When friends and publishing industry peers first hear the name Don Johnson, they think , “What a great family man.”  And no wonder.   There are no people more special to Don than his four children and nine grandchildren.    However, along with helping to raise a family with his wife, Ruth, Don has made remarkable contributions to the world of custom media over the last three decades. 

Don joined Meredith Integrated Marketing (MIM) in 1980 and has helped lead its phenomenal growth by focusing on a singular imperative: produce outstanding creative products that engage readers and help achieve client objectives.  Along the way, he gained a reputation among his colleagues for his unflinching refusal to compromise creative standards.   Don has been instrumental in the creation and execution of some of custom media’s most innovative and award-winning programs:

• Nestlé Infant Nutrition direct mail and magazine program, which has created one-to-one communications with Nestlé, pregnant women and new mothers, delivering over 10 million pieces of mail a year

• Successful newsstand and subscription magazines such as Figure for Charming Shoppes  and Crayola Kids for Binney & Smith

• Chrysler’s global owner loyalty program for seven million Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler owners worldwide

• State Farm’s good neighbor magazine, which is targeted to policyholders

Jack Griffin, President, Meredith Corporation Publishing Group, has worked with Don since 1996.  He said, “Don is respected across the company and throughout our industry as an Editor-in-Chief who treats his fellow employees and peers with the utmost fairness and respect.  Don’s long and extremely productive career has greatly benefited the custom publishing industry.”