310 B2B Firms Told Us about Their Marketing Efforts. Want to Listen in?

Then join Scheibel Halaska at the upcoming Plastics News Executive Forum—March 6-9 in Las Vegas—where I’ll be presenting recent research that uncovered some valuable insights about B2B marketing in this new era.

For this project, we listened to a diverse array of companies across the plastics industry:

• Size: 47.1% had fewer than 50 employees, 13.7% had 51-100, 10.1% had 101-200 and 29.1% had over 200 employees.
• Geographic reach: 17% were regional, 37.6% national and 45.4% global.
• Classification: 22.5 % of companies classified themselves as equipment manufacturers, 33.7% as material manufacturers and 43.8% as processors.

Not in plastics—or even in manufacturing? There’s still a lot of valuable, surprising lessons in what these companies had to say. Plus, the Forum is a great event loaded with knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.

So get all the details and register for the Forum here.

Or, if you can’t make it, look for more to come about the research on this blog, including a chance to see the full report for yourself …

4 Dos, 4 Don’ts for PR Pros Pitching Pubs

HARO, Help A Reporter Out, kindly returned the favor for us recently.

During a webinar hosted by the popular repository of expert news sources, reporters from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and AOL News weighed in on the dos and don’ts of pitching a story to a reporter.

Here’s a brief recap to spread the knowledge. Let’s start with the dos:

Be catchy. Include a subject line that lures the reader in for more.

Be direct. Explain what the news is and why it’s relevant in the first sentence.

Be personal. Be aware of the reporter to whom you are pitching the story. What’s their beat? What are their deadlines?

Be short and sweet. As one participating reporter said—“Don’t try to impress. Pitch a story the same way you would tell your friends over a beer.”

And now for the don’ts.

Don’t make your client the news. Try to put your client in the news- how do they fit into a bigger story that is relevant right now?

Don’t make exaggerated claims.

Don’t pitch stories that have already been done. Do your research!

The general takeaway? Be quick and compelling. And keep on pitching!

One Thing Obama and Gov. Walker Have in Common:

Lately, both the president and Wisconsin’s head of state are engaging in open dialogue with the business community and striving to be more responsive to its needs.

n Obama in a visit this week with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and changes to his outside panel of economic advisers, bringing GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt on board.

n Walker in business outreach that started during his transition and recent moves to streamline and privatize the state’s commerce department.

These are good developments because, as we’ve pointed out before on this blog, manufacturers and other companies could use more support as our economic recovery continues. With manufacturers continuing to lead the way, public-private collaboration will be key in keeping up this momentum.

So we’re pleased to hear of open dialogue among businesses and government leaders at both the federal and state level, on both sides of the partisan divide.

After all, any change for the better must begin with open, honest communications from all sides.

Why Manufacturing Makes a Better Super Bowl Bet

There is, shall we say, heightened interest in the Super Bowl around here this year.

And hey, why not make it even more interesting, with a few friendly wagers? Senators are betting sandwiches. Rappers are betting haircuts.

But come on now, this is a big game! Maybe it’s time for something more super, and less superficial.

That’s why we like the unique approach of the Green Bay and Pittsburgh chambers of commerce, who are highlighting their respective regions’ manufacturing strengths as the stakes in their bet.

It’s nice to see leaders seizing this public relations opportunity—because while two great football traditions are in the spotlight, their cities’ equally storied manufacturing economies are often perceived as if progress has left them behind.

The reality is that resurgent manufacturers everywhere are doing some exciting, innovative things and leading us all into a brighter economic future. And as we’ve said before on this blog, civic and economic leaders, as well as manufacturers themselves, must do a better job of sharing this industrial success story.

Bet on it: the proud industrial traditions of Green Bay and Pittsburgh will live on—and not just as relics honored by the names of their resident football teams.