Industry Marketing News + Insights
Our supply chain marketing blog is the place for all things industry news and happenings, B2B marketing updates, social media releases, and more. Subscribe to never miss an update.
Google Analytics is a goldmine of information; mine it
How people access your website and navigate your website can provide you with a lot of information not only about your website’s visitors, but also about your company and the products and services you provide. Unfortunately, many companies don’t know that this...
Innovate faster. Innovate better. Social media as an innovation engine
Innovation is a powerful way to drive growth. However, traditional approaches taken by companies to develop innovative products and services are increasingly being found to be unsuccessful in creating growth. The traditional siloed approach to R&D is too insular...
3 Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Twitter
Twitter is one of the more powerful platforms to influence consumers and grow a business. Is your business on Twitter? If not, here are three reasons why your business should be on Twitter: 1. Be Found When business consumers are searching for products and...
Three reasons why establishing a social media presence is important to your reputation
There are a staggering number of outlets available for consumers to search for products and services. From Google, Yahoo and Bing to Angie’s List or Craigslist to Facebook or Pinterest, people are spending much more time online researching before making a purchasing...
Social technologies at work
This post was originally published on DC Velocity. Social technologies offer business enormous potential – potential to unlock value and to increase productivity. How enormous is this potential? The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) looked at four sectors (consumer...
Demand generation infographic
demand generation infographic
What the heck is demand generation?
Despite the considerable amount of attention paid to demand generation, many companies (including some companies actively employing a demand generation strategy) do not have a clear understanding of what demand generation actually is. When asked to define demand...
What you need to know about visibility and why it needs to be part of your business strategy
This article was originally published on DC Velocity. A recent study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board’s (CEB) Marketing Leadership Council found that the average customer progresses nearly 60 percent of the way through the purchase decision-making process...
Why your business needs to move past the social media starting line
This article also appeared on DC Velocity. Research conducted by Adrian Gonzalez, founder and president of Adelante SCM, found that 30 percent of respondents (supply chain professionals) reported that their companies block access to social media sites. One of the...
How to convert website visitors into customers
Getting 10,000 hits a week on your website may be huge accomplishment for your business (and it is), but if at the end of the week none of those hits turn into a lead how do you measure your business’ success? Knowing which metrics you need to be paying attention to...
Not participating in social media? Here are 4 reasons why you need to start – today
There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to social media marketing. From expanding corporate communications to learning valuable information about consumers, social media has benefits that help businesses grow and expand their reach. Here are four powerful...
Social Media and the Logistics and Supply Chain Industries
Social media and social media technologies have rapidly changed the way companies do business across every type of industry. Social media brings businesses closer to their customers, provides a platform for communication and building thought leadership, and when...
The Case for Reusable Packaging
This article was previously published on EBN. Looking for a way to make your supply chain more efficient? You might want to consider reusable packaging. Reusable packaging includes pallets, racks, bulk containers, bins, dollies, handheld containers, and dunnage...
Speak Volumes with Packaging
This post originally appeared on EBN. For many customers, both current and prospective, you are your packaging. Take the time to do it right. I recently read a great piece by Zach Williams, founder and creative director of Venveo, on the role of packaging from a...
Packaging Optimization = Supply Chain Optimization
This post was originally published on EBN. Packaging optimization is critical to supply chain optimization. To catch big advantages, change your mindset and make packaging a forethought rather than an afterthought. In a Packaging World article, Elisha Tropper,...
Put Your Packaging on a Diet
This post was originally published on EBN. Summer is over, fall has arrived, and winter is right around the corner. As the days grow shorter and colder, don't let inertia take over. Instead, put your packaging on a diet. Here are three reasons why a packaging slim...
Hiring: Why you should try before you buy
Hiring: Why you should try before you buy I just finished reading a great post on hiring by Matt Mullenweg, founder of Automattic and the creator of open source WordPress software. The post focuses on the company’s “unorthodox hiring system” and how it has enabled...
How to hire a leader
how to hire a leader Businesses don’t fail, leaders do – a lot. Studies have shown that the rate of failure of executives coming into new companies ranges from 30 to 40 percent after 18 months. The costs and implications of a poor leadership hire are enormous. ...
9 career resolutions everyone should make
career resolutions After the ball has dropped and after the champagne has been drunk, the New Year will begin. Forty-five percent of Americans will start the New Year with at least one resolution. Whether or not you are typically a resolution-maker, the New Year is...
Thank You: Two Powerful Words
Thank you: Two Powerful Words I have two young children. One of the values in which I am trying to instill is that of graciousness. A couple weeks ago I sat down with my daughter so that we could write thank you notes for the gifts she received for her third...
Network your face off: Why networking is essential
Kathryn Minshew, founder and CEO of The Muse and The Daily Muse, began a piece for the Harvard Business Blog Network with this sage advice: “Network Your Face Off.” The truth and value of this statement cannot be underestimated. Here are 5 reasons why networking is...
Here is why CrossFitters make great employees
CrossFitters recognize that good outcomes only come with hard work, and lots of it. For that reason, it generally attracts people who are willing to make sacrifices and go the extra mile to get results both in the gym and at work. If you want to hire top performers...
Twitter for Business: Why you should take the plunge
Not too long ago I did not use Twitter and I relished being able to say that I had never sent a Tweet. I believed Twitter was not applicable to me – I don’t follow celebrity gossip and whereabouts, I don’t like the idea of sharing my personal thoughts and experiences...
You are a brand: Here is how to brand yourself
First impressions are no longer face to face. Rather, a first impression is now comprised of information which can be gathered via a quick search of the Internet. A first impression can be, for example, inclusive of your LinkedIn and Facebook pages, your personal...
How to hire your next employee
Career Builder identified Supply Chain Manager as a Top Growth Job for 2013. Why did supply chain manager make the short list (just 18 jobs made the list)? Supply chain manager has experienced an 8 percent job growth since 2010 and there is just one active candidate...
Ignore everyday risks at your peril
A 2013 study conducted by Deloitte found that 64 percent of the global executives surveyed reported they had a risk management program in place that is specific to the supply chain. That being said, 45 percent of the respondents said their programs were somewhat...
How to manage when the classic 80/20 rule applies
Companies within the logistics and supply chain industries are often built around a small number of clients because these clients generate 80 percent (or more) of revenue – The Pareto Principle aka the 80/20 rule. Some companies choose not to openly acknowledge this...
6 things to consider when taking your reverse logistics process international
There are a host of issues and risks you need to consider and mitigate when implementing an international reverse logistics process. Here are six things to consider when taking your reverse logistics process international: 1. Laws, rules, and regulations...
Here is what Red Sox Nation can teach business
Red Sox fans are known for their loyalty, optimism, spirit, and patience. The Curse of the Bambino caused an 86 year championship drought. During these 86 years, and the equally long seeming gaps between the 2004, 2007 World Series wins and the upcoming 2013 victory...
7 things to consider when choosing the right outsource partner
Within the logistics and supply chain industries, the key to providing your client with an end to end valuable offering is providing the core value yourself and outsourcing the rest. Finding the right outsource partner is critical to success. Here are seven things...
5 things the supply chain industry can learn from Top Gear
Here are five things the supply chain industry can learn from Top Gear. 1. Speed is essential Jeremy Clarkson advises: “Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary... That's what gets you.” For the supply chain industry speed and stagnation can be...
How to quit your job (without using interpretive dance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew_tdY0V4Zo You hate your job. The hours aren't right, the work isn't stimulating, and you feel there are no growth opportunities. Your new hero is Marina Shifrin and you play her epic resignation video over and over again in the...
Let’s take the vacation off the endangered list
Vacations are going the way of the dinosaur. I say – bring the vacation back. The Center for Economic and Policy and research released a report in May on vacations – or lack thereof. It turns out that the United States is the only advanced economy in the world that...
9 business lessons from Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad, AMC’s award-winning drama, is dark, violent, gritty – and it offers 9 essential business lessons. 1. Don’t cut corners; quality is paramount Look, I like making cherry product, but let's keep it real, alright? We make poison for people who don't care....
Is requiring failure the key to success?
Last week Jason Seiken wrote a post for the HBR Blog Network on the necessity of failure for success. The post, How I Got My Team To Fail More, described his efforts at PBS to create an entrepreneurial culture by requiring members of the digital team to fail. Seiken...
How many 3PLs do you use?
This post is written by our Marketing Analyst Intern, James Kane. James is a senior at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics. A recent article by Patrick Burson in Logistics Management discussed the use of 3PL providers. The...
How to make your meetings not suck, or how to run an effective meeting
Let’s face it, meetings can suck. A poorly planned and executed meeting is a waste of time and money, and it can be demoralizing. Meetings shouldn't be like this. Here are nine tips on how to plan and how to run an effective...
Know your customers better than yoursef
I recently wrapped up a customer engagement that was centered on marketing effectiveness and sales force optimization. Two big words that represent the quality of a company’s message and the successfulness of their sales force. I began the engagement like any other,...
Five tips for better solution selling
Let's face it, there's a clear and distinct difference between selling traditional logistics and selling integrated logistics and supply chain solutions. The key difference is; one is a product offering and one is a solution. When you try and sell solutions like you...
Reducing Electronic Waste through Reverse Logistics
Over time, we discovered that throwing electronics away is extremely damaging to the environment. With the increasing innovation of new and trendy electronic devices continually entering the marketplace, there is high turnover and greater demand than ever before....