepts and media. Right now, we are using QR codes, mobile phone marketing and dramatically changing email/web ads and landing pages by utilizing direct response video. We recently installed a green screen and purchased state-of-the-art video and editing equipment in our office. Our tactics and strategy is to apply direct marketing principles, database marketing strategies and advanced direct response copy/graphics. The direct response copy is key to success. It’s not journalism. It’s not editorial copy. It’s not even ad copy. It’s conversational/benefit copy that follows a set of rules that are proven to create response.
Do you see a trend or path that you have to lock onto as you look to 2012?
As we look toward 2012, we are looking at many marketers whose only experience has been in marketing online. They haven’t tried many of the other marketing strategies, whether it be direct mail, TV or radio.
What are the key benefits of SIPA membership for you and your team?
I first joined the newsletter association back around 1980. My first speech was at the Direct Marketing Club at the national conference in 1981, practically fresh out of college. The benefit of SIPA for myself and my clients has always been the ability to see what others are doing, hearing great speeches and strategies to see what can be used to improve our marketing. Very few industries have been as open as SIPA has been. Also, I started my own newsletter, Direct Response, in 1977 and it still exists. In 2004, I formed Direct Marketing Update, an ezine based on what I learned from newsletter marketing.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Southern California.
What college did you attend? Is there a moment from that time that stands out?
Attended Long Beach State.
Are you married? Do you have children?
I am married to my beautiful wife Shelly and have 5 children.
What is your favorite hobby and how did it develop in your life?
I have always been interested in economics and politics. My original clients included Jim Blanchard and the National Committee to Legalize Gold, Howard Ruff whose success was based on geo-politics, and many other newsletters where I understood the geo-political and economic elements that impacted the investing market. This interest extends toward nutritional freedom and protection of 1st Amendment rights. And over the years I have been a loud opponent as government tries to regulate the information industry. When I ran for Congress this year in a special election, that was actually part of my campaign platform to protect these rights. Over the years I have written and spoken about strategies and tactics for marketing during a recession and economic turmoil at conferences across the world.
Any additional comments?
I have a book on economics and a book on marketing coming out soon.
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Craig mentioned mobile as an important new device for
reaching customers. SIPA agrees and has scheduled a Webinar:
Going Mobile for Publishers: Developing a Content-Delivery
System for an Increasingly Portable World
Thursday, October 20, 2011, 1 PM
PLACE: Your telephone and computer
SPEAKERS: Andy Swindler of Astek and
Joanne Valentino of The Medical Letter, Inc.
COST: FREE for SIPA members (Thanks to a grant from
the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation (SIPF).
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER or call 703.992.9339
Click here to find out more about SIPA membership!
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