Navigating Niche Freight Marketing: Valuable Insights on Vertical Solutions
“If you have a solution to [a specific] vertical, it should really do two things. It should mitigate risk and create efficiency.”
In the latest episode of the Fr8 Marketing Gurus podcast, Jennie Malafarina, CEO of Virago Marketing, and Jenna Dobrovolny, VP of Marketing at Quantix, talked about how to market vertical-specific solutions with a small target audience. Their conversation centered around the complexities of freight marketing, particularly within the chemical manufacturing industry. Jenna shared valuable insights on the evolution of freight solutions, the increasing importance of vertical-specific strategies, and the critical role of technology and sustainability in shaping the industry’s future.
7 Key Takeaways to Niche Marketing Solutions
1. Correct Branding: Jennifer shared the importance of consistent and clear branding for their events. In 2023, TMSA rebranded its annual conference as “Elevate” to reflect their goal of elevating attendees’ networking skills, industry connections, and sales and marketing techniques. This shift not only clarified their event offerings. They wanted to move away from using the generic term “annual conference” to reduce confusion since it holds multiple events per year and to emphasize the unique value of each gathering. It also helped in setting a thematic focus for the agency, adding depth and coherence to the event experience.
2. Attracting the Right Audience and Providing Relevant Content: TMSA has two events each year. The Elevate conference that is geared toward every member. It always has a diverse range of attendees, from CMOs and CEOs to graphic designers, so Jennifer and her team ensure they have content relevant for every level of marketing and sales in the transportation industry.
Jennifer noted an important example when it came to focusing their keynote speaker and his message regarding the power of storytelling.
“When we booked him, I said we’re sales and marketing people, so everyone understands the power of the story. We don’t need to be convinced of that. We need to know how to do it better. And so, I think he did a really great job at that, and that kind of weaved through all of the sessions.”
In addition to Elevate, they have the Executive Summit, which focuses on attracting executives, typically directors or above. Content for this event must be relevant and impactful for decision-makers. Jennifer mentioned they put qualifiers on the registration page to help potential attendees self-select, such as managing a budget or leading a team. This approach ensures that the right people are in the room, fostering more meaningful and relatable interactions.
3. Listening to Feedback: Feedback from attendees and sponsors is crucial for TMSA’s continuous improvement. Jennifer highlighted the decision to pivot from traditional expo floors to more interactive engagement opportunities based on sponsor feedback about low booth traffic.
Activities like scavenger hunts and sponsor hours were introduced to facilitate organic conversations and meaningful interactions between attendees and sponsors. TMSA even added a wellness room – a place for people to unplug, take a break, and enjoy some peace and quiet after hearing from attendees that they can sometimes feel overwhelmed or anxious. This responsiveness to feedback helps TMSA refine and enhance their event experiences continually.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to read the feedback in the surveys, because you do try harder, but I do appreciate everyone that actually fills out the surveys and does give us ideas, because we don’t know how to improve unless you tell us,” Jennifer earnestly noted.
4. Marketing Your Events Effectively: Effective marketing is essential for event success. Jennifer shared how TMSA uses multiple channels to keep their audience informed and engaged. From personalized video messages summarizing key event details to launching podcasts that highlight industry trends and organizational updates, TMSA ensures they reach their audience in diverse and impactful ways. These efforts not only keep attendees informed but also build anticipation and excitement for the events.
5. Challenges and Strategies: Implementing vertical-specific solutions is not without challenges. Jenna discussed the difficulties in maintaining a strong value proposition while navigating the complexities of industry-specific requirements. The key to success lies in staying true to the core value proposition, continuously innovating, and resisting the temptation to dilute focus by expanding into unrelated areas.
“There’s certainly a lot of challenges with vertical solutions; some of the main ones are that there can be some really tricky details that you have to get absolutely right that there’s not a ton of wiggle room,” she said. “So, the upside to being chemical specific is that we know that industry really well. The downside is that if we don’t get it right, that is going to potentially affect every single customer that we have, and so we take that extremely seriously.”
6. Future Predictions: Looking ahead, Jenna predicted an increased demand for outsourcing as manufacturers focus on their core competencies. Freight providers will need to be flexible and ready to take on more responsibilities within the supply chain, allowing manufacturers to concentrate on innovation and production.
7. Industry Involvement: Jenna also stressed the importance of engaging with industry associations, such as the American Chemistry Council and the Association of Trucking Industries. These organizations provide valuable resources and networking opportunities that can help freight providers stay informed and competitive in a rapidly changing market.
“Relationships are definitely important,” she noted. “But I think one of the things that really helped me was getting really, really tight with the associations. There is an association for everything. And when you talk about freight or you talk about trucking, they love an association. It’s something that, in my experience, the relationship has been really fruitful for me. They have a ton of education. … They put out a series of reports. It’s free, but it gives you all of these great statistics around the cost of trucking. So, like, what’s the average cost per mile? What is everybody paying for gas? What is everything buddy paying for insurance? And so, it’s this wealth of information to make you sound smarter when you go and talk to the customer.”
Stay Your Course & Succeed
Listen to the entire conversation to hear more about the importance of staying in your lane and focusing on what you do best to provide the best for your customers. Jenna and Jennie delve deeper into freight marketing, particularly in the context of the chemical manufacturing industry. From the episode, you will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of vertical-specific solutions, the impact of technology and sustainability, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the freight industry. Watch it here.
Get Results with Strategic Planning
Creating must-attend events requires a blend of strategic branding, targeted audience engagement, innovative content delivery, responsiveness to feedback, and effective marketing. Jennifer Karpus Romain’s insights from her work at TMSA offer valuable lessons for event organizers looking to elevate their own events. By focusing on these core areas, you can create events that not only attract attendees but also leave a lasting impact.
For more insights from Jennifer, watch the full episode or reach out to her via TMSA.
Want to talk about strategic marketing and branding for your events or beyond? Reach out to Virago Marketing now.
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