Podcasts about kula ring

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Sam Rajkovich dives into the complexities of working with independent manufacturers' representatives. He unpacks how to compete for reps' time and attention, maintain brand consistency across third-party sellers, and build emotional connections that create loyalty. Sam also explores the economic tradeoffs of the model, its scalability, and its uncertain future as younger professionals shy away from commission-only roles. From messaging challenges to hybrid sales strategies, this episode offers a candid look at the evolving landscape of indirect sales in manufacturing.

Dive into this episode of The Kula Ring with Sean Momsen, VP of Business Development and Marketing at Evology Manufacturing. We discuss the secrets behind rapid manufacturing and how speed can revolutionize the customer experience. Sean shares his unique journey from aspiring car designer to leading a company that values your time as much as top-notch quality. Learn how Evology utilizes cutting-edge tech to deliver unparalleled service and projects on schedule while never losing sight of the human element. product development, or just fascinated by innovation and efficiency, this episode is a must-listen!

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Brittany Bachman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Boulter Industrial Contractors—a 133-year-old rigging and transport company—shares how she uses marketing to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. From her roots in nonprofit social media management to running recruitment campaigns for industrial companies, Brittany discusses her journey and how she's leveraging hands-on events and social media to inspire a new generation of talent in the skilled trades. She also explores the dual challenge of promoting both customer value and career opportunities, often through the same channels. You won't want to miss this one!

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Olivier Bousette, Head of Marketing at Rittal Canada, shares his perspective on how B2B manufacturers can use automation to scale their marketing efforts, especially when working with small teams or serving global markets. Olivier explores how automation tools like AI-generated social media posts and chatbots can free up time for higher-value marketing work while helping maintain brand consistency across regions. He also addresses the challenges of adapting HQ-created content to local markets, navigating team churn, and aligning regional and global marketing priorities. This episode offers valuable insights for marketers managing complex product messaging across distributed teams and geographies.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Angela Jackson, Marketing Director at Clark Pacific, unpacks how the company is transforming the building industry's understanding of prefabrication. Angela discusses Clark Pacific's strategic pivot from bespoke project work to a productized approach, emphasizing how designing for manufacturing creates efficiencies, enhances quality, and accelerates timelines. She explores the challenges of marketing to traditionally hard-to-reach stakeholders like building owners and architects, and shares how Clark Pacific invests heavily in education. Angela also highlights how internal culture has adapted to embrace creativity within standardized systems and how being consistently specced into projects marks a major marketing milestone. If you're in manufacturing, architecture, or construction and especially if you're exploring how to scale with a product-based mindset, this conversation offers valuable insights into how to align innovation, communication, and execution in a complex industry.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Nelson Bruton, Founder of Manufacturing Chats, joins Carman and Jeff to explore the role of live chat in modern B2B manufacturing websites. Nelson shares how real-time, human-enabled chat, not bots, can unlock conversions from prospects who would otherwise stay silent. Drawing from 20 years in the digital space, he outlines why staffing chat with internal teams often falls short, and how businesses can successfully integrate chat into their buyer engagement strategy without overwhelming their teams. Whether you're considering bots, hybrid AI, or fully staffed human support, this episode offers clear advice on how to maximize conversations and move beyond form fills.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Phil Harris of Paulo Heat Treating shares an honest and insightful look into the often murky handoff between sales and marketing. Phil walks us through how fostering a shared understanding of responsibilities and handoff qualifications combats inter-team tensions and strengthens leads. He discusses the mounting pressure on sales teams, the demand for higher-quality leads, and how a lack of SDR infrastructure in manufacturing intensifies these challenges. Phil outlines how redefining lead qualification and raising the bar for sales engagement significantly improved alignment and results. Plus, he shares actionable insights on using evergreen content, doubling down on newsletters, and experimenting with high-intent CTAs. If you're a marketer in manufacturing struggling with lead quality, ownership, or sales enablement, this conversation will hit home.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Casey Cheshire introduces the concept of "Disconnected Marketing," the slow, creeping separation between marketers and their customers caused by over-reliance on tech and automation. Casey shares how launching a podcast helped him reverse that disconnect by creating real, human connections with customers, starting relationships with generosity rather than a sales pitch. Alongside hosts Carman Pirie and Jeff White, Casey explores the importance of knowing your customers by name, and even more critically, understanding their real pains and challenges. They discuss how podcasting serves as a powerful tool to foster reciprocity, build authentic relationships, and bring marketing teams back to their foundational role as the voice of the customer. For B2B manufacturing and beyond, this conversation is packed with insights on how marketers can reconnect with the people they serve and create genuine growth opportunities.

In times of economic uncertainty, many manufacturers instinctively pull back on marketing, but according to Una de Boer, that's exactly the wrong move. In this episode of The Kula Ring, Una joins hosts Carman Pirie and Jeff White to challenge the idea that marketing should take a backseat when times get tough. She shares practical, data-driven strategies for manufacturers looking to grow revenue through diversified customer bases, without breaking the bank. From assessing existing customer data for hidden opportunities to taking the first steps into international markets through scalable digital campaigns, Una outlines how B2B manufacturers can move beyond their comfort zones with confidence, securing new business from a wider variety of geographies and cultures. She also explores how changing markets can help revitalize core marketing efforts and why now might be the perfect time to reexamine product-market fit. Whether you're trying to get your leadership team to see the value of investing in marketing or looking to extend your brand's reach globally, this episode is packed with actionable advice for growth-minded marketers.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Stephanie Nolan of Square Robot shares how submersible robotics is transforming tank inspections. We also dive into the marketing and sales strategies that innovative solution utilizes. Introducing cutting-edge tech into a risk-averse industry isn't simple. Stephanie dives into the challenge of marketing something most people don't even know exists, and how a fully integrated sales and marketing team is using account-based marketing, webinars, and targeted messaging to drive adoption. From the importance of building the right contact list to adapting messaging across industries and organizational levels, this episode is full of actionable insights for marketers navigating niche markets with complex buying committees. If you've ever wondered how to get traction when you're competing with "how it's always been done," this episode's for you.

Bringing a new product to market is no small feat, especially in the B2B manufacturing space, where development cycles are long and expectations are high. In this episode of The Kula Ring, Stu Accola shares his expertise on the nuances of successful product launches, from crafting an effective go-to-market strategy to aligning marketing and sales teams for maximum impact. He breaks down the critical differences between a business case and a go-to-market plan, the importance of customer involvement in product development, and why proof points are often overlooked but essential for building credibility. Whether you're launching into an existing category or creating demand for something entirely new, Stu's insights will help manufacturing marketers refine their approach and drive greater success.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we sit down with Fuad Hasanovic, Director of Marketing at Kamps Pallets, to uncover the fascinating world of pallet recycling, supply chain optimization, and sustainability. Kamps Pallets has evolved from a small operation retrieving discarded pallets to a nationwide leader in comprehensive pallet lifecycle management. Fuad shares how the company has embraced innovation, from Total Pallet Management programs to data-driven supply chain strategies that help manufacturers reduce waste and lower costs. We also explore how education plays a critical role in shifting the industry's mindset from price to total cost, and why the future of pallets might just be a key indicator of economic health. Plus, a few fun stories—like Carman's experience as a human forklift and Jeff's childhood bike ramp experiments!

How do you shift from traditional marketing to an inbound approach in the manufacturing industry? Josh Gravelle, Marketing Manager at Calvary Robotics, joins The Kula Ring to share his journey from TV production to B2B marketing and how he's helped evolve Calvary's marketing strategy over nearly a decade. Josh discusses the challenges and rewards of getting engineers involved in content creation, the role of brand storytelling in establishing thought leadership, and why consistency in marketing efforts pays off. He also dives into the impact of launching a podcast, leveraging speaking engagements, and integrating HubSpot to strengthen Calvary's inbound marketing efforts. If you're looking for insights on how to develop a meaningful content strategy that goes beyond just generating leads, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we sit down with Alex Koepsel, Director of Product Marketing at Vention, to discuss the art of managing up and across in product marketing. Alex shares his journey from electrical engineering to product marketing, revealing how his technical background and entrepreneurial mindset shaped his approach to positioning products and influencing key stakeholders. We explore how Vention is democratizing industrial automation, making it easier for manufacturers of all sizes to implement automation solutions. Alex also unpacks the strategies behind building trust, aligning with leadership goals, and persuading decision-makers to invest in marketing initiatives. Whether you're in product marketing, sales, or leadership, this episode is packed with insights on navigating cross-functional teams and driving meaningful change within an organization. Tune in to hear how product marketers can act as “mini CEOs” and leverage influence to move the business forward.

For decades, Pack-Smart has been at the forefront of packaging automation, seamlessly integrating robotics and software to deliver turnkey solutions. Yet, despite its technological leadership, the company relied almost exclusively on YouTube for lead generation—until now. In this episode of The Kula Ring, we explore how Pack-Smart is embracing digital marketing for the first time. With new strategies in SEO, CRM integration, and thought leadership content, the company is expanding its brand presence and driving data-driven decision-making across the organization. We dive into the challenges of shifting from product-focused messaging to industry leadership and how Pack-Smart is positioning itself as a go-to resource for emerging trends and regulatory changes. Tune in to hear how a company that has innovated in manufacturing for years is now innovating in marketing—creating a stronger, more connected approach to customer engagement.

Deploying marketing automation at scale in the manufacturing sector comes with an array of challenges and opportunities. In this week's episode of The Kula Ring, Carlicia Layosa shares her firsthand experience implementing and refining marketing automation strategies. She discusses the importance of data integration, audience segmentation, and behavior-based campaign triggers to create personalized customer journeys. Carlicia also reflects on lessons learned, including the need for an early focus on data quality, the power of AB testing, and the balance between personalization and crossing the "creepy" line. Plus, we explore the evolving role of AI in automation and what the future holds for engagement-driven marketing.

This week on The Kula Ring, Tara Vincar, Marketing Director at Alpha Controls, shares her journey of transforming the company's marketing approach from the ground up. She discusses how she navigated the steep learning curve of the instrumentation industry, built a small but mighty marketing team, and gained executive buy-in for long-term strategy. Tara also reveals the early wins that fuelled momentum, the challenge of maintaining growth after the "newbie gains" phase, and how she strengthened collaboration between marketing and sales.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Todd Carroll, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at B&B Manufacturing, shares the remarkable growth story of a company that started in a garage and evolved into North America's largest synchronous drive pulley manufacturer. Todd discusses how B&B has doubled its footprint, innovated manufacturing processes, and expanded its inventory to meet customer needs. He highlights the company's "belted drive expert" philosophy, their hands-on approach to customer service, and creative marketing strategies like "Todd Talks" that blend humour and insight to drive awareness. Tune in to discover how staying close to customers and embracing change fuels success in the power transmission industry.

Mitchell Jerine joins The Kula Ring this week to explore the evolving dynamics of sales and customer engagement. We delve into the challenges and opportunities of this transition, including: Differentiating through value-added services and solutions. Overcoming internal resistance to change and navigating change management. Leveraging technology to access untapped markets while fending off new competition. Real-world examples, like GE's IoT solutions and Caterpillar's service-centric strategies, illustrating how manufacturers are driving innovation and redefining customer relationships. Discover actionable strategies to transform your manufacturing organization into a solutions powerhouse.

Welcome to part one of The Kula Ring's Holiday series! This Holiday season we are going on an ABM journey, first up! Defining an ideal customer and sourcing a target account list to match should be easy, but it isn't. On this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman discuss how to craft an ideal customer profile (ICP), identify tools that can help, and warn about pitfalls along the way.

BALYO is a global manufacturer of autonomous robotic forklifts. In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman sit down with BALYO's Global Marketing Director, Rob Patey, to discuss what makes marketing in manufacturing unique. They also talk about the challenges of digital marketing for manufacturing companies, the best way to find and reach customers online, and what sets BALYO apart.

This week on The Kula Ring we are taking a second look at an amazing conversation with John Joyce. Please enjoy! Customer demand for real-time data is driving manufacturers to build web-enabled systems to share information more efficiently across channels. In this episode of The Kula Ring, John Joyce, Global Marketing Director of Brennan Industries, talks about how he helped his organization make data more accessible to their distribution channels and partners. He shares insights on how leveraging data improves customer experience and the role of the marketing department in implementing customer-facing technology.

In this episode, Liz Shovlin Burnett joins The Kula Ring again to explore the challenges small and mid-sized manufacturers face in talent acquisition and adapting to modern growth strategies. Liz highlights the pressing talent shortage in manufacturing and shares insights from the IMTS trade show, where a surge of women in manufacturing roles is helping to bridge the gap. She also discusses how technology, especially digital marketing tools, can support growth. Liz advocates for a strategic, agile approach that leverages both technology and focused talent investments to stay competitive in the rapidly changing landscape that SMEs face.

On this week's episode of The Kula Ring we are joined by Caleb Rule. Caleb is a fractional CMO and bonafide CRM expert. We had a chance to sit down with Caleb to discuss CRM ownership within different organizations. We also dive into how new technology implementation sometimes puts a spotlight on failings within an organization. If you are experiencing that pain, don't worry, we also discuss how to deal with it. Don't miss this masterclass in CRM implementation and best practices.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Nate Calvert, VP of Marketing at KCooper, dives into how his company addresses the challenges in the manufacturing and supply chain space by adopting a customer-first approach. Nate highlights the shift from a product-centric model to one that revolves around solving specific customer problems. KCooper leverages international supply chains and innovative technologies to not only meet immediate demands but also introduce products that perform better, save money, and improve sustainability. Nate explains how KCooper's proprietary performance-based solutions offer enhanced value, from sanitizer-compatible wipes to recyclable materials, ultimately transforming industry standards while fostering stronger relationships with their customers.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we delve into the challenges and opportunities surrounding trade show marketing for manufacturers. Joined by Jim Beretta, founder of Customer Attraction Inc., they explore the importance of developing effective trade show strategies and measuring ROI. Jim shares insights from his own experiences, highlighting the need for a data-driven approach while balancing the often emotional responses to trade show outcomes. The discussion emphasizes how manufacturers can create long-term value through strategic planning and understanding the broader, non-transactional benefits of trade events.

This week on The Kula Ring we are joined by Jay Suggs. Jay has spent a considerable amount of time investigating what makes an effective team. He was the head of Johnson Controls' diversity and inclusion initiative, and he gives us a look at what it takes to create an inclusive work team where everyone feels supported and brings something unique to the table; assembling the Avengers as he calls it. We look at some high-level aspects as well as diving deep into some of the more difficult parts of being a good leader of people.

Defining an ideal customer and sourcing a target account list to match should be easy, but it isn't. On this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman discuss how to craft an ideal customer profile (ICP), identify tools that can help, and warn about pitfalls along the way.

Almost everyone agrees that talking to customers is a good idea, but sometimes manufacturers find that one particular department seems to stand in the way: sales. Salespeople functioning as customer gatekeepers can be a real problem. In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman explore how manufacturers can move past a culture of gatekeeper salespeople towards a future where serving customers is a team sport.

In a world where technology is continually reshaping our industries, the line between human intuition and artificial intelligence remains an important topic. Join us as we explore the evolving landscape of manufacturing marketing, looking at how innovation and AI are redefining the way we connect, create, and communicate. This episode of The Kula Ring with Jarid Hockert reflects on the synergy between tradition and technology, and what it means for the future of our craft.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we delve into the art of bringing personality to B2B manufacturing marketing. Join us as we explore how authenticity and human touches can transform a brand's presence, making it more relatable and engaging. Our guest shares insights on leveraging social media, maintaining a balance between fun and professionalism, and the importance of strategic, consistent content. Tune in to discover how to unbox the full potential of your B2B marketing strategy.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we welcome David Starck, Senior Director of Corporate Marketing at ProMach. David shares his unique journey from a background in graphic design and copywriting to leading corporate marketing strategies for a company with over 50 brands. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of managing a diverse portfolio, the creative approaches to marketing in the manufacturing sector, and how ProMach successfully integrates new acquisitions while maintaining a strong brand identity. Tune in to hear about innovative campaigns and strategic insights from one of the industry's leading marketers. Hear our other conversations with ProMach here: https://kulapartners.com/thekularing/troubleshooting-time-tips-for-manufacturing-content-success/ https://kulapartners.com/thekularing/a-manufacturing-brand-integration-playbook/

This week The Kula Ring is sitting down with Allison Myers from Fives Intralogistics, she shares her unique insights on transforming complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies. Discover the nuances of modern B2B manufacturing marketing and how you can still use some of the methods marketers used before social media overran our lives.

On the Kula Ring podcast this week, we had the opportunity to speak with Jim Cahill, the Chief Blogger and the Head of Social Marketing at Emerson Automation Solutions. Since 2006, Jim has been cultivating Emerson's social media presence and digital brand. Over his 33-year career at the company, Jim has witnessed a lot of change in marketing, starting with the introduction of internet marketing in the mid-90s, ‘Web 2.0', and most recently how the pandemic shook up the marketing industry as a whole. Listen to Jim as he shares his industry knowledge on the best social media tactics that manufacturing marketers can implement to build connections with their audience and create social media content that drives sales.

The Kula Ring this week is digging into digital journey optimization with Jon MacDonald, founder of The Good. Jon shares insights from his extensive experience helping brands like Nike and Xerox improve user experiences and conversions. Discover how understanding consumer psychology and optimizing digital touchpoints can transform your approach to marketing and sales in the manufacturing sector. You can find his new book, Behind the Click, here: thegood.com/behind-the-click/

This week, The Kula Ring is diving into transforming marketing operations with Cory Kniepp, Director of Strategic Planning and Marketing Operations at Nidec Motor Corporation. We look at how industrial manufacturers are leveraging data-driven insights and AI to revolutionize marketing strategies, bridging the gap between B2B and B2C marketing approaches. We explore the journey from traditional marketing services to advanced marketing operations and the pivotal role of technology and AI in those efforts.

This week The Kula Ring returns to the world of packaging. We are talking to Stephen Clysdale a self-proclaimed “packaging nerd” and a man who has his pulse on the recent developments in packaging technology. We break down some of the work that is going into packaging sustainability and the innovations that are around the corner. This is a great conversation that any manufacturer that uses packaging can learn something from.

This week The Kula Ring is featuring Thomas Lewis, a marketing expert with 28 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. Thomas chats with Jeff and Carman about his philosophy on what makes an effective, well-aligned marketing team, making sure that transparent communication and cross-organizational buy-in are achieved and fostered. We get into the nitty-gritty of how he creates this atmosphere and the things to avoid when actioning this plan for your organization.

The Kula Ring is joined by Pierre Tannoux this week. Pierre has worked with some incredible B2B and B2C manufacturing organizations in his career and he sits down with us this week to share some of what he has learned. We talk about big bets, those marketing strategy moves where you put all the chips on the line. We also talk about the pitfalls of pilot programs and how to avoid them. This episode is fantastic and includes The Super Bowl and Carman threatening to make the episode three hours long because he is so excited about what our guest brings to the conversation.

This week The Kula Ring is all about Thought Leadership. We are sitting down with Sean O'Brien who has successfully integrated a thought leadership-backed marketing strategy at his highly specialized industrial manufacturing company. We discuss a myriad of ways to distribute this type of work and how to develop the key people within your firm to be excellent examples of thought leaders.

This week on The Kula Ring, we're exploring how culture influences the marketing strategies of international brands. Sandra Babic joins us to share some of her experience transitioning from Germany to start marketing a German brand here in North America. We discuss the differences in sustainability, messaging and relationship building. Finally, we discuss the regionality that exists here in the U.S. and Canada, these incredibly large nations.

This week The Kula Ring is talking with Jillian Childs of Turntide Technologies. Jillian walks us through the intricacies of marketing a sustainability-driven startup. We discuss how much of the marketing effort comes down to education and its inherently circular nature. We also look at the similarities and differences between a startup of this nature and some of her previous work with luxury brands.

The Kula Ring is turning its focus to internal communications this week. We are sitting down with the great Tom Kehoe. Tom has brought a collection of expertise from his varied career in marketing and production to the internal comms team at his organization which has fostered growth, greater alignment and transparency across the enterprise. Tom walks us through the birth of some of these initiatives and how being proactive in your problem-solving is key to success.

On this episode of our show, we are chatting with Jennifer Sunshine. Jennifer brings her varied and impressive background to The Kula Ring to discuss the imperative need for sales and marketing alignment to produce results. We talk about how these teams see leads and opportunities and bring those visions together to create more effective marketing and greater sales velocity.

Abby Guo joins The Kula Ring this week to discuss how she has created global marketing strategies for highly technical AI-driven products. We talk about setting yourself apart in the world of AI-driven startups. We also chat about staying at the forefront of technological changes and how important that is. This is an illuminating conversation featuring a topic that has everyone buzzing, AI.

Herbert Staten Jr. joins The Kula Ring this week to talk about highlighting the beauty of the product you manufacture. Herbert discusses how he considers emotion and personal engagement when developing marketing strategies in industrial manufacturing. We also discuss the potential for vertical differentiation in social media platforms. This fantastic chat offers a refreshing approach to industrial B2B marketing.

Neelam Kumar joins The Kula Ring to discuss the strength in value selling. Neelam is an advocate and evangelist of value selling and brings a wealth of knowledge to this week's episode of The Kula Ring. We discuss the need for relationship building, both internally, between departments and externally, with our customers. We also look at asking the right questions, and discovering how to dig into what provides value to the customer or prospect.

Sherry Chapman the VP of Marketing at Fortera, joins The Kula Ring this week. Sherry illuminates what Fortera, a green cement start-up, is working on; Building partnerships with counterparts in the industry, and drawing new road maps for economic development, for products that are yet to hit the market. This is a fantastic chat about green industry.

Scott Vosburgh joins The Kula Ring this week to discuss how Sierra Olympia Technologies is facing down much larger competition. Through marketing products that the competition isn't. Ensuring their online presence is as clean and high-performing as possible. While also keeping an eye on where the big guns in the space are ranking and finding success in online markets to capitalize for themselves.

Jake Jevric joins The Kula Ring this week to discuss how deep relationships and technical know-how are incredibly important in industries where customers have options when it comes to picking suppliers. We get into what it takes to be a leader in technical sales and marketing. We also get into how both a top-down and bottom-up approach can be employed to ensure a unified customer experience.