Insider Tips for Building a Strong Industrial Brand

Have you ever met a math genius with zero creative juice? Or how about a design wizard who can’t seem to understand basic math concepts? In the industrial sector, a common challenge among engineers is the lack of creative juices when it comes to design and marketing. They may be running a whole energy plant, but couldn’t even write a proper caption for an ad.

As interesting as it may seem, this, nonetheless, poses a real issue for manufacturers. A lot of manufacturers might think it’s not as important as running the operations or designing the products themselves; but, in today’s world where online existence is a must, building your brand is crucial if you’re aiming for long-term success and growth.

But here’s the kicker—your industrial branding efforts are not for the everyday consumer engaging in light-hearted scrolls through social media. No, we’re talking about impressing those other businesses, not just wooing the public. And this is exactly why many manufacturers rely on an industrial branding agency.

After all, people don’t throw their cash at just anyone. They need to believe you’re the real deal before they stick around for the long haul.

So, in the grand scheme of things, industrial branding is far from mere corporate speak. It’s the essence of your business’s identity and your promise to your clients. It’s something to be cultivated with care and passion.

Nurture it, love it, and for the love of all that’s holy, don’t ignore it.

So, how exactly do you do that?

In the same breadth as consumer branding, industrial marketing goes through the same process of building the company’s name to its target audience. However, all marketing efforts of an industrial branding agency are focused on a B2B (business-to-business) setting.

Branding in the industrial sector also involves creating and promoting a company’s brand identity to target industrial buyers such as manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and other businesses within the supply chain. The goal of an industrial branding agency is to of course–help you make a sale, but not just once, to continuously make sales by establishing long-term relationships with B2B customers.

So, while this is usually overlooked, establishing a strong industrial brand can actually lead to increased revenue, customer loyalty, and a competitive advantage in the market.

Let’s look at the numbers so you can get a better picture of why having an industrial branding agency can no longer be overlooked:

• According to a survey by IndustrialSage, 98% of manufacturers said they are receiving sales-qualified leads through online marketing methods.
• 57% of industrial buyers make purchase decisions before they even talk to a manufacturing company, which means they do their research very well.
• Brands that regularly share their story often see their brand value jump by 20%.
• For 75% of B2B buyers, the brand plays a big role in their buying choices.

Taking into account all these statistics, it’s clear that getting an industrial branding agency is no longer just a nice-to-have, but is a crucial aspect of marketing for manufacturers.

Your industrial branding agency would help you work on this but it’s best to also learn to do this by yourself. So, let’s start with identifying your primary and secondary audiences. It’s your branding bread and butter. But, how do you figure out who’s buying what you’re selling?

You can’t just rely on guesswork and intuition. Yes, you’re selling to companies, but who exactly do you need to talk to and convince to believe in you? Procurement officers, engineers, and maintenance, but each of these have different points of view so you still need tools and techniques: Surveys, focus groups, social media research, and of course, analytics. This way, you get to peek at what makes your audience tick, their needs, preferences, aspirations, and pain points.

With the right tools, tricks up your sleeve, and perhaps a great industrial branding agency by your side, you’re not just playing the game; you’re setting the rules.

Understanding your audience also paves the way to defining your brand’s core values.

But why does this matter?

Simply because consumers these days aren’t just buying a product. They’re seeking a brand with which they share common values—whether that’s environmental responsibility or a commitment to quality and innovation.

Your core values are your brand’s Tinder bio, so make it count.

First rule: steer clear of the corporate jargon that makes you sound like a robot. Start simple but be impactful. Outline the positive change your brand aims to create, detail how you plan to achieve this, and explain why this particular mission drives your organization. This approach not only clarifies your purpose but also resonates with like-minded customers.

An experienced industrial branding agency will know how to find that sweet spot where your brand’s values sync with what the industry and your audience crave. If your industry champions sustainability, for example, and your brand is out there treating recycling like a game of hot potato, you’ll stick out—and not in a good way. Aligning brand values with industry expectations ensures that your brand stands out for all the right reasons.

Crafting a strong and unforgettable brand identity is a crucial step that follows naturally after understanding your target audience and aligning your brand values and mission. A distinctive brand identity, including your logo, color scheme, and tagline—the brand identity trifecta—acts as the visual and verbal embodiment of all you stand for. A competent industrial branding agency should be able to understand this perfectly. 

Your logo serves as the beacon of your brand, the visual shorthand for what you represent. It’s not just a random mark but the face of your company to the world. Hence, creating a logo that resonates with your industrial brand’s spirit is paramount.

First, think of the most memorable logos in history: Apple, Nike, and McDonald’s. Their beauty? Simplicity. Your logo should be easy on the eyes.

Your logo should also look as good on a business card as it does on the side of a building. Black and white, color, embroidered on a shirt, or stamped on a product—make sure it swings both ways and then some.

For industrial brands, it shouldn’t be about mere creativity. Your logo should convey strength, reliability, and innovation. Consider strong, geometric shapes.

Any industrial branding agency would tell you that color schemes in branding should make your client feel secure and excited.

Choose a color palette and stick with it. Inconsistency is confusing and makes you look like you’re having an identity crisis.

Now, each color brews a different emotion. Blue screams trust and reliability, making it a hot favorite among banks and corporate giants. Want to appear eco-friendly and sustainable? Splash some green. Industrial brands might lean towards blues, grays, and blacks to evoke strength, precision, and technology. Don’t be afraid to explore different shades.

A tagline is your elevator pitch. Make it short, make it sweet, and make it memorable. Make sure your tagline leaves them feeling something, be it inspired, intrigued, or uncontrollably eager to buy your products or services. 

You want those gearheads and industry tycoons lining up, not because you told them to, but because they can’t resist! As the age-old adage goes, at the end of the day people will forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. 

However, engineers may not be the best people for this, which is why a marketing manufacturing agency is usually hired by industrial companies to handle all the creative work and come up with a sleek and on-point tagline. 

Now, aligning messaging requires a comprehensive brand style guide that dictates not just visuals, but also voice and tone. Regular audits across platforms, from social media to printed brochures, ensure the brand’s core narrative is not diluted. 

A consistent message is like a familiar melody that resonates long after the note is played. For example, Apple’s branding is consistent across products, advertising, and in-store experiences, creating a cohesive narrative of innovation and simplicity.

If your in-house team is already struggling with this, an industrial branding agency is well-equipped to help you build your brand identity and keep it consistent across all content and platforms.

After the industrial branding agency has helped you establish a solid brand identity, you would want to breathe life into it by masterfully crafting your brand’s narratives. In other words, storytelling. Contrary to what others might believe, storytelling is not just a layer added on top of your brand identity. It’s an integral part of weaving a deeper connection with your audience.

Imagine for a second, you’re trying to sell a widget. Not just any widget, but a super-duper, high-tech widget. 

You could talk about its specifications, revolutionary design, and price point, and watch your audience’s eyes glaze over faster than a Krispy Kreme doughnut. 

Or, you could tell them about the time this widget saved a business from bankruptcy, transformed a small town, or helped a group of spirited kids win the science fair. 

Suddenly, you’re not selling a widget. You’re selling a dream, a solution, a hero in the form of industrial equipment. 

That’s the power of storytelling.

Let’s talk about real-life examples. 

Caterpillar, for example, is respected across the industry not merely because they make big machinery. It’s because they craft narratives about building a better world, constructing the infrastructure of tomorrow, and supporting the communities that make it all possible. And who doesn’t want to buy into that?

Then there’s Tesla. Sure, Elon Musk might be the wizard of making headlines for all reasons under the sun, but at its core, Tesla’s story is about revolutionizing how we see and use energy, making the planet healthier, and looking cool while doing it. It’s a narrative so potent it turned battery packs into a badge of honor.

This might not seem like a job for a manufacturing company, and you’re right. This is what an industrial branding agency is for. Creating a compelling narrative is a tough job and it’s best to leave it to experts like an industrial branding agency. 

You can always take advice from an industrial branding agency to learn more about storytelling. But if you want to infuse your brand messaging with vibrant storytelling yourself, here are the steps to consider:

Start with why your company exists beyond making money. Is it to innovate? To simplify life? To bring joy through the magic of hydraulic fracturing? Whatever it is, that’s your starting point.

Every story needs a hero. Your hero could be your product, your team, or the customer whose life you changed. Give them personality, goals, and a journey. Make them relatable.

What challenge does your hero face? Is it regulatory hurdles, technological limitations, or perhaps a nefarious competitor? This not only adds drama to your narrative but also highlights the resilience and innovative spirit of your brand.

Showcase the pivotal moments where your brand or product shines, overcoming challenges and leaving a positive impact. This not only demonstrates the value of your offerings but also reinforces the notion that your brand is a catalyst for positive change.

Let’s talk playgrounds-–social media platforms, that is. First up is LinkedIn, which might seem like the stuffy corporate uncle of the social media family, but it’s actually where the party’s at for industrial branding. Here, you can flaunt your industry know-how, share those eye-opening case studies, and network with people who care about the difference between a bolt and a screw.

But don’t put all your nuts and bolts in one toolbox. An adept industrial branding agency knows how to leverage Facebook and YouTube too. These days, they’re not just for influencers anymore. They’ve become a gold mine for showing off the good side of manufacturing like those behind-the-scenes tours and juicy product reveals.

You may also want to crank up the conversation! Start polls about the things you’ve manufactured, AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with your engineers, and behind-the-machinery content that makes your followers feel like part of the crew.

Contests and giveaways are the cherry on top. Who wouldn’t want to win a mini 3D-printed version of your best-selling widget?

You can always give out suggestions to your chosen industrial branding agency and they should be able to craft the best mix of socials to boost your brand out into the industry.

Social proof is one of the strongest weapons of industrial branding agencies–integrating user-generated content, such as customer reviews and testimonials, into your social media strategy also offers a dynamic approach to building trust and fostering credibility. Encourage your partners and customers to share their experiences with your brand.

Humanity trusts a horde of strangers online more than the slickest sales pitch. 

It’s like having a pint with your mates and they can’t stop raving about this new burger joint. You’re going to want in on that action, right? Exactly. 

Getting positive feedback is not a herculean feat, but how do you do it? Or better yet, how do industrial branding agencies do it?

Start with a bang. Deliver exceptional service people want to talk about. Then, nudge your customers gently. A little “Hey, did you like our service?” already goes a long way. Offer a perk or two for their time because everyone loves a freebie.

But what happens when you get a negative review? Don’t panic. Even the best industrial branding agency worth its salt knows that the occasional bad review is not the apocalypse. It’s a chance to strut your customer service mojo. Responding with grace, offering solutions, and caring turns those frowns upside down and shows potential customers you’re not just another faceless brand.

As mentioned earlier, being eco-friendly and socially responsible isn’t just for tree-huggers and tofu-lovers anymore. Today, it’s what gets the people talking and, more importantly, buying. Yes, even in the manufacturing community.

Want to tell your customers you’re all about the green life? 

Ditch the jargon-heavy manifestos that only three people read. Use clear, concise language to explain your sustainability efforts. Create content that will have people double-tapping fast. A word to the wise: visual storytelling can be more engaging and easier to understand than text-heavy content.

You may also create a dedicated section on your website for sustainability. This serves as a hub for interested consumers to learn more about your efforts and impact.

Beyond the feel-good factor and positive narrative, measurably gauging the success of your branding helps you fine-tune strategies, prove ROI, and communicate value to stakeholders. 

Let’s break down the key metrics and tools that can guide you in measuring success effectively. This is so that you also know and most importantly, understand, what these metrics are and not just some report that your industrial branding agency would throw in for you from time to time. 

Objective: To determine if your target audience is becoming more familiar with your brand’s sustainability and social responsibility efforts.

• Metrics: Website traffic on sustainability-related pages, social media followers growth, hashtag usage, and brand mentions.
• Tools: Google Analytics for website traffic analysis, social media analytical tools (such as Hootsuite, and Buffer), and brand monitoring tools for tracking mentions and hashtags.

Objective: To assess how actively involved your audience is with your sustainability content and initiatives.

• Metrics: Likes, shares, and comments on social media posts; time spent on sustainability-related web pages; participation in sustainability-focused surveys or initiatives.
• Tools: Social media platforms offer built-in analytics to measure likes, shares, and comments. Tools like Hotjar can provide insights into how users interact with your website.

Objective: To understand whether your sustainability and social responsibility efforts are influencing purchasing decisions or prompting other desired actions.

• Metrics: Sales data for products linked to sustainability initiatives, sign-ups for sustainability programs, donations to related causes, and conversion rates for specific calls-to-action (CTAs) related to your CSR efforts.
• Tools: E-commerce analytics platforms, Google Analytics for tracking specific conversion goals, and CRM tools to track leads and sales related to sustainability campaigns.

Objective: To gather direct insights from your audience about their perceptions and attitudes toward your brand’s sustainability efforts.

• Metrics: Survey responses, customer reviews, social media comments, and direct customer inquiries related to sustainability/CSR.
• Tools: Survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms, social media listening tools, and customer service platforms for analyzing feedback and inquiries.

Cultivating a compelling industrial brand requires you to understand your target audience on a deep level, articulate your core values, and create consistent visuals and messaging across platforms. Then, through strategic storytelling and tailored social media engagement, alongside leveraging customer testimonials, you can solidify trust and credibility. Lastly, embracing sustainability and accountability stands at the heart of modern business practices, and by monitoring the right success metrics, you’ll have a clear insight into your branding impact.

If you’re struggling with your industrial brand, consult with an industrial branding agency to help guide you through the process and create a strong, authentic brand identity that resonates with your target market.