Flying under the radar is not a marketing strategy

If I had a hundred dollars for every time a moldmaker or molder told me that they didn't want me to write an article about their company because they want to "fly under the radar," I'd be a rich woman!

News flash! Flying under the radar is not a marketing strategy! If you own a business and want it to thrive, you do not want to be the best-kept secret. I'm sure that Steve Jobs never wanted Apple to be the best-kept secret, and I'm certain that "flying under the radar" was not in his strategic planning. Ditto for Bill Gates.

I've been in this business for 26 years, and if I've learned one thing it is that successful moldmaking and molding companies have strategic marketing plans that include promotional planning such as press releases, trade show attendance, advertising—both online and in print—and, yes, even getting articles published about their companies.

I know that molders and moldmakers are not the equivalent of retail companies, and they don't have proprietary products to sell in a store. But B2B marketing is absolutely essential to their success. That is how the large, successful molding companies made it and became global manufacturers and suppliers to global OEMs. They gained name recognition!

Name recognition is critical for any company that wants to succeed and grow its business. It's not enough just to have the latest and greatest equipment, the nicest building, the best and most-skilled employees. You've got to be out there! Your customers—and more importantly, your potential customers—have to know your company, your expertise, your skills and capabilities. When your name appears in trade publications, your customers recognize you as a supplier to them and suddenly you've created a whole lot of credibility.

When your competition appears in the trade publications or in an ad or at a trade show booth, you can be sure they are after the recognition you reject by flying under the radar. As someone who used to have a private pilot's license and who flew a lot, I can tell you what happens to people who fly under the radar!