Multigenerational manufacturing business with a start-up mentality
DM Wheel Systems was a small engineering business founded by my grandfather in 1951 in Boxtel, the Netherlands. I remember visiting his modest factory in my early childhood, becoming hypnotised by the machines, the smell of oil while I stuffed my pockets full of ball bearings.
In the early eighties and again in 2000s, the company (then named (MIB) was passed down through the generations from father to son. It is currently owned and operated by my two cousins and employs around 50 people.
I was hired in late 2019 on a part time contract basis to (singlehandedly) take over 75% of all marketing activities being outsourced to an agency out of town. My first task was to audit agency performance and provide recommendations for Marketing budget allocation and internal marketing capacity.
Strategic 5 year marketing communications plan
I spent 3 months researching and analysing current and previous business plans, defining stakeholder groups, engagement metrics, staff interviews and more, I wrote a 32 page marcoms plan which was approved by ISO auditors as meeting the international quality standard (ISO 9001). The Plan outlines a roadmap for marketing and communication activities, and aims to inform management of the best course of action and inform budget allocation going forward.
With the plan's main marketing goals clarified, I got to work on the priority tasks, to:1. Define stakeholder and audience groups and determine needs
2. Expand international brand visibility and engagement
3. Build and support affiliate marketing system
4. Create new product and sales documentation
5. Improve website functionality.
6. Professional development of colleagues (specifically in online collaboration) to support marketing activities.
Defining and engaging sector audience groups
Printed product catalogue (114 pp)
You also can view the entire publication as a flip-book.
Product group brochures
Creating a single source file to produce both printed and digital documentation is the most efficient publishing method. To achieve this, I use layers and export settings to ensure digital usability (for social icons and hyperlinks) as well as high quality offset print results.
Technical icons and diagrams for screen and print
Application case studies
Creating flexible visual frameworks and templates to maxime in house production of sales documentation saves a great deal of time and expense. It also attempts to maxime the value of amateur photo's of product applications taken by the customer. Below is one example from a suite of forty A3>A4 product application brochures, which could be updated and printed on demand in-house, while upholding the brand standard. The files could also be digitally produced with links to 3D models and technical product information on the website.
Content and channel management
