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Dad Marketing: Why “2012 Facebook” Can Still Win in Family-Oriented Manufacturing

What happens when a Gen Z marketer joins a legacy manufacturing company and throws out the modern social media playbook?

In this episode, Lizzy Anderson of Hoosier Crane explains how she discovered that “cutting-edge” tactics weren’t resonating and why a return to simple, community-driven content worked better. From “2012 Facebook” style posts to highlighting local involvement and company values, Lizzy breaks down how manufacturing marketers can build trust, attract talent, and stay top-of-mind without overcomplicating their strategy. It’s a refreshing look at aligning marketing with audience reality, not trends.

How Caterpillar Builds Social Media That Actually Resonates

Caterpillar is one of the most recognizable industrial brands in the world; but even iconic brands face challenges when it comes to modern social media. In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie are joined by Jenni Gritti, Senior Marketing Communications Consultant at Caterpillar, to explore how industrial brands can create social content that truly resonates.
Jenni breaks down how Caterpillar approaches different audiences across platforms, why educational entertainment consistently outperforms promotional content, and how data and split testing guide every decision. The conversation also dives into AI’s growing impact on social media, the rise of “AI slop,” the importance of human authenticity, and why reuse and repurposing are not only acceptable—but essential. This episode is packed with practical insights for industrial marketers at any stage of maturity.

The NDA Problem: How to Market What You Can’t Show in Manufacturing

How do you market a company that can’t always show what it makes?
In this episode of The Kula Ring, Alex Dove, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist at August Electronics, shares her unconventional path from sales into manufacturing marketing. With a background in textiles, furniture, and drapery manufacturing, Alex brings both inside and outside sales experience to her role, blending data-driven thinking with deep relationship building.
Alex explains how August Electronics, a low-to-mid volume contract electronics manufacturer based in Alberta, markets partnership over product in a horizontally aligned industry. She discusses navigating NDAs, marketing capabilities instead of finished goods, aligning marketing and sales around shared KPIs, and proving service through video and transparency.
The conversation also explores long-term brand building vs. short-term revenue pressure, what sales often misunderstands about marketing, and why curiosity and operational knowledge are essential for success in manufacturing marketing.

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Building the ‘Picks and Shovels’ of the AI Gold Rush

What happens when a manufacturing company applies startup thinking to one of the most conservative industrial sectors? In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff White and Carman Pirie are joined by Preston Wickersham, Director of Content Marketing at Giga Energy, to explore how vertically integrated manufacturing, founder-led storytelling, and “dogfooding” industrial equipment are reshaping electrical infrastructure and AI data centers. Preston shares Giga Energy’s origin story, their role in powering the AI boom, and what marketers can learn from bringing SaaS-style thinking into heavy manufacturing.

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How Rogers Machinery Built a High-Impact Webinar Program That Drives Demand

In this episode of The Kula Ring, Rachel Cossette, Marketing Manager at Rogers Machinery Company, walks us through how she built a powerful, education-focused webinar program that has become a core pillar of the company’s marketing engine. Rachel explains why webinars were the perfect solution for delivering value, growing first-party data, and creating demand while strengthening relationships with vendor partners along the way.
She shares how she scaled the program from a handful of events in 2022 into a full calendar featuring expert presenters, vendor co-marketing, PDH certifications, and a library of long-form content that supports sales, onboarding, and SEO. Rachel also offers practical advice for small or one-person marketing teams looking to launch their own webinar program without big budgets, agencies, or complex tech stacks.