The Kula Ring PodcastThe Kula Ring Podcast

ElectraMet uses electrochemistry to pull copper and other critical minerals out of industrial wastewater — technology invented by PhDs and sold to wastewater managers at the world’s largest semiconductor fabs. Chris Richardson, a communications major with no electrochemical background, has to make that legible without dumbing it down. His answer isn’t better explaining. It’s association: make sure Google and the LLMs know which published scientists belong to your company, then build content on top of that link. Along the way he argues GEO is mostly just SEO done well, that earned backlinks still pay dividends, and that the surest way to win over a camera-shy expert is to show them what the internet already says about them.

For Impack, a Quebec maker of folder-gluer packaging equipment, video does something a spec sheet can’t: it sells machines prospects often won’t see in person until late in the deal. Brand Creative Lead Dmytro Zhurov explains how a well-produced video becomes proof of a six-figure machine’s quality—when the production matches the price tag, buyers trust that the product does too. He digs into using video to explain complex, sometimes competitor-less machines, why his team flies crews to client sites for documentary-grade footage, and how he prioritizes production around the deals already in flight. The throughline: quality video doesn’t just inform the sale, it justifies it.

Helene Tessier didn’t plan a career in marketing. She started at the French consulate in China and taught English abroad. When COVID brought her home, she stumbled into TPAC as an interpreter. Soon after, leadership asked her to run marketing.

In this conversation with Jeff and Carman, she explains why TPAC’s PhD-heavy, flat organizational culture wanted someone willing to learn. She also shares how she rebuilt the company’s go-to-market strategy. Her approach centered on trade shows, application-driven web content, and a bold brand presence at the World Conference on NDT (non-destructive testing) that the industry still talks about.

Helene also digs into why technical, engineering-led firms struggle with brand rollout. She explains how regulatory and certification changes act as buying triggers in NDT, and what a five-person buying committee means for content strategy. To close, she offers a refreshingly grounded take on AI for marketers entering the field today.

What happens when a manufacturing company truly lives its mission? In this episode of The Kula Ring, Ian Antioch from NorthGate shares how the company formalized its people-first philosophy into the Be Ready Enrichment Program. Investing over $125,000 annually in employee development, financial planning, and life services, NorthGate has created a model that not only transforms lives but also strengthens recruitment, retention, and brand storytelling. Ian discusses the challenges of marketing both capabilities and culture, the power of authentic storytelling, and why manufacturers are sitting on untold stories that can differentiate them in the market.

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.

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.