by Fronetics | Jul 3, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Marketing, Supply Chain
Blog aggregation site Feedspot included Fronetics’ blog on its list of the best content for the supply chain.
Fronetics is honored to learn that our blog has been included on Feedspot’s list of the top 75 supply chain blogs and websites for supply chain professionals. The blog aggregation website has indexed thousands of supply chain blogs and pulled out the most popular using search and social metrics.
Feedspot explains its methodology. “These blogs are ranked based on following criteria:
- “Google reputation and Google search ranking
- “Influence and popularity on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites
- “Quality and consistency of posts.
- “Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review.”
We are in excellent company on this list. And we love seeing friends and frequent content collaborators like Argentus and SCM Talent Group among the best of the best as well. These are the places where we turn for supply chain thought leadership, and are humbled to be included.
Fronetics strives to be a leading industry resource for information about digital and content marketing, so it is very exciting to be recognized in this way. Thank you to Feedspot, our contributors, and all of our readers who turn to Fronetics for the latest information about content marketing, social media, and more news and happenings in the supply chain industry.
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![What’s the Difference Between Supply Chain Management and Logistics [Infographic]](https://www.fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Supply-Chain-Managementvs.Logistics.jpg)
by Jennifer Hart Yim | Jun 29, 2017 | Blog, Logistics, Supply Chain
Argentus’ infographic sheds light on the differences between these often-confused functions.
This guest post comes to us from Argentus Supply Chain Recruiting, a boutique recruitment firm specializing in Supply Chain Management and Procurement.
Both Logistics and the wider Supply Chain are vital to how companies run today, but the two are still so often confused. We put together an infographic outlining some of the key differences and points of overlap between them. While it may be an obvious distinction to many pros across the field, there’s still a lot of ambiguity – sometimes within companies, as well – about what constitutes Logistics, and what constitutes Supply Chain Management. As a recruitment firm with over a decade of experience specialized in this area, we figure we’d weigh in!
In short, Logistics is a part of Supply Chain Management that deals with the physical movement of goods for just in time delivery. Supply Chain, as a field, grew out of Logistics in the 80s to encompass a wider strategic consideration of everything that’s involved in bringing a product to market.
Check out the infographic below, where we dive into the topic in more detail! We’ve stepped up our game, if we do say so ourselves.
Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management
We hope you found the infographic informative! Weigh in down in the comments if there’s anything we missed, or more you have to add about the differences between these functions.
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![The 2017 4th of July Supply Chain [Infographic]](https://www.fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/4th-of-july.jpg)
by Fronetics | Jun 27, 2017 | Big Data, Blog, Current Events, Data/Analytics, Logistics, Supply Chain
U.S. Consumers plan to spend a whopping $7.1 billion on cookouts for 4th of July celebrations.
The National Retail Federation reports that 219 million Americans plan to celebrate the 241st Independence Day. Two-thirds plan to attend a cookout, barbecue, or picnic, spending an average of $73.42 per household on food items, up from last year’s $71.34. That’s a lot of hot dogs!
And what’s a Fourth of July celebration without fireworks? 44% of Americans plan to attend a fireworks show or community celebration. The U.S. will use approximately 285.3 million pounds of fireworks, totaling $1.09 billion dollars. More than 15,000 firework displays will glitter the skies to mark the special occasion.
Recognized as the nation’s largest Independence Day celebration, the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks display attracts more than 3 million spectators live and over 10 million TV viewers. The firework display in Washington, D.C., comes in second with over 700,000 viewers from the nation’s capital.
And due to a number of factors — including strong employment and the low price of gasoline — a record number of people will travel out of town this year to celebrate the holiday. NRF estimates 32.9 million, while AAA estimates it will be closer to 44.2 million travelers.
At Fronetics, we wish you and your family a safe and fun Fourth of July celebration. Here are a few more fun facts to get you into the patriotic spirit.
A 2017 4th of July Infographic for the Supply Chain
(Made with Canva)
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![12 Steps to an Effective Content Strategy for the Supply Chain [Slideshow]](https://www.fronetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/12-steps-to-an-effective-content-strategy-1.jpg)
by Fronetics | Jun 26, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
Learn how to stand out from the crowd with a content strategy that drives profitable customer action.
According to a survey of supply chain and logistics marketers by Fronetics, 86% are using content as a marketing tool. Respondents report using content marketing primarily in order to:
- Increase brand awareness (96%)
- Generate leads (83%)
- Establish the company as an industry leader (74%)
- Engage customers (74%)
By consistently creating and distributing valuable, relevant content, you can attract a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, drive profitable customer action. But how do you know what your audience will find valuable and relevant?
Throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks certainly won’t get your desired results. Since 3 billion pieces of content are shared online everyday, you have to be strategic and thoughtful about your content in order to stand out from the noise (and your competitors). It takes time, careful research, and strategy to build a content marketing program that helps achieve your business goals.
At Fronetics, we specialize in helping supply chain and logistics companies create and execute digital and content marketing strategies. So we’ve learned a few tricks of the trade over the years. For example, did you know that explicitly designating a specific person to lead your content strategy can improve its effectiveness by 40%? Or that documenting your strategy can make it three times as effective?
We’ve put together a quick slideshow specifically for supply chain and logistics businesses who are looking to learn about content marketing and build a content strategy that will be effective in growing brand awareness, generating leads, engaging customers, and establishing their brands as industry leaders.
12 Steps to an Effective Content Strategy will help your business identify the key steps to getting the most out of your content marketing efforts. Download the slideshow to get started growing your business with content!
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by Fronetics | Jun 21, 2017 | Blog, Current Events, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Supply Chain, Transportation & Trucking
This post comes to us from Kevin Jessop of Cerasis, a top freight logistics company and truckload freight broker.
The Paris Climate Agreement. Let those words hang for a moment.
Throughout the course of the 2016 election and now the Trump Administration, many Americans have expressed dissatisfaction with the Paris Climate Agreement. True to campaign promises, the new Administration has started the process of removing the U.S. from the agreement, which has major implications for supply chains and shippers around the globe. While the Trump Administration’s impact on supply chains has been discussed previously on Cerasis’ blog, the president’s decision to leave the agreement has shocked the industry, and you need to understand why and what is really going to happen over the next four years.
What Is the Current State of the U.S. in the Paris Climate Agreement?
This may come as a shock, but the Paris Climate Agreement has only been in force since November 4, 2016. As a result, the U.S. has not yet enacted changes under the agreement. The only measure that would have fallen under the Agreement’s terms is the continuation of Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) rules for maritime statutes.
Lawmakers would have likely passed new legislation to increase environmental scrutiny of supply chains and shippers over the next few years. Moreover, the U.S. would have sent monies to Convention of Countries within the Agreement to help fund eco-conscious goals. The Administration’s actions indicate such changes are not likely to occur, but they could still happen. But, how?
What Is the Timeline for Withdrawal?
The full text of the Paris Climate Agreement is available online through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Article 28 defines the process through which a member of the original Convention may withdraw from the Agreement, and it is a surprise to many to learn that the new Administration cannot simply flip a switch.
Article 28 states that any country wishing to withdrawal may only do so after three years have passed since the agreement went into force. Since the enforcement date was November 4, 2016, a country cannot submit a notification of withdrawal until November 4, 2019. Now, there is another side of the withdrawal.
To prevent countries from withdrawing due to political changes and safeguard the longevity of the planet, any withdrawal still requires a one-year term from the date of notification. In other words, the Administration cannot effectively withdraw from the agreement until at least November 4, 2020.
The 2020 Presidential Election is scheduled for November 3, 2020. This means that if President Trump follows through with submitting a notification of withdrawal in 2019, actual withdrawal will not occur until the day after the 2020 election. Therefore, the question becomes, “How would a notification of withdrawal play out during the election? And if so, will it help or hurt his chances or re-election?”
The precedent for polarization during the previous election cycle indicates President Trump will proceed with plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Agreement when the time comes. The June announcement is merely a call to action to prepare for withdrawal over the next few years. So, what does that mean to both domestic and international supply chains?
The Impact of Withdrawal on Supply Chains.
There are only three countries on the planet, counting the U.S. intention to withdraw, that are not part of the agreement now. This means that every foreign-originating business transaction with U.S. manufacturers, distributors or other partners, except for Syria and Nicaragua, will be at risk. The governments of other countries may look unfavorably at working with U.S. companies due to the new Administration’s plans.
Multiple big-business empires, ranging from Facebook to Goldman Sachs, have condemned the move to withdraw. According to BBC News, part of their rationale is simple. The changes the Agreement dictates reflect existing concerns and actions that many U.S. businesses, including shippers, have already undertaken. Even ExxonMobil, a company whose previous CEO holds the title of Secretary of State, urged the new Administration to remain in the Agreement.
These major companies have already invested time and money in energy-efficienct, eco-conscious programs, and many of their business-to-business partners have followed the same pattern. With the overwhelming majority of the world’s countries committing to this cause, there will be an opening of the “floodgates for businesses, scientists and engineers to unleash high-tech, low-carbon” technologies. As a result, the U.S. could fall further behind the global engineering and science goal, which helps all businesses succeed. In other words, domestic companies may have a more difficult time finding the labor or technologies needed to maintain profitability in the interim.
Is There a Much Darker Side to Withdrawal?
Without getting into a discussion on the science behind global warming, it is important to note things that have happened that may continue if global warming continues. For example, sea levels had risen 2.6 inches from 1993 to 2014, reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). If left unchecked, numerous ports, businesses, cities and whole seaboards could be lost in the next few decades. To ensure stability and growth along long-term goals, this is a risk that must be mitigated immediately.
The rising sea level is a fact in the heavily disputed conversation about global climate change.
For shippers and supply chains, the risk of not doing anything is too great. Thus, the new Administration means well, but withdrawing from the Agreement is not a change that will impact businesses before 2020. Furthermore, the backlash from the public toward companies that abandon eco-conscious goals could be severe. Shippers could face higher tariffs and additional troubles in shipping goods domestically or abroad.
It is in your company’s best interest to pursue energy-efficiency goals, including working with well-known partners, like Cerasis, to help you reduce waste, eliminate redundancy and continue making healthy profits throughout the future, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.
This post originally appeared on Cerasis’ blog.
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by Fronetics | Jun 15, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
A global marketing survey finds that many businesses are focusing on these initiatives and challenges.
As more supply chain and logistics companies understand the benefits of content marketing, more are turning to this type of marketing strategy to build brand awareness and grow business. One of the functions of this blog is to update you on various marketing trends to help you keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape.
The State of Inbound has been tracking global marketing and sales trends for the last eight years, with a particular focus on inbound marketing. (Content marketing is a form of inbound marketing.) The 2017 survey included more than 6,300 professionals at from 141 countries — so it’s very comprehensive.
There’s a lot to look through in the full report, but I’ve pulled out a few of the most important takeaways that speak to trends we’re finding most relevant to our supply chain clients.
5 takeaways from the State of Inbound 2017
1) Inbound marketing results in higher ROI.
The vast majority of respondents (46%) agree that inbound marketing helps them achieve higher ROI, as opposed to 12% who say outbound marketing achieves a higher return. (For the record, 23% can’t or don’t calculate ROI, and 18% don’t know.)
If you’re not convinced about the benefits of an inbound strategy like content marketing, here are 5 reasons supply chain and logistics businesses need to use content marketing.
2) There is a growing chasm between leadership and employees’ perception of success.
Executives who set the strategy and vision for their companies perceive things differently than the employees executing that vision. For example, while 69% of C-suite executives believe their organization’s marketing strategy is effective, only 55% of individual contributors do.
Are executives seeing benefits of marketing they’re not sharing with the team? Or, do they have misconceptions about how things are working? Either way, there seems to be room for improvement regarding transparency and communication from the top down and bottom up.
3) Gaining customers is a top challenge.
When asked about their top marketing challenges, 63% of respondents agree generating traffic and leads was their biggest concern. (Proving ROI of marketing activities was second with 40%.)
We hear this all the time. Our first response is usually, if you want more leads, focus on brand awareness. Secondly, it’s important to make sure your content strategy closely aligns with your business goals and that you’re creating content that suits your target audience at various stages of the buyer’s journey.
4) Video marketing is the next big investment.
When asked about expansion to new content distribution channels in the next 12 months, respondents most often said they plan to add YouTube (48%) and Facebook video (46%). This reflects the growing popularity of video as a content medium — and YES, it can work for the supply chain and logistics industries.
We’ve written extensively about this topic. Here are a few posts that may interest you if you’re curious how video might fit in your content strategy.
5) Companies need to focus on sales and marketing alignment.
Only 22% of respondents say their sales and marketing relationship is tightly aligned. That’s a big problem.
Sales and marketing teams that are aligned perform better. In this survey, for example, sales teams closely aligned with their marketing counterparts ranked the quality of marketing-sourced leads much higher than those that were rarely aligned or misaligned. That shows that when marketing and sales work together, everyone gets more of what they’re looking for — namely, leads!
Looking at these 5 trends, how does your company line up? Do these challenges resonate, or are you focused on other initiatives and problems?
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