Against the Grain: Advertising

Many of the manufacturing companies we’ve come across share a common internal characteristic — they’re consumed by an engineering mindset. And for good reason. But this feature-minded, product-centric outlook causes trouble for marketing and sales.

Engineers and customers don’t care about the same things.

Your engineering staff is a valuable resource when developing your marketing materials… but they’re not marketers. They’re often so enamored with the engineering minutia of a new product that they lose touch with why a customer should care. They’re selling the features and celebrating the challenges their department overcame to deliver the product. But you have to keep your eye on the only thing that matters — how it benefits the customer.

After chatting with professionals in the field of advertising, I cannot tell you how many times I heard, “If you don’t have any experience in the crazy world of advertising, chances are you won’t be considered for a position.”  I suppose this is understandable.  I mean, why would agencies want to hire a person fresh out of college with zero knowledge of agency life when they could hire someone who has completed an internship and learned the ins and outs of advertising already?

Now, we’ve all been told that internships might not be the most fun and exciting work, but once you get over the standard intern “chores” of making coffee and printing copies, it is clear to see that no class can beat in-house experience.  Walking around the agency, seeing what people do on a day-to-day basis is something that is more valuable than any classroom project.  With only five days experience under my belt so far, it seems like I’ve learned more in those days than I did all semester at school.  Classes can teach you about typical advertising pieces like what a creative brief is or what a new business pitch should look like, but nothing beats hands-on experience.  This is why internships are so valuable.  You have the opportunity to watch and interact with people who’ve been in the business for years.  I’ve been able to sit in on new ad pitches, brainstorming sessions, vendor meetings as well as new client proposal pieces.  Everything is new and exciting.

Everyday I go into work excited to see what projects I will be working on next, keeping an open mind knowing that some will be better than others, but you have to start somewhere right?  With the World Pork Expo coming up next week, I know I’ll have my work cut out for me.  I’m taking every day one step at a time but eager to see what’s in store for me in the future.  Also, just for the record, I haven’t been the “coffee boy” or “copy guy” yet, but if need be, I’ll step up to the plate; after all, I am the intern…

The primary goal of a manufacturer’s marketing efforts is to generate leads for a sales team and dealer channel. Educating the marketplace, positioning products versus the competition and brand building are all parts of the message… but the end goal is the same. Sell more stuff.

One thing many marketers are forgetting to do: Ask the sales team for marketing advice.

It’s commonplace to find an organization that has completely separated the two disciplines. But their job is to feed each other. Marketing feeds leads and awareness to sales, and sales feeds market insight and customer feedback to marketing. It’s a perfect circle. Ahhh… the symmetry. Make it happen.

Times have changed… and how quickly it’s happened. 2007 might as well be two decades ago. Marketing strategies have most certainly shifted in response to the changing economy. Marketers have been forced to cut back, put projects on hold and maybe even cut staff. But chances are they haven’t done the one absolute imperative in tough times…

They haven’t changed their marketing message. (Have you?)

Regardless of how a company is doing, its customers are likely struggling. Their pain points have changed. They have different needs than they had 12-18 months ago. And if marketing hasn’t changed to address those new pain points, then sales are being left on the table.

Too often, companies claim to be “market leaders” but when it comes to their marketing and advertising, they behave much more like market followers. Your biggest competitor just started running ads in a national trade pub? Me too! They have a big booth at the industry trade show? Yes, me too please!

Not so fast.

Don’t assume they’re smarter. Don’t assume that what’s good for them is good for everyone. And definitely don’t assume that being a follower is the path toward market leadership. Make reasoned decisions and do the right thing, not the popular thing. Watch the competition. But don’t follow them.