How to make manufacturing month part of your marketing

Celebrate, Educate and Build Your Company’s Reputation This Manufacturing Month

It's hard to believe Q4 is right around the corner, and kicking off the “year-end rush” is Manufacturing Month in October. (You know it’s one of my favorite times and topics!)

This national theme aims in part to recognize and promote the success of U.S. manufacturers in the global marketplace. From a marketer’s perspective, shining a spotlight on manufacturing offers a bounty of opportunities: generating awareness of and interest in innovative production processes, highlighting quality excellence, recruiting the next generation of workers and more. It even offers American companies a chance to flex a competitive advantage with high quality and efficient delivery.

Here are just a few of the ways you can put Manufacturing Month to work for your organization.

Bringing visibility to your business. When you have manufacturing processes to be proud of, Manufacturing Month lets you show them off! October is the time to pitch that press release about your new production line or invite the local media for a peek at the high-res, AI-enabled scanning capabilities you just brought online to ensure product quality. Plus, consider using this month as an opportunity to highlight your operational workforce. What does a day in the life of your machine operators look like? Ask them in their own words and post a quick video clip on your social media platforms. This month is your chance to bring your organization to life for all your audiences. Make the most of it!

Offering a “Made in America” edge. In 2022, the United States exported $1.6 trillion in manufactured goods, per the International Trade Administration. That’s the equivalent of 77% of all U.S. merchandise exports. To the countries receiving those goods, “Made in the USA” is typically synonymous with high quality. Domestically, it’s a source of pride that also means shorter lead times, improved customer service and more focus on sustainability and safety than overseas competitors provide.

Building your reputation as a valued thought leader. Manufacturing Month offers a variety of forums to highlight industry challenges and solutions. By using channels like social media or company-owned blogs, or securing space at speaking events or on podcasts, you can address hot manufacturing-related topics such as the skills gap or the impact of AI. In turn, you can showcase your leaders’ expertise in the field and your organization’s solutions and contributions in overcoming these challenges.

Enhancing your community relationships. Throughout October, many organizations host tours, sponsor workshops or participate in educational events that highlight the positive impact of manufacturing locally. This is also an opportunity to spotlight the ways your specific organization works within the communities it serves to enhance the local economy.

Inspiring the next generation of workers. The Center for American Progress identifies jobs in the manufacturing sector as “good middle-class jobs for millions of Americans,” yet 77% of manufacturers have a hard time finding qualified workers, per the Manufacturing Institute. Providing a glimpse behind plant doors during Manufacturing Month can help introduce fresh talent to the operational environment—up-and-coming students, as well as experienced workers looking for a change. The ideals of advanced manufacturing and the roles technology, safety and sustainable practices play in modern manufacturing can be powerful draws to the field when they’re communicated well. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says skilled labor pays well too. In 2023, the average annual wage for manufacturing workers was $66k, compared to $53k for all workers. Seize the month of October to seize your next wave of talent.

Manufacturing accounts for 8.5% of GDP and employs 8.7% of the workforce, per the National Association of Manufacturing. For every $1 spent in manufacturing, we add $1.82 to the U.S. economy. The industry’s vitality is obvious.

As marketers for our organizations, Manufacturing Month offers a “what’s in it for me” chance to strengthen awareness of what our businesses do and how they achieve it. As marketers for an industry, it’s a time to honor manufacturing’s contributions and to tell its story to ensure its long-term future.

Looking for creative and impactful ways to shine a spotlight on your organization’s manufacturing? Email Nancy at Nancy.Spatholt@akhia.com to start the conversation.