Vague musings, name-dropping, streams of consciousness and occasional flashes of brilliance...from Johnson’s World.

Commentary & Analysis In the latest edition of Johnson’s World, Steve Johnson tips his hat to some direct mail marketing efforts that could have settled for being good, but instead went the extra mile to achieve greatness. In my dual roles as CEO of…

Commentary & Analysis Johnson’s World is in eclipse as Steve Johnson derives life lessons from last April’s “eclipse tourism.” When a total eclipse of the sun cast its shadow across the United States in 2017, I was a busy man. While it is true that I…

Commentary & Analysis Johnson’s World looks to the stars for inspiration for promoting the efficacy of print. In today’s English lexicon, the words astronomy and astrology have very different meanings, but up until the 17th century these two words…

Commentary & Analysis Depending upon who you ask, AI means either the beginning of the end for the human race’s domination of the world, or the elimination of all our jobs…or the debut of a really amazing and useful tool with almost limitless…

Commentary & Analysis The grandkids, at grandpa’s house, with a board game. Steve Johnson introduces some digital natives to the board game Clue. Recently, three of my out-of-town grandchildren spent a week at my house. Born in a different century,…

Commentary & Analysis Who loves ya, baby? Steve Johnson explains how Telly Savalas is a case study in how to successfully distinguish yourself in the market. Sixty-one years ago this month filming began on the epic movie project The Greatest Story…

Commentary & Analysis Leaders don’t always have the option of taking as much time as they need to carefully plan and implement their strategies…or do they? Steve Johnson explains how in business we often really do have the luxury of taking the time…

Commentary & Analysis By law, the US Postal Service is supposed to deliver mail six days a week. Steve Johnson tries to understand why his mail delivery has become erratic and unreliable. One fine Thursday evening in early December I retrieved the…

PREMIUM CONTENT Our mission is to provide cogent commentary and analysis about trends, technologies, operations, and events in all the markets that comprise today’s printing industry. Support our mission and read articles like this with a Premium…

Steve Johnson shares some tips for sending Christmas cards. I enjoy Christmas cards. I send business Christmas cards to all of my clients, many of my vendors, and about a hundred or so personal cards to my friends, relatives, and neighbors. After I…

Premium Commentary & Analysis Vague musings, name-dropping, streams of consciousness, and occasional flashes of brilliance...from Johnson’s World. About Steve Johnson Steve Johnson is a successful print owner and digital pioneer. Each month in…

“Paper shows that analog technology can excel at specific tasks and uses on a very practical level, especially when compared to digital technology. While paper use may have shrunk in certain areas since the introduction of digital communications, in…

As a rule, I do not enjoy reading blogs. Countless scientific studies have unanimously concluded that online reading results in inferior comprehension and minimal retention. In-depth on-screen reading is also uncomfortable on my eyes. The typical…

Premium Commentary & Analysis No matter the medium, solid content will get the attention of your prospects. No amount of animation, keywords, or pretty pictures can hold audience attention without good content. About Steve Johnson Steve Johnson is a…

Premium Commentary & Analysis Colleges, universities, vocational schools and high schools are discontinuing graphic arts programs—even though students pursuing careers in print are much more likely to land successful positions upon graduation than…

Listen to the audio version of this article University of Wisconsin–Stout, nestled in Wisconsin’s picturesque Northwoods, recently announced it is suspending admissions to its Graphic Communications program. I’ve heard rumors that Ferris State…

Premium Commentary & Analysis The fur flies as Steve Johnson attempts to claw back a veterinary medicine rebate he was promised. Read on to see how customer loyalty programs can quickly become customer antagonism programs. Our mission is to provide…

Walter the Cat lives with me in a large house on a big lot in a rural area with a cold climate, all factors which add up to mice. Walter’s job is to hunt mice in the house and outdoors around the perimeter. Since Walter spends much time outside, his…

Premium Commentary & Analysis Steve Johnson calls out some nonsense—and what better place to start than the internet, home of social media, which is unequalled for nonsense. Our mission is to provide cogent commentary and analysis about trends,…