Responsory

What Responsory does

Responsory is a full-service, digital-centric multichannel marketing and advertising agency headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin (metro Milwaukee), founded in 1999 by Grant Johnson and operating as a subsidiary of Johnson Direct LLC. The firm sells professional services across seven practice areas — Strategy & Research, Digital Marketing & Web, PR & Social Media, Marketing & Advertising, Content & Creative, Branding, and Integrated Campaigns — anchored by two proprietary methodologies: the Mindset Analytics Process (MAP) Research, an AI- and machine-learning-powered market research approach that analyzes organic consumer discussions across the open internet and delivers reports in as little as four weeks; and the Direct Branding Method, a five-step process framework combining direct-marketing precision with branding creativity. The agency serves enterprise clients in regulated and complex verticals, primarily pharmaceutical, insurance, banking and financial services, and B2B, with secondary practices in e-commerce, manufacturing, healthcare, and nonprofit.

The business operates on project-based professional-services pricing tailored to client scope and complexity, with multi-year contract cadences; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: clients are acquired through direct outreach via the website, toll-free phone lines, email inquiries, and a "Campaign Kickstarter" intake process, and the firm publicly declines to respond to RFPs, preferring direct conversations. Notable enterprise engagements include Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Pacific Life Workforce Benefits, Renaissance Benefits, CNEXT, Scienture, Wolter, and Shoreline Sightseeing, with at least one client relationship exceeding 25 years.

The firm has grown modestly in headcount (11-50 employees) and added capabilities through inorganic moves — most notably the August 2023 acquisition of Rocket Man Digital, which brought Jeff Nowak on as VP of Research and Content Strategy. Recognitions include 6-time placement on the Chief Marketer CM200 list (2021-2023), Google Partner status, and Yelp Advertising Partner status. Geographic footprint remains concentrated in the U.S. Midwest with no disclosed international operations.

Name

Responsory

Legal name

Johnson Direct LLC

Website

https://responsory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Responsory is a Brookfield, Wisconsin-based full-service multichannel marketing agency founded in 1999, serving enterprise clients in pharmaceutical, insurance, financial services, and B2B verticals through project-based engagements anchored by its proprietary MAP Research and Direct Branding methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing & Advertising Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Engagement & Messaging (Email, SMS, Push, In-App) (BPAFAFAI)

Keywords

• Marketing agency services
• Digital marketing solutions
• Brand strategy consulting
• Multichannel advertising
• Public relations services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Marketing Strategy & Research: Revenue generated from providing comprehensive marketing strategy and research services including their proprietary Mindset Analytics Process (MAP) research, market analysis, competitive research, and audience segmentation services. These are project-based engagements tailored to client needs.
2. Digital Marketing & Web Development Services: Fees from digital marketing services including PPC management, SEO, content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, landing page design, marketing automation, website maintenance and hosting, e-commerce solutions, and analytics/reporting.
3. PR & Social Media Services: Revenue from public relations, electronic PR (ePR), media relations, news release writing and distribution, social media strategy and management, community engagement, event support and promotion, and influencer marketing services.
4. Content & Creative Production: Fees for content creation services including video production and editing, graphic design, copywriting, photography, infographics, data visualization, creative campaign concepts, signage design, and packaging design.
5. Branding Services: Revenue from brand strategy development, naming and tagline creation, visual identity design, brand guidelines creation, rebranding services, brand and product launches, and brand awareness campaigns.
6. Integrated Campaign Management: Fees for orchestrating multi-faceted marketing campaigns across digital and traditional channels, including account-based marketing, product launch marketing, association/membership marketing, lifecycle marketing, and geotargeted marketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Responsory is a full-service multichannel marketing and advertising agency that plans and executes measurable marketing programs for clients. Its offering spans strategy and proprietary AI-assisted market research (MAP), digital marketing and web development (PPC, SEO, content, email, social), PR and social media, traditional marketing and advertising, content and creative production (including video), branding, and integrated multichannel campaigns—all unified by its proprietary Direct Branding℠ methodology.

Product overview

Responsory is a full-service multichannel marketing and advertising agency that operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform. The company combines its proprietary Direct Branding℠ method with a comprehensive suite of marketing services organized around seven core practice areas: Strategy & Research (anchored by its Mindset Analytics Process℠ proprietary research methodology), Digital Marketing & Web (including PPC, SEO, content marketing, and website development), PR & Social Media, Marketing & Advertising, Content & Creative (including video production), Branding, and Integrated Campaigns. The Direct Branding℠ method serves as the unifying process framework that ties all services together through a five-step approach: Fact-Based Analysis, Strategic Roadmapping, Creative Development, Campaign Execution, and Measurement & Optimization. The company specializes in serving the pharmaceutical, insurance, and B2B sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mindset Analytics Process (MAP) Research: Proprietary AI-powered market research methodology combining machine learning with traditional research techniques
• Direct Branding Method

Products and services

• Responsory Full-Service Marketing Agency Full-service multichannel marketing and advertising agency providing measurable marketing solutions since 1999, with strategy, digital marketing, content creation, branding, and integrated campaigns for pharmaceutical, insurance, and B2B clients.
• Mindset Analytics Process℠ (MAP) Research

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AMP Agency: Mid-sized full-service marketing agency providing strategy, creative, digital, and content. Comparable to Responsory in offering integrated marketing across digital and traditional channels for mid-to-enterprise clients.
• Rise Interactive: Chicago-based digital marketing agency specializing in media, analytics, and search. Comparable to Responsory in midwestern geography and full-service digital offering.
• MNI Targeted Media: Direct response and targeted media agency with strong heritage in measurable marketing. Compatible with Responsory's direct-response positioning and emphasis on quantifiable ROI.
• Wpromote: Mid-sized digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, content, and integrated campaigns across multiple verticals. Directly comparable to Responsory's full-service digital agency model and mid-market positioning.
• Power Digital Marketing: Full-service digital marketing agency with proprietary technology stack and vertical specializations. Comparable to Responsory's blend of proprietary methodology (MAP) and end-to-end campaign services.
• W2O Group (now Real Chemistry): Healthcare-focused marketing and communications agency. Directly comparable to Responsory's pharmaceutical marketing specialization and regulatory expertise.
• Tinuiti: Independent performance marketing agency covering paid media, SEO, social, and analytics. Closest direct peer to Responsory in terms of full-service digital offerings and data-driven measurement focus.

Regional players

• Hanfland & Cook / Hanfland: Marketing agency operations in the Midwest serving similar mid-market B2B and B2C clients. Comparable as a regional agency competitor to Responsory's Milwaukee-area base.

Emerging players

• Fisher Vista / HRmarketer: Marketing services focused on B2B and HR verticals. Comparable to Responsory's B2B market specialization and account-based marketing approach.

Broad incumbents

• Publicis Health / Publicis Groupe: Large global holding company with deep pharma and healthcare marketing capabilities. Broad incumbent that competes with Responsory on pharma marketing assignments but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/responsorymke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/responsory
• Facebookfacebook.com/ResponsoryMKE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Responsory