Marketing Challenges in a E-Marketing World
Many people are probably in the same marketing situation we are in now. The MicroCool division of Wolverine Tube Inc. has been at it for a few years now. We have a great team in the US with two thermal engineers (Matt and Scott) and a General Manager (Sy-Jenq) with a metals background who speaks Mandarin. We have established a low volume and R&D facility in Decatur, AL and a fully staffed high volume manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China. We have created our website www.microcooling.com, come check us out! We are blogging and trending on social media through LinkedIn, Facebook, and even sent some “tweets”.
So you may be wondering what is the problem, well let me tell you. As the Operations Manager for MicroCool my background is not in e-marketing or whatever they are calling it these days. Sure I had a marketing class in college but the internet was barely off the ground. Al Gore should have been born sooner I guess. We could not have ever imagined the internet would become the most efficient way to communicate worldwide on how MicroCool can make their products better. We don’t have the budget (yet) to hire a marketing guru to create a top-notch marketing campaign, therefore our team of engineers, managers and assistant all pitch in with some assistance from an outside consultant to try to create a cohesive and dynamic marketing campaign to spread the word about MicroCool® and our patented MDT™ process that is used to create base plates and cold plates for liquid cooling applications. Using an extruded tub and Friction Stir Welding (FSW) to join our MDT™ base plate, MicroCool® cold plates are the best performing and cost-effective available.
Pick Your Battles
Each day gets a bit easier as we try new things and see what works and what doesn’t. Senior management has given their support and even sent me to train with the VP of Marketing at a sister company that really knows what is going on. They have a large team located in offices around the globe that monitors their campaign 24 hours a day. I learned that this can’t be a “set it and forget it” event. But has to be a process that is continuously monitored and modified as needed. There is so much information available to help us be successful with our campaign that it can be overwhelming. The advice provided to me was “pick your battles and focus”.
These are exciting times to come to work. Not only because of the products that MicroCool® is making but also because of the challenge of creating and growing this marketing campaign to reach and inform everyone whose requirements demand a liquid cooling solution.
Dwight
Operations Manager
Wolverine Tube Inc., MicroCool Division