THE WOODWORKING INDUSTRY’S PLAN B
What’s Your Plan B? The effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 has temporarily halted face-to-face meetings and industry tradeshows, as countries and states have banned gatherings and organizations have put travel on hold. But as disruptive as these measures have been, resulting in countless conventions and other events having to be cancelled, postponed or moved to virtual-only, many business owners are still finding unique ways to bring their products and services to the market.
“We had planned to launch several new products at IWF this year. The advantage is being able to physically show our products directly to our target market and place our messaging directly in front of them,” said Yvonne Peters, marketing manager for Elias Woodwork. “But I think launching new products across two countries requires a more diverse marketing strategy than just tradeshows. We utilize a blend strategy between online and print marketing mediums aimed at our target audience.
In an industry where tradeshows are key to marketing, companies are being forced to think outside the box when it comes to interpersonal communication and connecting with the industry. Rather than place their product offerings on hold altogether, they’re charging ahead, utilizing online resources, different forms of advertising and even more traditional communication methods to get their message across.
“Print marketing includes trade magazine ads, advertorials and articles. This directly translates to online marketing as well through the various trade website articles, banner ads and email messaging,” said Peters, who also discussed the company’s own email campaign to subscribers and customers.
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“Various social media is also strategically utilized to promote new products. I find one of the most effective messages in these mediums includes videos. Messages that are short, impactive and informative tend to gain the most attention from our target audience.” “It seems marketing is continually evolving with mediums and audience behavior, especially online marketing. We do our best to be as effective as possible and pay close attention to content, messaging, placement and a good understanding of your audience,” she added. Dean Bradshaw, marketing director for FGV, touched on the importance of advertising in trade publishing as well as email campaigns. “In the interim, we are beginning to focus on print and online advertising through trade magazines to introduce our company as well as our newest products,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 ›
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