“Drayton Bird Associates promises “Results – nothing less” and that is what they’ve delivered consistently since we started the stimulating and fun experience of working with them. I would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone who wants to build their business through outstanding direct marketing.”
Huw Williams, Marketing Director, Leger Holidays
“After reviewing the current performance of all marketing creative we have come to the scary realisation that your creative is the only material we have that consistently meets and exceeds its targets. This is scary because if Paul hadn’t the foresight to introduce an agency test into the campaign we would shortly be concluding that the PruHealth direct-to-consumer channel doesn’t work”
James Perrin, PruHealth
“The results have far exceeded my expectations – about 3 times better than previous similar mailings ”
Kevin Elsom, Chief Executive, CommShare, Isle of Man
“As one of the country’s largest mailers only three things matter. Results, results and results. We were doing fine – but needed a fresh input. Their first creative matched existing results. Learning from this they developed a pack which lifted response by nearly 50% – with cost per sale down by 25%. For three years we’ve tested their work against alternatives. Nothing else has had the endurance, flexibility or potential. People talk about partnership. They are the real thing. Quick, dedicated – and great lunches.”
Paul Mitchel, Everest
“I value the partnership which seems to have grown between our two firms”
Peter Hargreaves, Co-Founder and CEO, Hargreaves Lansdown
“Extraordinarily good at understanding products, identifying what motivates prospects and, above all, getting more of them to reply and to buy. All I can say is Thank God for Drayton Bird.”
Alex Davies, Marketing Director, Hargreaves Lansdown
“I was lucky enough to hear you speak at the Practice Builders training a few months ago. Your book is also very interesting and my advertising by following your advice has been incredibly successful ”
Howard D’Silva – Principal Hypnotherapist, Three Counties Advanced Hypnotherapy
“Product from the Drayton Bird agency pretty much does what it says on the tin. If you are looking for direct response then this is certainly one place to try. Their no-nonsense approach using proven techniques and clear, detailed copy works. Since putting them to the test with an email campaign their executions have consistently outperformed control groups across our target universe. We plan to expand our range of activity with them ”
John Pickles, Marketing Director, Inside Track
“…we have come an extremely long way in a short space of time and now must rank as one of the largest direct marketing practitioners in FMCG today. There is no doubt in my mind we would not have been able to achieve this without Drayton Bird, his unique wealth of experience, and the talent which surrounds him.”
Barry Jenner, General Manager, Marketing, Gallaher Limited
“Drayton is a straight-talking DM guru who captivates his audiences. He is never afraid of being different (or writing more copy than anyone else!) and has helped us become the 2nd largest player in our sector.”
Neil Sherring, Marketing Director, Windsor Telecom plc
“While I was Sales and Marketing Director of Go, Drayton showed me the difference between a booking and a customer, and in so doing helped make our marketing budget at least twice as effective. ”
David Magliano
“Drayton Bird is the best Direct Marketing man in the world.”
Michael Ball, Chairman, The Ball Partnership
“Drayton’s a genius you know. Seriously.”
Ken McCarthy, founder, The Internet Gazette, and organiser of the first ever conference on web marketing, in 1994
“We first started working with Drayton Bird Associates in 2004, when we wanted better response rates on direct mail for Personal Loans. The immediate success of the first campaigns led to a successful and profitable relationship that has since encompassed control-beating work on general insurance, savings plans and life insurance.
Besides putting the DBA effect into our creative work, we arranged for Drayton himself to deliver a full-day training seminar to all our direct marketers. (I am certain the last 25 years would have been very different for me had I not attended an “Essential Direct Marketing’ course run by Drayton and his partner Brian Thomas in the Forum Hotel back in 1982.)
The day with him delivered an outstanding boost to team performance and also morale. After all, how often does one of the world’s most recognised, celebrated and highly respected marketers spend all day with you, talking specifically about your business and delivering dozens of common-sense ideas and solutions you can put into practice immediately?
Perhaps the most refreshing thing about working with Drayton Bird is his honesty. If you are prepared to face the truth, he will give it to you.
Common sense input on your brand, your product, your existing marketing communications – and most importantly, your customers. Forty-odd years of success (and occasional failures, some of which are now hilarious Bird anecdotes) have taught Drayton how to connect with people, emotionally and rationally – so he goes beyond “thinking” and “feeling” into what matters most of all: “acting” – parting with their hard-earned cash for your product.
What’s more, Drayton is one of the most interesting people I know as a person. He is also great fun to be with. As indeed, is his Creative Director, Marta; when she can get a break from writing all Drayton’s copy for him!”
Paul Leadbitter, Head of Direct Distribution, LV= , Liverpool Victoria
“The response was 5 times higher than the TV ads, with 60% less cost, but the most interesting part was that the visitors to our website were DOUBLE and we had phone calls to our office. This never happened before … and all from 5 minutes advice.”
Jaime Montesinos, Principal, IPM Business School, Lima, Peru
“No one writes advertisements like Drayton Bird. When CCB wanted to promote fastMAP, its new web-based research programme we asked Drayton to write the copy for the ad. The result? We got five times more response.”
Tony Coad, Chairman, CCB Ltd
“Here is a man who has lived it, studied it and done it. When it comes to direct marketing there is no one better than Drayton Bird.”
Director of the First U.S. Trade Mission for Direct Marketing
“BeachBody.com had a moderately successful DRTV fitness business doing $6 million per year in sales. Then the company started to employ the suggestions and strategies of Drayton Bird, and in its next year the company topped $40 million in sales.”
Carl Daikeler
“We needed a direct marketing agency that was capable of directing and strengthening the strategic and creative work of local agencies around the globe. In my experience, few other agencies know as much about direct marketing as The Drayton Bird Partnership”
Alida Catcheside International Direct Marketing Manager, Novartis
“We’ve thrown the kitchen sink at Drayton – copy for chase up letters for late payers, letters to involve Vietnamese communities, new leaflets, web sites, finding old delegates and countless sales letters. Over 5 years he has never said no, has never let us down once and has always had a new angle on things. Given that he’s helped our business a million times over, in good and desperately bad times, what else could you ask for from a copywriter?”
Rod Laird – Rod Laird Organisations
“You can rely on Drayton Bird Associates to deliver the goods.Their analysis is always thorough – the product of partners with a wealth of combined experience and very sound judgment. They quickly grasp the important issues and know which levers to pull. When the thinking is right the challenges become obvious. I’d recommend them anytime.”
Andrew Pound, Head of Direct Marketing, Masterfoods Europe Dog Portfolio
“There are three reasons why we started working with the Partnership. Solid commonsense, experience and technique. They’re not 23 year olds in baggy pants with baggy brains to match. They know how to put all the bits together to make a successful campaign, and they work hard at making our money work.”
Oliver Johnson, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz (UK) Ltd
“If I look back over 25 years of my involvement with the discipline of direct marketing the one constant that has always been my source of inspiration has been Drayton Bird. Whenever I am asked for advice on DM my stock answer is, ‘read his books!”
Rob Tolmie, Managing Director, Extrafilm (Australia’s leading photographic DM firm)
“You can’t imagine the impact it has when you’re working with this team; they really do care about you, your business and making it grow.”
Stuart Summers, European Business Manager, DCI Affinity Systems Inc.
“Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world. His book about it is pure gold. His speeches are not only informative, but hilariously funny.”
David Ogilvy, Founder Ogilvy & Mather