Precast Inc. - March/April 2008 - (Page 20)

BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT Marketing in a New World Reaching today’s customers requires new – and old – strategies. here was a time when marketing in the precast industry meant sending some mailings to existing customers and prospects, scheduling plant tours and showing up at trade shows. Certainly these strategies can still be effective. However, today’s customers and prospects are deluged with so much marketing and advertising information that most of it ends up being a buzz or blur in the background. Advertising agencies are fond of telling clients that their campaigns will help to “break through the clutter.” However, in most cases, the campaigns simply add to the clutter. Today, according to some in the precast industry, marketing success is more about identifying key prospects and customers than sending them targeted messages. “Our overall marketing strategy is to educate the market on who we are and what we can do,” says Kimberly Wacker, director of marketing and business development for Spancrete Group Inc., Waukesha, Wis. “In fact, the most effective marketing strategy in the precast industry, and the majority of other B2B industries, is understanding the value of relationships and then building those relationships.” In other words, according to Wacker, everything you do needs to be mindful of the customer and being the best partner that you can be. “You especially need to deepen relationships with key customers,” she emphasizes. “For this reason, one-on-one meetings with customers are very important.” As the industry grows increasingly dynamic, Wacker believes it is also important to keep all customers abreast of new product developments, new technologies and new skill sets that you acquire. This can create a number of new opportunities. “For example, any time you conduct a plant tour or send communications to customers, you need to be sure that you are showcasing your newest skills and technologies,” she says. In order to make sure that these two strategies work (targeting key customers and keeping them updated on new products and services), Spancrete (www.spancrete.com) emphasizes interdepartmental teamwork. “It is very important to work with other By William Atkinson T departments,” she says. “We are very collaborative here, and we meet on a frequent basis.” In that way, sales, marketing, production, field and all of the other departments are pointed in the same direction. A tactical approach For the past 25 years, Wilbert Precast Inc. in Spokane, Wash., used its catalog as a primary marketing tool. “We put a lot of money into it to make sure all of our drawings are up to date and that we have current pricing,” says Scott Erickson, chief financial officer. “While it is very helpful to all of the contractors who are out in the field, it is even more helpful to the engineers, architects, landscapers and designers who can actually specify our products into their projects.” Wilbert now offers the catalog on CD, which makes it easy to view on a computer. These days, however, the catalog represents only a portion of how the company markets. “We have a Web site [www.WilbertPrecast.com], and we are constantly tweaking it and updating it, especially with photographs of unique or large projects we have done,” says Erickson. Mailings represent another portion of Wilbert Precast’s marketing strategy, but the company has developed more of a tactical approach by inserting a company flyer along with Precast Solutions magazine, an NPCA publication that profiles various precast installation projects. “The flyer highlights one of the projects we are working on or have just completed, which goes in conjunction with some of the articles that are in the magazine,” says Erickson. “In other words, we target our flyers to the focus of the particular issue of the magazine.” Erickson says his company also tries to get its name out into the community by getting involved with "Extreme Yard Makeovers," which are similar to "Extreme Home Makeovers" except they focus on the home’s exterior. “We go into a joint venture with two or three other companies, such as landscapers, and donate “Everything you do needs to be mindful of the customer and being the best partner that you can be.” 20 MARCH/APRIL 2008 | PRECAST INC. http://www.spancrete.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Precast Inc. - March/April 2008

Precast Inc. - March/April 2008 Contents Technically Speaking Concrete Repairs Return-to-Work Programs Marketing in a New World Building Confidence Risk Management Culture Bloquea La Energia – Es Tu Vida! Lock It Out – It’s Your Life! Fiber Optics in Countertops MCPX Wrap-Up Product Profile People & Products Advertisers Index NPCA Calendar

Precast Inc. - March/April 2008

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