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.

How do you transform scattered customer insights into a structured, data-driven approach to marketing and sales? Cory Peterson shares the journey his organization took—from early, informal customer interviews to a comprehensive digital customer journey framework. In this episode, Cory walks us through the process of mapping the customer journey, the evolution from a linear model to a dynamic flywheel, and the role of rigorous testing in refining digital interactions. He also discusses the challenges of attribution, the importance of integrating sales and marketing, and how even small organizations with limited traffic can leverage research to drive meaningful improvements.
Join us as we explore how a data-driven mindset can unlock deeper customer understanding and business growth.