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 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.

What does “marketing with purpose” actually look like in practice? In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman are joined by Alice DiSanto, VP of Marketing at Autonomous Solutions. Alice shares how deeply understanding culture, leadership, and people is the foundation of authentic, effective marketing. From conducting confidential listening tours to aligning teams around shared values, she explains how purpose-driven marketing starts inside the organization and becomes a powerful competitive advantage. This conversation is a must-listen for marketers looking to humanize technology, build trust, and create brands that genuinely reflect who they are.

For our second episode in our Holiday Series we are taking a second look at when we chatted with Cynthia Kellam, Global Senior Director, Digital, Data and Customer Experience Center of Excellence at TE Connectivity, again to discuss how collecting and using digital data can create better customer experiences. She explains their journey of building a better Voice of Customer system to help all business units in TE Connectivity make customer-focused decisions. Cynthia explains how she avoids survey fatigue, uses automation techniques, and visualizes data for actionable success.

In this episode of The Kula Ring, we sit down with Cynthia Barnes, Global Marketing Content Specialist and Community Relations Manager at Clark Material Handling. Cynthia shares Clark’s unique approach to marketing, which centers on authentic community engagement and philanthropy rather than traditional product-focused advertising. She delves into the origins of their “Raising Hope” initiative, inspired by the company owner’s personal story of resilience and the kindness of strangers. Discover how Clark leverages its volunteer paid time off program and the “Champions Club” to foster a purpose-driven workforce and strengthen community ties. Cynthia also offers valuable advice for brands looking to deepen their connection with the nonprofit world, highlighting key trends and effective strategies. This conversation reveals how genuine care for the community can become a powerful differentiator, attracting both talent and customers who share similar values.

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.