The Human Element Behind The Manufacturing Industry

At Setup, we regularly interview marketing leaders from different industries ranging from Tourism to Packaging to Entertainment and Healthcare. Having periodic conversations with marketing leaders not only helps us keep a pulse on every industry, but reveals common trends and challenges that all marketers are facing.

Although we have written about the Manufacturing industry in the past, we spoke with marketing leaders Andrea Arnold, the Senior Manager, Global Marketing, eMobility at Eaton, and Marcus Lennon, Sector Marketing & GTM at Jabil, to get the latest updates and news. 

1. What innovative changes are happening in the Manufacturing space? What changes made are going to remain permanent moving forward?

TLDR: Organizations are more informed and connected than ever before. Connection leads to information which can help engineer projects more efficiently and cater products more effectively to clients.

Arnold: It’s a transformative time for manufacturing, as well as many other industries, leaning into digitalization and intelligent technology while focusing on sustainability. It’s exciting to see organizations becoming more connected throughout the globe. For example, we have testing labs around the world with advanced equipment and tools like 3D printers to keep design and engineering projects moving, and sharing results, no matter the time of day. As we are learning more efficient and optimized ways of managing projects, those new best practices will stick!

Lennon: Our customers’ always evolving pain points and goals are laser focused on the successful development and delivery of their product. Multiply that by dozens of industries with dozens of sectors and offerings, and you very quickly have a content challenge – in scale, time, and quality! In this B2B space, reaching those influencers and decision makers at very large companies, with the right sector specific message, can be challenging. We must be very targeted and very specific. Recently, we’ve seen continued advancement in marketing tool areas that are showing promise for our teams. 

Two of those are:

1 – Intent data and target signals allowing us to review data and engagements in real-time to see if our efforts are penetrating that account, generating the right interest or demand and being able to capture that demand.

 2 – AI. We’ve been exploring the use of AI in marketing across a variety of use cases that allows our team to create more content, specific to our targets and industries, much faster and even at a higher quality than before. We have also been using it to improve the quality of our targeting when much of our digital efforts are ABM based.

2. Are there other industries or companies outside of this industry that you have looked to for inspiration + why?

TLDR: Marketers in Manufacturing are interested in ideas that can be communicated in meaningful ways that resonate with audiences. There is also an interest in environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. 

Arnold: From a marketing perspective, I like to look at how customers are positioning themselves, as well as leading tech companies, for inspiration. It’s been this way for years, but benchmarking companies like Apple is incredibly useful. Apple has the marketing muscle and the business intelligence to appeal to broad audiences, and even in manufacturing B2B type industries, Apple’s tactics resonate with humans. From setting up customer tech days, trade shows, product naming - we have a lot to learn from world-class B2C companies in the B2B space.

Lennon: Being a manufacturer that supports the world’s biggest brands, we don’t have to look very far to gain inspiration from many industries. For us, inspiration often comes from the best storytellers, who can communicate complex ideas in a simple way that is meaningful. Industries and companies that are high-tech, innovative, and environmentally conscious are where we look for inspiration. This could be anything from Automotive, EV and Renewables, to Connected Products.

3. How have the last few years + virtual methods impacted the Manufacturing industry?

TLDR: Connecting virtually has improved processes, accessibility, and experiences for team members and customers. 

Arnold: For the area of manufacturing I work in, I see a lot of standardization around the globe. Our teams are constantly connected and sharing best practices to improve our design and processes. This is all possible through digital and virtual tools – sharing data and options, and connecting for discussions. The past few years in the virtual environment has made the world feel smaller, but in a good way.

Lennon: From a marketing team perspective, we’ve been able to manage the transition from home to office and somewhere in-between. From a manufacturing and sales perspective, we did see an increase in the use of virtual technologies that allowed prospects, customers, and even new employees virtual visits to the plant floor when travel was not possible. This allowed folks to experience technologies they wouldn’t otherwise have access to unless being there in person.

4. What marketing lessons can other industries learn from the Manufacturing space?

TLDR: Be a storyteller. Know the meaning behind your product and connect the customer to it. And look internally within your organization to understand your product better. 

Arnold: Marketers are storytellers, and in manufacturing, this is no different! The exciting part is being able to tell the story of the journey that happens in manufacturing. From concept to design to the manufacturing line, telling this story effectively helps build confidence for our customers that we have advanced production capabilities and can bring success to their business. It’s also important to help connect the dots on why the product or solution matters to ultimate end users. So the marketing lesson is to be authentic and share the product development journey – whatever that may look like – and emphasize how your solutions are making a positive impact for broader audiences and your customer’s customers.

Lennon: Looking for new ways to be efficient at scale while not sacrificing quality and continually innovating is the name of the game in manufacturing. We try to lean into those same goals and methodologies on the marketing side of the house and continue to look for ways to work smarter. Whether the adoption of AI in marketing or PLCM/project management processes, look within your own organizational teams and you’ll often find things us marketers can use to get better.

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When you think of the Manufacturing industry, industrial machines may come to mind. Funnily enough, just like most industries, the Manufacturing industry is tapping into the human psyche to understand and serve their customers just as much as a B2C industry. 

We interview marketing professionals regularly to get their thoughts on their industry, as well as what they’re keeping an eye on. Subscribe to the newsletter below to never miss an update, and check out other industry blogs below.