Chris Martin-Murphy
Director of Interface Research
Sydney

“I first started working with John 3 years ago on the first of many research projects my company has conducted for the Greater Building Society. John is a quite extraordinary marketer, retail specialist and advertiser, probably the best combination of the three that I have come across in 35 years in Advertising and 30 (concurrent) years in Research and Strategy! John is also a great visualiser and an excellent promotions and display designer.

As the creator of the ‘Free Holiday With Every Home Loan’ for the Greater Building Society (and co-producer of the TV advertisements), John should be very proud that the Greater Building Society consistently records the ‘highest unaided advertising awareness of any brand in its marketplace!’ I know this, because I’m the one who conducts these research studies.

The Greater has an astonishing 72% unaided awareness in the Hunter region and an amazing 56% in the Wollongong region, even though it has been operating on the South Coast for only 2 years! Even more remarkable is that the related specific and correct advertising message recall of John’s campaigns is the highest I have ever seen! (56% average across markets). I also work with John on research projects for other clients such as Parramatta Leagues Club, and really like the way he works to ensure that our research has a commercial outcome which can bring about extra profits for businesses.

Most entrepreneurs and consultants that I have met, lack John’s sense of humour, spontaneity and rapid-fire creativity – which is why I hope to work with him for a long time to come!

(Chris is Principal and Managing Director of Interface Research and Strategy Pty Ltd and has previously been Vice-President International and Managing Director of Young & Rubicam Advertising Agencies in Melbourne and Sydney – and Managing Director of The Campaign Palace, Sydney)

Graham Miles
General Manager
Hot Tomato Radio Station
Gold Coast, Queensland

I've known John for several years and have a great deal of respect for his entrepreneurial and marketing skills.

As General Manager for Hot Tomato Radio Station on the Gold Coast, I have engaged John's services on numerous occasions, to stimulate both listening audiences and advertising revenue.

His value to our radio station in both areas has been significant and we are keen supporters of his “wow factor” marketing philosophy.

Indeed, our station won a “2005 Industry Award" for a client Sales Promotion co-designed with John.

John was instrumental in helping us design a unique “radio/Direct Mail Advertising Package” to businesses recently, acting as a keynote speaker at our Sales Presentations to business owners. The result was a staggering $1.4 million in advertising sales in just 5 days!

John's ability to provide businesses with “instant sales generating concepts" sets him apart from any other Advertising or Marketing person I've met.

He's quick, creative and he delivers.

I know that his experience covers a multitude of industries, hence why I have no hesitation in calling him for marketing advice when my Station's clients need help with building sales.

His "wow factor” enthusiasm is infectious and he's genuine in his desire to deliver outstanding results. He's a strategic thinker who knows the tricks of creating instant sales as well as long term repetitive sales

Don Magin
General Manager
Greater Building Society
New South Wales

“John has been involved with the Greater Building Society now for over 5 years, in which time he has secured his position as a valuable asset to the company. At the highest level, John is the major contributor to the Society’s strategic marketing direction. Additionally, he is heavily involved in most aspects of the ‘hands on’ day-to-day advertising and marketing duties.

John has exceptional skills which are held in high regard by Management. He ensures that all our advertising is relevant, has a ‘call to action’ and that we are able to measure the results. John has been able to help the Society lower our “operational costs” of advertising services, because he has personally taken on a multi-task role.

John’s strategic skills and creative input has seen the Society reposition itself in the market and the Greater is now perceived to be a more vibrant and progressive organisation than it was previously.

This image has been further enhanced by his ‘Greater Getaways’ free holiday promotion, where we offer free holidays to people taking out a home loan. Strategically, John has underpinned this free holiday offer with other values, delivered by customer testimonials – which have ensured the ongoing success of the campaign.

As John frequently reminds us, the real proof is in the results, and the results have been absolutely spectacular, with our home loan lending figures being double the industry growth of the recent boom years.

The Greater’s major competitor, another Newcastle-based building society, has reported home loan approvals approximately 30% higher than the Greater’s for many years – until now. In the first year of the Greater free holiday campaign, the Greater made up this gap and out-lent its major competitor considerably!

John has also been instrumental in helping the Society to expand its branch network into new geographical regions. He has provided strategic input via geo-demographic mapping and research, helping us pinpoint the best locations for expanding our branch network. John has made a significant contribution to the success that our Society has enjoyed in recent years and is extremely highly respected by Senior Management. We stand as living proof that ‘marketing strategy with “wow factor” really does work’”.

Linda Joannides
Marketing & Entertainment Manager
Revesby Workers Club
Sydney

“I have known John for over 20 years and have worked with him on countless innovative marketing projects. I am pleased to call him both a work colleague and a trusted friend.

He has many outstanding characteristics, including a work ethic second-to-none. He bases all his projects on sound research, analysis and strategy – and has an uncanny knack of “cutting through the clutter” to get to the heart of the project.

John also believes in delivering results, understanding that a business has to sell product at the same time as building a brand. He is not a marketer out to win “flashy awards”, but takes great pride in having delivered some of the most successful campaigns ever stages in Australia. I happen to know that his “Channel 9 Big News Game” broke world TV ratings records, as I was working with him on the project at the time. I also know that he holds world sales records with other innovative marketing projects he has worked on.

John has a great all-round skill-set that covers all aspects of the Advertising/Marketing mix, including TV, radio and print production, direct mail, copywriting and strategic planning. He has built an enviable reputation and is held in high regard with clients all around Australia. I still gain consultancy regularly on major projects. He never fails to bring valuable things to the table.

Having worked with John over the years, I have personally learned a lot from him, not the least of which is “to always over deliver to a client”. He taught me to always give more than is expected and to always look for “the wow factor” in every marketing initiative. He pushes the envelope unlike any other Advertising person I have met.

I have particularly high regard for his wonderful TV show project, called “Dreams Can Come True”. This series of television specials with Channel 10 was groundbreaking television in that it was the forerunner in the mid-90s for the many reality programs that were to follow. It was truly inspirational TV at its very best!

Above all, John is one of the most honest and generous people I have had the pleasure to work with and I hope to continue to do so for a long time to come.

Richard Winton
Managing Director
Sports Direction (ARL Rugby League Licensing Consultant)
Queensland

“Sports Direction was contracted by the Australian Rugby League in the 90s, looking after the management of its licensing program. I worked closely with John when he was granted a licence for Rugby League trading cards in 1994. John introduced bold and exciting initiatives to the licensed trading card product, vastly improving it from the previous licensee’s efforts. By employing well-executed “avalanche marketing techniques” (TV and mass sampling newspaper inserts) the profile of the Rugby League swap cards lifted immeasurably.

Never before had any Australian sporting licensed product received such widespread exposure. A combination of clever radio, press, television and magazine advertising, contributed to sales of the product skyrocketing to an all time high in the first year of John’s contract.

In 1993, the previous trading card licence was the 12th highest royalty earner for the ARL. Under John’s control in 1994, it became the top licensee for the code of Rugby League, generating six times the 1993 revenue! Product sales at retail increased from $2 million in 1993 to $12 million in 1994 – an absolutely extraordinary result!

I recall that John was subsequently voted on to the ARL Licensees’ Marketing Committee which advised on the marketing of a whole range of Rugby League products and other general marketing issues.

I have now known John for over 10 years and still work closely with him on various projects. He is a lot of fun to work with and I respect his marketing prowess and expertise.”

Ron Farrow
Former Chief Executive & Director
Stockland Shopping Centre Group
Sydney

“I’ve known John for over 20 years and greatly admire his many skills in the Marketing and Advertising arena. It was in my capacity as Executive Director of the Stockland Trust Group, Director of the Australian Shopping Centre Managers Pty Ltd and NSW Vice-President of the Building Owners and Managers Association (now named Property Council of Australia), that I witnessed John’s unique combination of talents shine.

I personally, as well as the various companies and organisations, greatly benefited from John’s unbelievable creative talent. I say ‘unique combination of talents’ because it is rare, in my experience, to find such a creative talent who is also a clear strategic thinker and planner. His creative work in the Marketing field is driven by research specific to the task which means that John is virtually a “one man complete agency”.

I admire the way that John is always aware of budget and deadlines, two very crucial matters. Whatever business you are in, you do not need to continue any search for marketing assistance. You have found the talent you require.”

Freddy Fajardo
Marketing Manager
Parramatta Leagues NSW

John is without doubt one of the most outstanding marketers in Australia.

I am grateful to be privy to some of his success stories of recent years – and it appears he gets better with age!!

Aside from the pleasure of learning so much from this “guru of marketing”, I also value the opportunity of watching his “poetry in motion”.

The absolute speed and creativity of his delivery of ideas is astounding

I’ve seen seven or eight people walk out of one of his meetings, “mesmerised” at the number of whiteboard ideas he has just thrown together on the spot. (Although he will explain that these “on the spot” revelations are actually 20 years worth of experience, simply shining in one meeting!)

I have used John’s skills at Parramatta Leagues for numerous years.

He has an incredible eye for detail, not common in most advertising people.

His expertise is well regarded and his “strategic thinking” makes his creative input even more potent.

Radio, television, print or e-marketing – he’s got the lot.
And he’s willing to burn the midnight oil if there’s a tight deadline.
In fact, I’m not sure that he ever sleeps!

As a marketeer, I believe he’s one of a kind – someone who can help you grow your business through a mix of strategy and “wow factor!”

Yes, I’ve caught his damn “wow factor” bug! But I’m glad I have!

Adrian Richards
Principal
East Coast Conveyancing
Forster

“I was introduced to John by a friend who is associated with the Greater Building Society. The “no fees” and “free holiday” campaign which John put together for the Society was so successful in differentiating the building society from its competitors, we contacted John to create the same magic for East Coast Conveyancing. The very nature of transferring title in property is so generic, we really needed an edge on our competitors. John made it his business to learn a great deal about conveyancing (we could probably now offer him a position in one of our offices!) and delivered a powerful creative strategic plan for East coast!

He rightly pointed out that our “wow factor” needed to differentiate us from our competitors. We therefore highlighted the benefits of using our services rather than a solicitor (our major competitor), and the results have been fabulous.

Another great thing about John’s service is that when he makes a deadline commitment, he sticks to it. But most importantly, he knows how to cut through the marketing hype and clichés, he simply delivers first time all the time.”

Lisa Taylor
Director of Strategic Business
Horizons Golf Resort
Port Stephens NSW

“I have known John for some years, firstly in my role as Marketing Manager of the Newcastle Knights and then as a senior management member of Horizons Golf Resort at Port Stephens. John is one of the most creative strategic thinkers that I have come across. He delivers on time, every time and always continues to push the envelope. I have learnt a lot from John over the years and place his “mentoring” in high regard.

In both my positions with the Newcastle Knights NRL team and Horizons Golf Resort, I have found John’s marketing prowess to be second-to-none.”

Mark Smale
Executive Producer
Ambience Post Productions
Sydney

“I first worked with John during my time as General Manager and Director of Warner Bros Consumer Products in Australia, where he created some groundbreaking sales promotions for major clients of ours, including major shopping centre groups like Westfield, FMCG companies, Fast Food chains, and TV networks. John has been instrumental in conceiving unique packages which not only generated great marketing exposure for our entertainment properties but also generated significant increases in sales for both Warner Bros and our clients.

Subsequently, John was a major licensee for some of Warner Bros flagship properties like Batman and Looney Tunes. His imaginative approach to product development, distribution and marketing, saw his product categories become a huge sensation in the Australian industry. Indeed, John was instrumental in creating the Trading Card phenomenon in Australia, blitzing previous sales records both locally and overseas!

He has a magic combination of skills in the marketing and sales arenas and is capable of coming up with unbelievably creative advertising campaigns virtually on the spot. A prime mover in the development of “avalanche marketing” John is the best exponent of “wow factor” marketing in Australia in my opinion.

No matter whether John is working with the largest corporation or one of the smallest, his personal sense of pride ensures that he always over delivers.

A great family man with a high level of ethics, John is a pleasure to do business with. He has a sharp and funny wit and is an exciting person with whom to work. I still frequently call on him for consultancy assistance on regular occasions and would certainly recommend him to any company that may have a need for a lateral and accountable approach to their sales and marketing.

Max Cowan
Marketing Manager
Panthers World Of Entertainment
Penrith NSW

John Dwyer has quite a long history of dealings with the Panthers Entertainment Group – dealings that overwhelming resulted in growth in aspects of our business.

We first started using John’s skills to enhance our promotional and event activities. John’s approach has always been that he should add value to our business – an attitude that is far from common.

John has been instrumental in dramatically improving the sales of our retail division – specifically sales of Rugby League merchandise.

John has helped us to grow sales in this part of our business, across all distribution channels, including games, through the club shop, and e-commerce.

The bottom line is that John’s consultancy with Panthers has helped produce a quantum leap in the revenue and profit of our retail and merchandise division.

A large part of the increases can only be attributed to the approach taken by John. He has a unique capacity to apply scientific disciplines to creative talent.

In addition to delivering this unusual and powerful combination, John is also extremely alert to the needs of his clients and is prepared to go to any lengths to ensure the desired results are achieved. For Panthers, an important part of the result was to ensure our own employees were not threatened by his presence and, indeed, were to be imparted with some of his fundamental skills and knowledge.

Furthermore, he is willing is suggest and implement initiatives which may be to his own financial detriment. Essentially, it is our success that is the number one priority.

In summary, I don’t think I could write a high enough recommendation about John Dwyer – and I certainly cannot provide one the gives you a comprehensive understanding of the value he delivers.

Hannah White
Sales, Marketing and Business Manager
Kooee Communications / SPT Telecommunications

While I have only known John Dwyer for a couple of years, a large number of my respected colleagues at both NBN Television and Kooee have known John in an occupational, professional and social capacity over a long period of time and he is highly regarded by myself as well as my colleagues.

I have been involved with John as a “creative” contractor to Kooee and I have found John’s creative input to our business to be nothing less than refreshing. His pro-active attitude to working with us on our business plan combined with his creative input and all-important strategic direction has assisted our marketing and subsequent sales significantly. John understood the important value of customer segmentation and ensured that our positioning of the brand took this into account at all times ensuring we were targeting the product mix to the most suitable customer base.

Importantly, John has a fun attitude towards creating the “wow factor” and this was incredibly challenging in the field of telecommunications as it is somewhat of a low interest category. He managed to differentiate our brand in a market where most of the products are much the same – quite an achievement!

At all times I have witnessed John conduct himself as a consummate business person and professional. John’s track record as a creative business professional speaks for itself with input being provided to leading organizations in a number of markets including retail, financial and telecommunications sectors.

I have admired John’s dedication to his work and also the professionalism and integrity he applied in doing so. Observing the conduct of John in both a business environment and a creative environment I can confirm that he does operate in a professional and confident manner and has gained the respect of other people operating in this business community. John has a natural flair with people and the ability to establish a business relationship with ease and can maintain and build on that relationship for the benefit of the employer’s business. John is an intelligent individual whom I have seen attack problem solving with vigour and dedicated application combined with the patience to achieve a satisfactory resolution.

It is without hesitation that I provide this statement on the character and ability of John Dwyer. I commend John to you as a person of the highest integrity who is a dedicated employee and father and a valuable contributor to our community.

Please feel free to contact me personally should you wish further comment or confirmation of this statement.

John Keleher
Owner
Australian Lawn Concepts
Gold Coast, Queensland

I am the owner of Australian Lawn Concepts, a turf farm situated in the Tamborine Mountains, Gold Coast, Queensland.

Being a relatively new owner of this 20-year-old business, I wanted to devote some resources to marketing. Frankly, the turf industry historically does not devote a lot of effort to marketing its products or services. Hence why I believed there was a terrific opportunity to increase market share by being somewhat innovative in our marketing approach.

John has been instrumental in teaching us the merits of a “focused marketing campaign”, providing our business with powerful Direct Marketing ideas, which reach our target audiences cost effectively. I have found his approach to be very methodical, yet up-beat and fun. It has been a real learning curve for myself and the business, one which I’m pleased to say will influence our sales techniques for years to come.

Upon John’s introduction to our business, he quickly asked various key questions to determine the likely target audiences for our various products. He swiftly determined that our two major customer bases were landscapers and new homeowners. Having done this, he put together a separate campaign for each.

In the case of landscapers, he suggested a “value-add offer” of a free carton of Crown Lager beer with every 500 sq. metres turf ordered. (About one home’s worth.) Having sourced a database of landscapers, John produced a Direct Mail piece featuring the Crown Lager offer and we mailed it to half of our database in the first instance. The results were stunning to say the least! Our sales grew so dramatically, we had to stall sending out the rest of our database mailing until we could catch up with deliveries!

Similarly, in the case of new homes, John drilled down to the most important feature in a householder’s mind, that being the “increase in one’s home value when they lay turf”. Therefore, our letterbox brochure campaign to new homeowners centred around the “potential increase in value” of their home when they laid new turf. The results of this campaign have also been terrific for us.

The thing I like about John’s consultancy service is that he not only provided methodical and strategic thinking, but he also adds his important “wow factor” to really make one’s advertising campaign stand out from competitors. His ideas have certainly helped revolutionise our business’s sales strategy and I’m very thankful for the chance to access his marketing skills

Greg Pugh
General Manager
Genelite Generators
Brisbane, Queensland

Our generator company is a market leader and after many years of handling our marketing “in-house”, we knew it was time to bring in an expert.

John was highly recommended to us by an associate and engaging his services was the best thing we’ve ever done.

Within a week of initially meeting us, John provided us with a strategic game plan going forward, including a draft advertising and publicity campaign.

He swiftly re-branded our company with a fresh, new logo and produced a suite of direct mail brochures promoting our product. He researched the relevant trade press and negotiated extraordinary deals for us, all the time ensuring that we were going to bet “bang for our buck.”

Our advertising spend is now far more disciplined than it was before, with John showing us the benefits of targeting our messages carefully.

His “wow factor” philosophy has certainly paid dividends for us, with our advertising now generating substantially more leads than ever before.

Additionally, John helped re-design our tired-looking website, so that now our web presence is one of our biggest drivers of new business.

John is undoubtedly a one-man “wow factor machine” who continually over delivers to ensure his client gets the desired results. He’s fast, reliable and creative. And he gets results.