Here’s a Manufacturer That Has Taken on the Economic Downturn, and is Winning!

When you have lemons, make lemonade! I know most of the manufacturers that read me regularly pulled in their horns last year to ride out the uncertainty. There are a few, though, that have continued on and have made an impact on both the economy and their bottom line.

I’ve been trying to showcase some of these leaders over the past several months, and here is another one. Molex (Disclaimer: they are a client of ours), through its Woodhead brand, offers the broadest range of code-compliant electrical products designed to perform in harsh environments.

When the Government last year introduced the (ARRA) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to focus on rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructures of the country, Molex came out with their own program, Rebuilding America Together. The target audiences were distributors and contractors in the commercial construction and utilities industries.

Their integrated plan included :

The good news is that they had the insight to do something when everything was tanking. The better news is it’s working. It created buzz at the distributor level and gave them something to talk about with the contractors. It gave the contractors incentives as well as fostering a  theme of patriotism. It gave Molex increased sales.

That’s one more example of someone doing it right. I’d love to hear from you if you have other examples.

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Six Ways to Make Your Marketing to Tradesmen More Effective

glasseswithhardhatandrulerThe economic downturn can actually be a blessing in disguise. Marketing departments now have a chance to shine by showing how to work more effectively as well as to measure and account for their marketing decisions.

You don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you business is soft. The question is, given your resources and budget, how are you going to make your marketing work more effectively?

If we’re all truthful with ourselves, we’d have to admit that over the past 5 to 7 years, marketing budgets haven’t been scrutinized as much as they should have been. In today’s economy, those marketing budgets are in the crosshairs. Moving forward with the same-old, same-old is not an option.

Below are six ways you can make your marketing to tradesmen more effective:

1. Focus On What You Can Control

You can’t control what’s going on in Washington, the economy or most other market factors. However, you do have control over your marketing. Recognize where the demand is and go after it. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

2. Re-Evaluate Your Marketing Goals

Based on what’s happening with the economy, are your company’s marketing goals achievable? It may be time to re-state and re-prioritize your goals.

3. You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure

Take a hard look at the performance of your marketing plan. I know something like ad awareness is costly and hard to measure. But things like trade show leads, direct mail and online programs are measurable. Look hard and, if needed, reallocate and optimize your budget. You can’t afford underperforming programs.

4. Fish Where The Fish Are

You know who your customers and potential customers are. Make the most of your marketing investment and increase your visibility through targeted vehicles where your prospects will see your message and take action.

5. Integrated Marketing

We’ve always been advocates of tying your messages to various touch points for your customers. This synergistic method allows you a better bang for the buck! And don’t forget to bring the sales team up-to-speed as to what you’re doing. They’re an extension of your marketing efforts.

6. Focus On Quality

More is not necessarily better. The quality of your sales leads is far more important. If you adhere to the previous five suggestions, you will deliver better-quality leads, which will improve your bottom line and make everybody happy.

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