Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Cybersecurity
Edge Technology
Metaverse
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
WFH (we all know that one by now)
Such terms were not even in our lexicon a few years ago. One of our new clients deals EXCLUSIVELY with a few of the above concepts, so we needed to update the team on much of this terminology for that client, who’s niche is bringing those services to industry vs. the commercial/retail sector. And that’s the good part here.
It is precisely due to the fact industrial terminology is in our DNA at Bernard & Company that we’re so good for our clients. In the above case, we hit the ground running (a very OLD expression) for this new client, as a result of 49 years doing it.
This fact results from many others, including our unique Special PR service, wherein we gather and amass a matrix of editorial topic ties from among THOUSANDS of trade magazines, covering all the vertical markets and functions our clients need to address, each season. We then contribute content to maintain their top-of-mind awareness and stature as thought leaders on various business topics in various industries.
By doing this, we also remain on a very high awareness level of the topics relevant to each market…and ALL markets…which helps us better devise a strategy for business development and marcom tactics with our clients.
Budgets and objectives change, as does our methodology in developing them and maximizing their value in the overall biz plan of each client.
All these services, coupled with unmatched copywriting and graphic art abilities make our agency a truly full-service, industrial leader. No brag, just fact.
Call us with your challenges.
We’re here to help.
Continue reading“At the speed of light” is a saying we hear often. In today’s world, everything happens fast. That’s why social media is a great investment for businesses to reach customers quickly and easily.
Social media management is just one of the many services offered at Bernard & Company. We make sure that our clients’ message is shared with their target audience through regular posts regarding new products, industry trends and events.
A strong social media presence benefits the client in several ways. First, it enhances their visibility. Many people who access a company’s website immediately visit the social media pages to get a better sense of what the company does. Thus, regular and relevant content will attract visitors to your pages and lead to new followers and opportunities. Videos are a highly effective way to encourage interaction as well as giveaways. Secondly, if someone would like to contact the company with a question or comment they can do so on social media and receive a response shortly. Thirdly, we can post in real time from trade shows, obtaining significant coverage for our clients. Fourthly, Bernard & Company helps establish clients as thought leaders in their industries by promoting articles where corporate management offer their insights on specific topics.
Market research is another useful tool that should be used on a regular basis to differentiate yourself from rival companies and ensure current customers and prospects choose you as their top choice. Competitive research includes company news, products, advertising as well as industry trends.
Obtaining this information helps our clients know where their competitors fall short and what they can do to fill that void. For example, a rival company could take a long time to ship a product. If your company is known for fast service then you can promote this aspect on social media, your website and other advertising efforts. Research also uncovers competitors’ key selling points, whether these are quality product design, good pricing, beneficial customer service, quick delivery or advanced technology. Being able to see what rival companies promote gives you a major edge. From there, you can start brainstorming about what your brand already offers and how you can make it better.
Both social media and market research can help improve your business and ensure your success in today’s fast-paced business environment.
Thank you!
Ioana Benea is a Marketing Information Specialist at Bernard & Company, an industrial advertising/marketing agency. Her responsibilities include translating technical press releases (English-Spanish) for magazines in Latin America, interviewing clients for stories, writing product releases, ads and success stories, conducting client research on the market/ competitors and managing and posting to clients’ social media pages.
She has worked at Bernard & Company for 9 years and is based Palatine, Illinois (Chicago). Ioana is a graduate of Benedictine University, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Spanish. She received her Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University.
Continue readingIn a digital age now, evaluating the performance of our advertising and PR has become more challenging, but we do it to a substantial level at our agency.
Nobody reading this probably remembers the “bingo card” used long ago by trade magazines, which allowed the readers to request information from advertisers and PR producers. Yes, kids, people waited 30 days to get catalogs in the mail vs. the scenario today, with 30-second access to company information. However, the bingo card gave us hard information on the inquiry and keep in mind there was a bit of labor involved in filling out the card and sending it to the publisher, which reflected a more serious interest level. As a result, we had trackable evidence of who had inquired, which could be subsequently used in the sales process and back-end assessment of publication lead quality. I spent my earliest days here at the agency doing that, as well as using the follow-up info from rep and sales organizations to assess their performance for clients. Made for some interesting presentations at client sales meetings!
Today, we track all appearances of our clients’ ads and PR online, in print and on social media. We assign an equivalent ad dollar value and can thus present the client with always impressive ROI. This is done through a complex system of online searching and print magazine scans.
The information is then made into pdf and/or link form and amassed in a data base archive in real time. We also engage in CTS protocols to assess the performance of both individual publications and the clients’ sales organizations.
The bottom line…all the content we create and place for our clients is carefully monitored for performance, in this new media environment. You shouldn’t expect any less from an agency.
For more information on how we prove our value to clients every day, call me.
Tim Daro
847-934-4500
Continue readingAs further evidence of the ongoing (at light speed) development in part production across all industries, four of our clients have married machining with metrology. Essentially, the measurement of a machined or additive part is being done in the cutting theater, thus eliminating the labor- and time-intense process of taking parts down the hall to a CMM for validation against the CAD file.
In this “marriage” arrangement, the cutting parameters are captured, fed to a cloud-based or host server, instantly compared to the CAD specs and then, as needed, the machine is adjusting its cutting of the very next parts. This is a genuine giant step on the path to digitalization and machine learning. Is that AI I see coming over the horizon? Actually, no, it’s pulling into the driveway!
Here’s what just four of our forward-thinking clients are doing…
ANCA, the global leader in tool grinding machines, has joined with Zoller in the AIMS system, which stands for ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System. You can watch it here. All done in a virtually unattended environment, too.
Zimmermann, a leading builder of large portal milling machines for the aerospace and very large base mold industries, has partnered with Hexagon for in-process measurement.
Nidec, a gear machine builder, has literally walked across the street in Detroit to join with Wenzel for advanced gear machining/measurement projects. This marriage was celebrated at the last IMTS and many of you media moguls attended our press conference to see it in action.
Finally, our metrology client Exact has joined (literally) the family of In-Place Machining, which now boasts a new Measurement & Alignment Services Division. As a precursor to machining and throughout that process, which is typically done on large workpieces such as power gen rotors, wind turbines and marine diesel power plants, laser and CT measurement is performed. Thus, data capture and instant adjustments in the cutting and finishing operations are made possible.
It’s a new day in every aspect of manufacturing plus machine maintenance and we’re proud to serve such innovative and creative thinkers, who use AND blend the technologies in their markets to move the ball farther down the field and help their customers succeed.
Sound like companies YOU should be dating? Check them out.
www.anca.com
www.zimmermann-inc.com
www.nidec-machinetoolamerica.com
www.inplace.com
By Ioana Benea
Trade shows involve a lot of work. This isn’t limited to signing up for an event, making sure the right person/s and machines are displayed and preparing engaging presentations for your clients and potential customers. When all is said and done, how do you know that your company successfully delivered its message?
With numerous years of trade show experience under our belt, we certainly know how to create a long-lasting impression so our clients not only stand out at an event, but are also remembered and discussed months after.
Clients wanting to receive the maximum benefit from their participation at a show have two options. They can opt for Media Days or a press conference. The former involves editors from target publications visiting our clients’ booths for individual 30-minute sessions. The latter is an organized press conference, usually less than an hour, where all the invited editors are present.
While both options have merit, there are certain situations where one works better than the other. For example, press conferences are best when announcing a new product to the market.
Organizing these events involves several steps. First, we discuss with the clients what publications they are looking to target, then carefully create a list that includes the names and contact information of the editors. We send out the invitation by email, sometimes creating one if the client asks us to do so. This is often followed up by phone calls we make to the editors, reminding them of the invitation and encouraging them to visit our client. Once we receive confirmation, the team creates a spreadsheet listing the time and date of each appointment. The client is consistently updated during this time, so they know how many people are coming and if the editors have a particular subject they’d like to discuss. Based on that information, our client makes sure that a subject matter expert is in the booth when certain editors drop by. Concurrently, the agency works to develop content that will be included in a press kit that editors will receive at the trade show. During the event, several members of Bernard & Company will be on hand to greet editors and hand out digitized press kits.
Our work doesn’t stop once the event concludes. We follow up with the editors after the show to make sure that they have everything they need and don’t have additional questions. If so, we help set up interviews between interested parties. Furthermore, we also send out press kits to editors who were unable to attend. Lastly, we monitor all PR appearances, whether in print, online or on social media. The latter is key, as many editors today post on sm from the booth or immediately thereafter. At the end of a determined period, we provide reports to the clients, detailing their ROI and the value of our services.
If you want to make sure your trade show is a success, reach out to us!
Continue readingIn my 48 years in the agency biz, I’ve encountered clients of all sizes, shapes and interests. We’ve worked for multi-national mega corporate giants, mid-sized entrepreneurial businesses and family-run companies who, in several current cases, have passed the operation onto the third generation. Had one family biz, long ago, who was on the SIXTH generation, when the last owner sank the company, a malleable iron foundry here in Chicago. Didn’t stay responsive to the times and market forces at work in his industry.
Today, we have all the above sizes as clients at our strictly industrial ad/PR agency. For our offshore clients, we generally handle the marcom for North America, while we market globally for our domestic guys, in most cases, including the undisputed world leaders in three categories. If anyone ever tells you the world isn’t still hungry for American technology, have them call me.
Continue readingBy Amie Burke
Participating in a trade show can be a little overwhelming to think about social media when you’re busy with your trade show or expo responsibilities. You know that it is important to let your social media followers know that you are at a show, but what do you do when you are there? Sticking to a couple of these posting ideas can help make it less of a task and help highlight how important your company is to the industry.
Highlight your booth setup.
The first post to make while you are on location with your booth is to actually highlight your whole setup. If it is possible, a behind the scenes shot of the actual set up the day before a trade show would be a great way to remind your followers that you will be at a particular event along with directions to get to your booth. Posting the finished set up, in all of its glory, on the first morning of the trade show will remind your followers what booth they are looking for. Posting a couple of eye catching photos or time-lapse videos of the set up process, then finishing the story next morning with a nice photo of the whole setup or a less than a minute video walk through tour, is an effective way to kick off your first day.
Focus on the unique and important.
What makes your booth area unique? Do you have important clients or guests coming to visit? Are you doing a special giveaway that’s only at the trade show? These are great things to highlight when you are in full swing of the trade show. Posting a quick video tour of something unique about your setup or a photo of a meet up with a client will help in showing how inclusive and friendly your booth is to not only your followers on social media, but potential clients at the show as well. Make sure to use trade show specific hashtags in order to maximize this idea especially if you are doing a trade show specific giveaway or have a sponsorship of an event.
Take it to the next level.
While you are at a trade show, you will see all kinds of new technology or enjoy groundbreaking speeches and presentations. If you are able to share some of the next level information that you are learning, do it! Your followers will find it very interesting and it shows that you are the kind of company that is always looking forward to the next progression in your industry.
Trade shows and expos can be a great way to not only show off what your company can do for your clients and potential partners, it can highlight that your company is ready to make meaningful connections through your industry. While posting about trade shows on your company social media pages, always remember that those channels are an outreach to the rest of the world outside of the expo hall. Not only will the posts help with information inside the show, posts will help show others who could not be there, that you understand the importance of connection and keeping up with what’s new in your industry.
Continue reading
As a strictly industrial agency with 30 clients who develop and manufacture all types of machines, equipment, software, communications and other stuff to run industry worldwide, we participate in several dozen trade shows each year. Well, we did until Mr. Covid came to town. That two-year hiatus was not only costly, it also created a silo mentality for both our clients and us, something that’s counter-productive in many ways, especially to the creative process. Human interaction…and NOT on zoom…is most necessary to drive creativity, whether you’re working on a machine tool, a motor or a full-page ad message.
(more…) Continue readingBy Amie Burke
We all know that social media can be the best thing to happen to your B2B communications and marketing. Social media is a great way to capture the attention of other businesses that may want to partner with you. You can also keep an eye on your competitors to see what they are up to. Social media can do a lot for your business that traditional forms of media just cannot do. But, how do you stay relevant & on top of the rapidly changing social media environment? Here are a few tips to remember:
Your business is really interesting.
Your business is interesting & there is a need for it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in business! So how do you capture the interesting ways your business gets things done? By showing a few peeks behind the curtain that most people do not get to see. This idea doesn’t have to be a grand production, it can be very small and unique. Of course, being cognizant of any privacy regulations for your company, you can still share something interesting about your company that your competitors do not have. What would that be?
Be genuine & authentic.
With the ever changing landscape of social media, it is more important than ever to show your business is run by humans. No one is perfect. Not every photo or video has to be perfect. Showing only a glossy exterior is now becoming something that is being ignored by younger generations as not being authentic. Yes, cool marketing shots are great, but they should not be the only thing that is shared on your business social media. Even a quick photo of workers having fun at a company cook-out from your phone speaks to your company’s authenticity.
For real, share it.
Sometimes we feel that other businesses or people don’t care about what we share. That’s not true. People take the time to follow your business page on various channels of social media. Now, it is your time to shine a light on what your business does to your audience. You already have an audience, or you are building one, you really want to be able to speak to them in a more relaxed way through social media. Don’t get hung up on feeling like no one will care about your post. They do care and they appreciate you sharing.
These tips are great starting points on how you treat your social media channels for your business. These tips will help you think more strategically for your social media posts as well. People are getting more critical of their own personal social media consumption. Customers are curating their own social media habits to fit the kind of media they would like to experience. Ensuring that your business profiles can serve your customers/audience, or potential partners, in a positive way, will help your business grow.
Continue reading
New quality standard heightens performance at company, opens new market opportunities
Accurate Pattern Inc. (Butler, Wisconsin) proudly announces it has received the Certificate of Registration for ISO 9001: 2015, effective July 29, 2021. The announcement was made by the new owners of the company, President & CEO Polly Sackett and COO Kevin Williams, who took the reins from Kevin’s father, Bruce Williams, on April 8, 2021.
As the ISO certificate states, Accurate has demonstrated that their Quality Management System complies with the requirements of ISO 9001: 2015 and, further, that the scope of this registration includes the design and manufacturing of patterns, tooling and gages for a variety of industries and provision of contract services for inspection and machining.
There are two distinct halves of this busy 25-person job shop, namely, patternmaking and fixturing. Each requires a unique set and President Polly Sackett comments, “We are so fortunate to have a dedicated group of employees who can work both sides of the operation to get the jobs done.”
Accurate performs CAD design services, manual and CNC machining up to 5-axes, CMM inspection and certification plus welding and spray coating, as it provides products to the automotive, metalcasting, marine and other markets nationwide.
In detailing the story of its ISO certification, Kevin Williams said, “The process actually began before Polly and I bought the business. Our quality manager Kris Bird has a passion for excellence and he was the key driver in this effort. But all our team really worked together, investing over 1500 hours in meetings, documentation, process and procedure development.”
Polly Sackett echoed that sentiment. “We partnered with the Waukesha County Technical College to obtain their Incumbent Worker Training Grant and it helped us train the entire team for the ISO audit, conducted by American Management Technology, Inc. (AMTEC) in Fontana, Wisconsin.” The result was a series of protocols and documentation on the entire production process at Accurate, resulting in an overnight success through the certification. As Polly notes, “We had the entire document prepped and provided it to AMTEC on a Thursday morning and we were certified by Friday night. We promptly threw a party for the employees and their families to celebrate.”
In practical terms, the benefits of achieving the ISO certification are many. The company anticipates it will explore greater opportunities in its core market of automotive, plus the ISO certification opens new market opportunities. “Those are both very exciting prospects for Accurate and we’re certain this accomplishment will lead to increased business for the company, a goal Kevin and I have set, despite these challenging times and business conditions,” she concluded.
Discussing the origin of this process at Accurate, Kevin noted, “It was a combination of customer-driven need and the passion of Kris Bird, who lobbied for the ISO certification. We quickly realized the benefits to the company and knew it would be worth the investment of time and resources to make it happen.” He further commented that the entire team at Accurate took ownership for the success of the process and the result was therefore more quickly achieved.
Polly explained the process further. “Seven or eight of us would meet weekly to discuss every stage of this endeavor and all the necessary documentation. Because we have both a metal and a model side to our company, it was a challenge to find one solution to fit both departments, but we did it,” she said, clearly proud of the achievement attained by the team at Accurate.
Kevin observed, “It was smooth sailing with very little pushback and that’s always a worthwhile experience.”
One other employee voiced his satisfaction with the accomplishment of the ISO certification. Armand “Mandi” Lulo, the company’s Director of Business Development, said, “As soon as we had the certificate in hand, I was contacting current and prospective customers to let them know. All of us at Accurate Pattern are very excited and very proud of this achievement.”
For more information, please contact:
ACCURATE PATTERN INC.
12833 W. Glendale Ave.
Butler, WI 53007
Phone: (262) 781-5558
www.AccuratePattern.com
Attention: Kevin Williams