In this episode, we explore the fascinating journey of three long-standing companies that merged to create a unified entity while preserving the rich heritage of their origins. Amy Rodgers, Marketing Director at KMM Group, shares insights into navigating the complex challenges of integrating multiple brands, streamlining operations, and evolving a cohesive identity in a highly competitive industry. Hear how cultural alignment, strategic branding, and a relentless focus on personalization can create a competitive edge and foster growth. Amy also discusses the power of building thought leadership, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to position leaders as industry experts and establish a relatable, impactful voice. If you’re interested in how companies can grow while staying true to their roots, this episode offers inspiration and practical advice.

This week, Paul Drabble joins the show to dive into the transformative impact of electrification in material handling and construction. Paul shares insights into the brand’s approach to market entry, focusing on raising awareness and educating potential customers before introducing product pitches. He emphasizes leveraging in-person events and webinars, supported by a robust network of subject matter experts, to build credibility across sectors. We also discuss Paul’s excitement about advancements in marketing tools, including AI-driven localization and automation, which rounds out this insightful conversation on navigating a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

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.

In this week’s episode, Lucy Chen discusses long-term strategic marketing planning and how to move from working in isolation to collaborating effectively. We explore how to keep a clear long-term vision while dealing with short-term pressures. Lucy shares her approach to aligning teams, highlighting the need for patience, accountability, and welcoming ideas—even if they feel awkward at first. She believes in creating lasting value that benefits the entire industry, rather than just focusing on immediate results. This episode covers many topics, and Lucy offers a lot of helpful insights.

In this week’s episode, co-hosts and Kula Partners principals, Jeff White and Carman Pirie, talk about niche orientation marketing. They talk about the Niche Navigator, a model and exercise they created to assess and understand where businesses fall ranging from low to high niche market orientation. Listeners can look forward to learning examples of niche market orientation, learn pitfalls that could impact their marketing strategies and tips to enhance their marketing efforts.