Focused in Manufacturing

by Rob Felber, President

For more than 18 years, we have been providing marketing services to B2B clients in Northeast Ohio and throughout the region. Many of our clients recognized the need for creating better relationships with the trade media, and often asked for our help. We realized that our media relations and PR, as well as our marketing expertise, held additional value and should be spotlighted. Thus, the name change and rebrand to Felber PR & Marketing.

We found out a lot about our clients and ourselves during our rebranding.

Recently, we saw a trend in our clients shifting toward the manufacturing industry. Ohio is powered by manufacturing. According to the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, the manufacturing industry contributes about 17 percent of Ohio's overall GDP, which is more than any other industry in the state. Stats like this made it clear to us that this market served us well and helped us narrow down our focus.

Manufacturing accounts for 95 percent of Ohio's exports, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Throughout our rebranding process, we discovered that we work best with privately held manufacturers in the $10 to 100 million range. We found that even in the larger organizations, they were challenged with small staffs and an unfamiliarity with the workings of trade media. And so, our job was obvious; to provide PR and marketing support to increase profit and build better customer relationships for manufacturing companies.

Time after time we asked, "So, why us?" This simple question was the key to our existence. They responded simply "You Get It." We knew exactly what they wanted because we've been working with and servicing companies that "make stuff" for two decades. And that is how we came up with our tagline: "We Get Manufacturing."

So, how can we help you become our next success story?

Call Rob Felber at 330.963.3664 or robfelber@felberpr.com.

The Facebook Background Check:
Using Social Media to Vet Candidates

by Jonathan T. Hyman, Esq., Kohrman Jackson & Krantz P.L.L.

Would you believe that an astonishing 91 percent of employers use social media to aid in their decisions of who, and who not, to hire? Indeed, there exists myriad information an employer can learn about a prospective employee from information that is publicly available via social media and other websites. For example, an employer can learn that a candidate lied about his or her qualifications, posted inappropriate comments, trashed a former employer, divulges corporate confidential information, or demonstrates poor communications skills, any one of which could legitimately disqualify a candidate from further consideration. Conversely, an employer can discover that a candidate is creative, demonstrates solid communication skills, received awards or accolades, or is well regarded or recommended by his or her peers.

Read the complete story on our blog.

VOC...Is it right for me?

by Michelle Willmott, Public Relations and Marketing Director

Client

Makuta Technics

Challenge:

Makuta Technics, a leader in the micro-molding industry that makes tiny plastic parts for products such as medical devices, electronics and pharmaceuticals, wanted to further develop its business presence both nationally and overseas. Makuta wanted to find opportunities to tell its story and increase its name recognition within its industry.

Solution:

Felber PR & Marketing conducted a Voice of Customer (VOC) survey to better assess Makuta's public relations and Internet search engine optimization (SEO). One of the goals of the survey was to further identify Makuta's target audience. The VOC survey allowed us to better understand whom Makuta's customers were and define its target media outlets. We spoke to purchasing managers and product engineers from Makuta's key customers. We asked questions such as "How do you get your industry news and what publications are most reputable?", "Why did you choose to partner with Makuta?", and "What's different about Makuta from other vendors you use?" We also defined Makuta's rank on personalized services, logistics and overall performance to better understand how its customers perceive them and what areas they needed to improve on.

Results:

Speaking directly with Makuta's customers allowed us to get a better understanding of its target audience, what markets they serve, and how Makuta can better deliver and anticipate their needs. Prior to the VOC survey, company president Stu Kaplan opposed marketing in certain trade publications because he believed his customers did not read them. However, we discovered that that was not the case. One purchasing manager actually had an entire wall of her office lined with issue after issue of trade publications used for research.

"I was surprised to find that most of Makuta's customers actually do read these publications," Kaplan said. "The VOC survey gave us a foundation to begin our company's marketing efforts."

With the information we gathered from the VOC survey, we were able to create a marketing and publicity strategy for Makuta to target those trade media outlets. Before 100% of any budget is applied to a task, it makes sense to spend 5% on research so that the other 95% of budget is targeted, measurable and spent wisely.

Learn more about Makuta Technics or visit and like them on Facebook.