Your industrial marketing mix should be a blend
Generations of marketers have used the term marketing mix to refer to the tactics to help achieve marketing objectives. The foundation of this industrial marketing mix is the pillars of marketing. In general, these pillars have traditionally been four: product, price, promotion, and place. Recently, three more pillars have been added: packaging, positioning, and people. I recommend you throw one more into the industrial marketing mix, perception. To learn more about these eight pillars, see my blog, How many pillars of industrial marketing are you considering? Once you establish the pillars, you need to think of them as an industrial marketing blend. It is this blend that produces consistent results to achieve your goals.
The blend of lead generation
First of all, review your lead generation channels. Ideally, you should be using both awareness and direct tactics. Awareness builds brand recognition in market segments and includes social media, as well as print and online advertisements. Direct, such as prospecting calls, e-bulletins, mail, and trade shows, speak to prospects one-to-one. Don’t fall into the “the traditional doesn’t work” trap. This industrial marketing mix of lead-producing channels needs to be a blend of old and new to be truly effective. When these tactics maintain a consistent image and message (your brand), each work to enhance the others.
The blend of industrial marketing messages
Often, when I first work with industrial clients, their messaging is focused only on the core. These messages focus on the general services, products, and advantages of the company. However, that is only a surface messaging strategy. To achieve depth in your messages, you need to incorporate other messaging techniques that connect with prospects. These techniques include pain/relief, key drivers, and overcoming objections. When you use these messages in an industrial marketing blend, you can hit a range of points that are important to potential customers. Now the blending is not only of the different messages but in maintaining uniformity throughout your program. In addition, marketing messages need to be supported company-wide. Therefore, all of your staff need to understand and present them with customers, prospects, and suppliers.
The blend of target markets
Finally, this industrial marketing mix blending needs to extend to the markets you target. While you should separate market segments in their message and campaigns, there are areas where a blend is beneficial. To begin, review individual market messaging, it might reveal gaps you could fill from other markets’ messages. When you use this process, you strengthen all messages. This technique also helps you to diversify into new markets easier. Often, manufacturers are reluctant to attempt to break into other markets because they have no experience. However, by implementing proven messages and strategies when targeting a new market, you have a road map to follow. You simply need to blend the tried and true with new tactics.
About the Author
Paul Kowalski (or Pappy as he is called around the office) spent over two decades working at other agencies before opening Conach Marketing Group in 2008. The early part of his career was working with Fortune 500 clients at different agencies. However, working with smaller clients was his preference. This choice was because of the impact on a client’s business growth and forming closer, personal relationships.
About Conach
When he was creating Conach, his goal was to bring those Fortune 500 strategies along with years of B2B marketing experience to small business marketing clients. As a result of focusing on business to business marketing, Conach specializes in construction marketing, financial marketing, and industrial marketing. Even though we are in Mid-Michigan, Conach provides marketing services to clients across the country.
For more information, visit conachmarketing.com or contact us or call 989.401.3202.