Marketers, do you understand the challenges of finding partners from the shippers perspective?

Brendan Stenson, Manager of Transportation Services at Shaw Industries, shares insights ahead of his participation in the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit. He oversees Shaw’s domestic outsourced freight, focusing on truckload, intermodal, and LTL shipments. Brendan highlights the annual procurement process, which involves an extensive RFP process lasting from August to Thanksgiving. He emphasizes the importance of establishing long-term strategic partnerships with carriers, rather than pursuing short-term gains. Brendan stresses the need for carriers to approach Shaw with a focus on building enduring relationships and addressing the challenges of network synergies. He underscores the significance of fostering connections that align with Shaw’s objectives and values.

Are you a partner? Adaption is a two-way street.

In a conversation between Ralph, the producer of the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit, and Pam Holder, the Supply Chain Technology Director at Shaw Industries, Pam shares insights on her role and expectations from supply chain marketing professionals. Pam’s role involves overseeing projects from ideation to implementation, partnering with business stakeholders, and making purchasing decisions, particularly regarding technology. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnership with software suppliers, seeking vendors who can adapt to their processes while also trusting their expertise during implementation. This collaborative approach is key to success at Shaw Industries. Ralph concludes by highlighting the significance of collaboration for success and directs viewers to the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit website for more information.

Maximizing the Impact of Your Online Brand With Digital Marketing

Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital, emphasizes the importance of understanding the changed buyer decision-making process in digital marketing. She highlights that digital is a significant part of the B2B buyer’s journey, influencing the initial 50% of the decision-making process. Neher cautions against mistaking online presence for a strategy, emphasizing the need for purposeful actions. Additionally, she stresses the importance of measurement and key performance indicators for effective campaigns. Neher notes the evolving role of search engine optimization (SEO) and its value for smaller retailers. Attendees can delve into this topic at the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit on June 5-7, 2024, in Amelia Island, Florida.

Does your content create credibility?

Ralph Henderson, producer of the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit, introduces Krista Neher, an expert in branding and online strategy. Discussing the importance of branding, Krista emphasizes that a strong brand serves as a guiding light and unique promise, leading to consistent messaging, changed perceptions, and improved ROI. She stresses that, in an activity-driven strategy, clarity on the brand’s core benefit is crucial for standing out in a competitive landscape. Shifting to the online domain, Krista highlights the changing behavior of B2B buyers, who are also consumers, emphasizing the need to meet them online with a compelling, up-to-date presence. She notes the significance of understanding the difference between the customer and buyer journeys, highlighting the trend of self-directed buyers. The summit, featuring Krista’s keynote and interactive learning lab, aims to provide insights for supply chain marketing professionals to enhance their branding and online strategies. For more details, Henderson directs viewers to the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit website.

Tools for Supply Chain Marketing Professionals for Creating Credibility and Trust

In a discussion with Melissa Taylor and Christina Daves, supply chain marketing professionals, the emphasis is on content development as a crucial strategy for lead generation, trust, and credibility in the industry. They stress that content is not just a complement but a cornerstone for effective lead generation, providing a digital footprint crucial for establishing trust. The conversation introduces the concept of a “code of content” to strategically target and engage the audience, making content creation personalized and relatable. Innovative content approaches, such as showcasing team dynamics and behind-the-scenes aspects, are encouraged. Christina underscores the importance of storytelling in PR, urging companies to share valuable industry-related stories actively. The discussion humorously concludes with a remark on the proactive sharing required to establish trust, challenging the assumption that everyone reads Supply Chain Brain.

You are NOW in a business revolution, AI

In a conversation with Dr. Jim Tompkins, a veteran in the material handling and supply chain industry since 1975, the focus is on demystifying artificial intelligence (AI) for supply chain marketing professionals. Dr. Tompkins dismisses fears of job loss due to AI, drawing parallels with historical technological revolutions that ultimately improved living standards. He explains the evolution of AI from machine learning to generative AI, highlighting its potential for marketing, such as generating business prospects and customizing sales letters. The conversation emphasizes the transformative opportunities AI presents for marketing strategies, encouraging professionals to embrace and leverage this technology.

TRUST begins with fun

In this discussion, Ralph Henderson and Rebecca Heiss explore the diminishing fun and laughter as people age, emphasizing the need to reintroduce joy into adulthood. Rebecca, a stress and performance expert, advocates for embracing a “beginner’s mind” and overcoming imposter syndrome. They discuss the positive impact of fun in stressful situations, fostering trust, confidence, and deeper connections. Rebecca suggests that challenging, fun moments open people up to shared discomfort, bringing them closer. The conversation concludes with plans for incorporating playful activities like a shirt toss at the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit to create memorable and relationship-building experiences. They highlight the long-term effects of such activities on forging meaningful connections.

Intentionally Creating Relationships through Playful Activity

Ralph Henderson, MC and producer of the Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit, discusses the significance of relationships in business, citing Stephen R. Covey’s “The Speed of Trust” and the impact of trust on profitability. Henderson emphasizes the upcoming focus on intentional relationship-building at the summit. He introduces Lisa Jones, a keynote speaker, who advocates for infusing humor and playfulness into communication to foster stronger connections, trust, and collaboration. Jones highlights the positive effects of play on creativity and problem-solving skills, backed by research showing increased feelings of closeness and bonding. Henderson expresses optimism about the intentional incorporation of play at the summit for enhanced networking.