The Nuts + Bolts of the Manufacturing Industry
At Setup, we regularly interview a variety of industry experts to keep a pulse on what marketers are prioritizing and predicting in their field.
The following marketing leaders from Three Five Two and B2B Content Cure, formerly at Avient Corporation, share their perspective on the Manufacturing industry.
What innovative changes are happening in the Manufacturing space? What changes do you think will remain permanent?
The Manufacturing industry was hit by the pandemic on multiple fronts. Because of the delays on every end of the supply chain, companies weren’t able to fulfill orders on time, meaning manufacturers had to prove value by innovating in other ways...
Pursuing Technology + Data
Sarah Woodward, EVP of Growth at Three Five Two, claimed, “Unfortunately, marketers in manufacturing have to do a lot more with a lot less.” The Manufacturing industry is not investing in talent, so the industry needs a backup plan. “Where marketing job growth in sectors like retail (72%), education (64%), consulting (60%), and others increased, manufacturing has lost 7% of marketing jobs since the pandemic started. So technology, automation, and data have to step up and play a bigger role in attacking the customer journey.”
“Using digital tactics fueled by a customer-centric, content-based approach? It’s a change that’s here to stay.”
Embracing Digital Marketing
Michelle Maniscalco, the current Founder of B2B Content Cure, but previously the PR/Social/Content Leader at Avient Corporation, shared her experience with the sudden exponential use of digital marketing in the Manufacturing industry. “Manufacturing, perhaps more slowly than other B2B sectors, has begun to embrace digital marketing strategies and tactics in a much more comprehensive way than in the past. Where we might have only undertaken a disconnected Google Ad campaign that drove web traffic as an objective in the past, we’re now conducting digital equivalents of the OG integrated marketing campaign.”
She went on to describe how manufacturing is taking a more strategic, organized approach with their digital efforts. “They feature multiple channels, and are fueled by highly engaging content pillars accessed through a robust landing page, amplified by social media, and all focused around solving customer problems rather than telling customers they need to buy from us.” More and more solutions are customer-focused. By turning content pillars into a number of other formats, it makes materials more accessible to consumers and increases the chance of capturing consumer information.
Shifting to digital efforts, especially eCommerce can lead to more revenue and a deeper understanding of the consumer. Woodward stated, “eCommerce is critical to enabling a digital buyer to complete a purchase. According to Episerver’s B2B Digital Experience Report, ‘93% of manufacturers and 95% of distributors …expect that more than 20% of their revenue will [derive] from the B2B eCommerce websites they own and operate by [2025].’”
She added, “The more data Marketing and Sales teams have about their customers, the more efficiently we can go after them.” The more digital efforts in place, the more information collected on the consumer.
Woodward continued, “New digital infrastructure and marketing enablement platforms will allow manufacturers to run more efficiently and give them better insight into customer behavior and marketing performance. Better data is driving personalization, which is true across all industries, particularly in Manufacturing. And it enables Marketing and Sales teams to build long-term acquisition strategies through content marketing, account-based marketing, channel partnerships, and other hyper-targeted outreach. Early in the pandemic, content and organic social drove the most traffic to Manufacturing digital properties for almost 60% of the industry.”
Creating Consumer-Centric Content
“Content is more important than ever as B2B buyers want a self-serve buying experience,” shared Woodward as she was explaining how Manufacturing Marketing and Sales teams are playing catchup to other B2B industries regarding digital transformation, automation, and data strategy.
“As the Manufacturing industry itself incorporates more automation – Industry 4.0 adoption is well documented – we’ll see more of the marketing that supports it level up and ‘ditch the pitch’ so to speak,” shared Maniscalco. Content focused on the consumer as opposed to the product or company is resonating more, noted Maniscalco. “We’re seeing a switch to content marketing that defines customer problems and explores solutions rather than positioning manufacturers as the sole solution. Using digital tactics fueled by a customer-centric, content-based approach? It’s a change that’s here to stay.”
Woodward added, “Marketers and product teams are trying to understand their customers better and improve the customer experience. The industry will see more significant cost savings as they better integrate lines of business and unify the customer journey.”
Are there other industries or companies outside your own that you have looked to for inspiration and why?
The following content creators and business trailblazers that Maniscalco listed as inspiration are:
When looking at content, she typically looks for advice on “the best approaches to content-based digital marketing for B2B, engaging an audience, measuring and testing for actionable insights, finding a unique content niche, and making content that matters to our audience.”
What lessons can other industries learn from the manufacturing space?
Lesson #1 - Be passionate
Maniscalco pointed out that manufacturers are passionate, innovative, and, most importantly collaborative.
“Manufacturers are science-based in their approach. They have to be. Unlike the stereotypes that depict them as scientific to the extreme, however, these are passionate people. They care deeply about high levels of craftsmanship and what they are able to bring to life for their customers.”
Lesson #2 - Collaborate
“Without collaborating on solutions, innovation plummets. We plummet. So they raise the tide for one another. All boats are lifted. We all win.”
By sharing ideas, manufacturers lift and push one another to create a stronger, better output.
Maniscalco passionately stated, “Manufacturers are makers. They are people who make the tools, devices, and widgets that make things like electric cars, 5G, and renewable energy possible. They’re exploring the boundaries of technologies such as 3D printing, collaborative robots, and drone-based farming. It is complicated, to say the least. And without collaborating on solutions, innovation plummets. We plummet. So they raise the tide for one another. All boats are lifted. We all win.”
Lesson #3 - Build Community
Maniscalco shared that sharing purpose and digging deep is how manufacturers can work together to build something great. “I think other industries can learn to dig deep for the zeitgeist of its members and build community in this way. There is a shared sense of purpose that manufacturing utilizes to the advantage of all, and other industries could model this to their advantage.”
Lesson #4 - Never Give Up
It’s certainly been an uphill battle for the Manufacturing industry, but continuing to push forward, prioritize the consumer, and show value is how companies can stay relevant and successful.
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it might feel impossible to keep up. Staying ahead of the curb is as important as having your morning coffee – miss it, and you might find yourself dozing off at the wheel.
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