MFG.com Case Study

Raising a Marketplace Profile Among Buyers and Suppliers

OVERVIEW

Founded in 2000, MFG.com is the world’s largest online manufacturing marketplace. The platform connects companies seeking custom manufacturing services with qualified contract manufacturers around the world, based on the requirements of the job being sourced. Through an easy-to-use, secure portal, buyers of custom manufactured parts – engineers, industrial designers and other procurement pros – can upload requests for quotes (RFQs) online. Buyers then receive bids from interested suppliers located around the corner or across the globe.

MFG.com is focused on assuring the success of buyers and suppliers alike. It offers ShopIQ™, its competitive analysis tool that helps suppliers and manufacturers benchmark their MFG.com bid activity against other shops, as well as user-developed buyer and supplier ratings to assist in business decisioning. With members in 172 countries, MFG.com is the largest marketplace of its kind in the world.

CHALLENGE

When Marietta, Georgia–based MFG.com approached DPR Group in mid-2016, the firm sought to increase its name and brand recognition among buyers and manufacturing professionals worldwide, but especially within the United States. MFG.com also wanted to build relationships with editors and reporters who cover contract and manufacturing issues.

MFG.com reasoned that presenting its company executives as thought leaders in the field, sharing customer success stories and issuing press releases on items of note would realize the company’s aim of enhancing MFG.com’s reputation as the leading online platform for contract manufacturing services.

To that end, MFG.com sought a public relations and marketing champion with the background, expertise and strategic mindset to increase media coverage, and therefore name and brand recognition, by preparing and placing bylined and feature articles in the most influential business and trade publications.

Key Goals

  • Increase name and brand recognition among buyers and manufacturing professionals across the United States.
  • Publicly promote MFG.com as a modern, comprehensive resource for buyers and manufacturing professionals throughout the United States and beyond.
  • Expand relationships and build additional credibility with editors and reporters who cover manufacturing and sourcing issues.

EXECUTION

DPR Group implemented a strategic plan specifically designed to increase MFG.com’s name and brand recognition among buyers and manufacturers globally. From the start, DPR Group realized significant, measurable public relations and marketing results.

Beyond a steady stream of press releases, DPR Group placed a series of “ghostwritten” bylined articles by MFG.com executives in publications such as Industry Today, Manufacturing Tech Insights, Material Handling Network and Robotics Tomorrow.

DPR Group—created case studies have spawned feature articles in American Machinist, ASSEMBLY, MetalForming Magazine, Cutting Tool Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering, among others. In addition, MFG.com executives have leveraged exposure over the airways, through appearances on High Velocity Radio and The Product Startup, as further evidence of their thought leadership.

The quality of the output created by DPR Group’s experienced media professionals prompted MFG.com to increase the firm’s relationship to include on-demand content development. DPR Group now prepares a full complement of marketing collateral, including product sheets, e-newsletters, blogs, e-books and tip sheets. DPR Group also updates the firm’s website with fresh content, posting case studies, blogs and media coverage, and augments MFG.com’s in-house marketing efforts as needed.

DPR Group Achievements

  • Wrote and placed a series of bylined articles by MFG.com executives in key industry publications to position them as thought leaders in the field of contract manufacturing services.
  • Enhanced the company’s brand by creating customer case studies for use in feature article development.
  • Elevated brand awareness through announcement of key executive hires, new product launches and initiatives to promote openness and trust in the platform.
  • Crafted a steady stream of tip sheets, e-books, e-newsletters, press releases, blogs and more to maintain the MFG.com brand presence in the public consciousness.
  • Augmented the company’s internal marketing efforts by serving as MFG.com’s content development specialists and updating online information, as needed.
  • Attained more than 100 media “placements” in the business and trade press.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

“DPR Group’s thorough understanding of our business, combined with unparalleled industry experience and energy, continues to deliver impressive results. In addition, partnering with DPR provides a level of transparency that is just like having an extension of our own internal team.”

– Mike Stein, Director of Marketing, MFG.com

What People Are Saying

DPR Group has provided valuable public relations insight and helped us increase our marketplace visibility on a local and national level. Our partnership has enabled us to focus on growing our client base, while expanding our messaging and showcasing our unique services.

Kim Cubine

DPR Group is a trusted adviser to both Quality Associates, Inc. and DocPoint Solutions. DPR’s wide range of PR services ensures that our most important news is what our industry views first.

Scott Swidersky
Quality Associates, Inc.

At this point in time, Hermes has a well-established brand throughout Europe, but the company does not have the same level of name recognition in North America. So we decided to partner with DPR Group to let U.S. retailers know about the full range of e-commerce services Hermes offers for e-businesses and international expansion. DPR Group did a fantastic job for Hermes at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE), promoting attendance at our sessions and scheduling media interviews before and after. We’ve never had as much press coverage at any U.S. event before. I highly recommend DPR Group to foreign companies seeking to launch their products and services in U.S. markets.

Uwe Bald
Hermes

DPR Group really understands our industry and the unique role InfinityQS plays in it. They provide both strategic guidance and tactical execution to deliver coverage in key trade publications and exposure with industry analysts and third-party influencers. The team is flexible and always willing to roll up their sleeves to assist us in a wide range of marketing activities beyond our traditional public relations initiatives. DPR Group is more than a vendor. They are a true, trusted and valued partner.

Greg Matranga
InfinityQS

At Linortek, we specialize in designing and manufacturing controllers for the Internet of Things, a market involving connecting all type of equipment and devices to the Internet. We made the decision to partner with DPR Group because of the company’s proven track record of securing greater market visibility in the high-tech and manufacturing arenas. In addition, the DPR Group team is flexible enough to adapt their ongoing strategies and programs to help us meet our evolving needs and goals.

Liyu Nalven, Vice President
Linortek

DPR Group has achieved results for DirectMail.com that have far exceeded our initial expectations. We look forward to a long-term relationship with DPR Group as an integral part of our corporate growth goals.

Robert Salta
DirectMail.com

DPR Group’s extensive knowledge and experience in PR and marketing have elevated the Cetrom brand, increased awareness of our services across the industry, and secured numerous award wins and media placements. We value the partnership that has developed and DPR’s contribution to our overall success.

Christopher Stark, President and CEO
Cetrom Information Technology, Inc.

DPR Group’s PR campaigns have helped us increase the visibility of U-TECK’s products for the utility, telecom and construction industries, especially our WeedEnder® vegetation control mattings. Since working with DPR, we have noticed 30% and 50% increases in traffic to our U-TECK and WeedEnder websites, respectively.

Nan Jackson
U-TECK

Cimcorp utilizes DPR Group for its ability to create well-written, persuasive content and that elevates our brand recognition. DPR helps us beyond content creation — They have become a reliable resource for many of our global marketing initiatives and continue to help drive our brand to reach new heights.

Kristiner Taylor, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Cimcorp Automation Ltd.

Since 2007, DPR Group has been a trusted business partner providing expert public relations and marketing advice. DPR Group has secured tremendous positive media coverage for our firm, bringing visibility to our software and assisting our sales.

Felix Pekar

Abatement Technologies is growing faster than ever, and, with this growth, we are focused on building brand awareness and educating experts on the solutions that are readily available to them. By leveraging DPR Group to secure high-level media placements, we’re able to better educate the public about the importance of indoor air quality and how to better protect themselves and others.

Lori Vaughan, Marketing Manager
Abatement Technologies

DPR has been an asset to Barcoding’s marketing department since 2010. Through their expert writing, advice, and connections, we’ve secured local and national media coverage, leveraged the power of search engine optimization (SEO) with a strategy of inbound content marketing, and strengthened our brand’s reputation as a leading systems integrator.

Jody Costa
Barcoding

In less than six months, DPR Group has helped Protech develop and launch a new website and successfully introduce Protech Cloud Business Solutions to the market. We truly value the expertise and services that the DPR Group team brings to the table and look forward to a long, successful relationship together.

Brian Bruffey
Protech

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