Podcast
The Kula Ring
Hosted by Kula Partners · EN
The Kula Ring is a podcast for manufacturing marketers who want to drive real growth inside complex B2B organizations. Hosted by Jeff White and Carman Pirie (Kula Partners), each episode features candid conversations with industry leaders centred on practical, field-tested ideas you can actually use. Expect smart takes on account-based marketing (ABM), sales + marketing alignment, demand generation, positioning, content and website strategy, and the realities of modern industrial buying. If you market to engineers, plant managers, procurement teams, or multi-stakeholder buying groups, this show is built for you. New episodes released weekly, subscribe to stay in the loop.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Marketing With Purpose: Turning Culture Into Competitive Advantage
Jan 1300:31:28Tap to summarizeWhat does “marketing with purpose” actually look like in practice? In this episode of The Kula Ring, Jeff and Carman are joined by Alice DiSanto, VP of Marketing at Autonomous Solutions. Alice shares how deeply understanding culture, leadership, and people is the foundation of authentic, effective marketing. From conducting confidential listening tours to aligning teams around shared values, she explains how purpose-driven marketing starts inside the organization and becomes a powerful competitive advantage. This conversation is a must-listen for marketers looking to humanize technology, build trust, and create brands that genuinely reflect who they are.
Transcribe →How to Keep Customers and Distributors Engaged Through Brand Loyalty
Jan 600:30:03Tap to summarizeFor our final episode in the Holiday Series we are returning to our chat about creating a brand made for loyal customers. Klein Tools has been manufacturing tools made for trades people for over 165 years. In today’s episode, we sat down with Greg Palese, Vice President of Marketing at Klein Tools, to discuss how they continue to grow engaged customer relationships. By speaking directly with end users, Klein Tools is able to deepen relationships and increase sales. Even more, Greg discusses how they focus on solving end user problems by visiting job sites to see first-hand how Klein Tools can help their customers.
Transcribe →Building a Voice of Customer System to Enhance Customer-Centric Decision Making
Dec 3000:40:24Tap to summarizeFor our second episode in our Holiday Series we are taking a second look at when we chatted with Cynthia Kellam, Global Senior Director, Digital, Data and Customer Experience Center of Excellence at TE Connectivity, again to discuss how collecting and using digital data can create better customer experiences. She explains their journey of building a better Voice of Customer system to help all business units in TE Connectivity make customer-focused decisions. Cynthia explains how she avoids survey fatigue, uses automation techniques, and visualizes data for actionable success.
Transcribe →Creating a Complete Digital Strategy for a Leading B2B Manufacturer
Feb 25, 202500:30:06Tap to summarizeFor decades, Pack-Smart has been at the forefront of packaging automation, seamlessly integrating robotics and software to deliver turnkey solutions. Yet, despite its technological leadership, the company relied almost exclusively on YouTube for lead generation—until now. In this episode of The Kula Ring, we explore how Pack-Smart is embracing digital marketing for the first time. With new strategies in SEO, CRM integration, and thought leadership content, the company is expanding its brand presence and driving data-driven decision-making across the organization. We dive into the challenges of shifting from product-focused messaging to industry leadership and how Pack-Smart is positioning itself as a go-to resource for emerging trends and regulatory changes. Tune in to hear how a company that has innovated in manufacturing for years is now innovating in marketing—creating a stronger, more connected approach to customer engagement.
Transcribe →Beyond Email Blasts: How MISUMI Optimizes Marketing Automation
Feb 18, 202500:34:25Tap to summarizeDeploying marketing automation at scale in the manufacturing sector comes with an array of challenges and opportunities. In this week’s episode of The Kula Ring, Carlicia Layosa shares her firsthand experience implementing and refining marketing automation strategies. She discusses the importance of data integration, audience segmentation, and behavior-based campaign triggers to create personalized customer journeys. Carlicia also reflects on lessons learned, including the need for an early focus on data quality, the power of AB testing, and the balance between personalization and crossing the "creepy" line. Plus, we explore the evolving role of AI in automation and what the future holds for engagement-driven marketing.
Transcribe →New Marketing Strategies for a Sales-Led Industrial B2B Brand
Feb 11, 202500:31:26Tap to summarizeThis week on The Kula Ring, Tara Vincar, Marketing Director at Alpha Controls, shares her journey of transforming the company's marketing approach from the ground up. She discusses how she navigated the steep learning curve of the instrumentation industry, built a small but mighty marketing team, and gained executive buy-in for long-term strategy. Tara also reveals the early wins that fuelled momentum, the challenge of maintaining growth after the "newbie gains" phase, and how she strengthened collaboration between marketing and sales.
Transcribe →Mapping the Digital Customer Journey
Feb 4, 202500:35:20Tap to summarizeHow do you transform scattered customer insights into a structured, data-driven approach to marketing and sales? Cory Peterson shares the journey his organization took—from early, informal customer interviews to a comprehensive digital customer journey framework. In this episode, Cory walks us through the process of mapping the customer journey, the evolution from a linear model to a dynamic flywheel, and the role of rigorous testing in refining digital interactions. He also discusses the challenges of attribution, the importance of integrating sales and marketing, and how even small organizations with limited traffic can leverage research to drive meaningful improvements. Join us as we explore how a data-driven mindset can unlock deeper customer understanding and business growth.
Transcribe →From Garage to Greatness: The Pulse of B&B Manufacturing’s Customer-Driven Success
Jan 21, 202500:31:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Kula Ring, Todd Carroll, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at B&B Manufacturing, shares the remarkable growth story of a company that started in a garage and evolved into North America’s largest synchronous drive pulley manufacturer. Todd discusses how B&B has doubled its footprint, innovated manufacturing processes, and expanded its inventory to meet customer needs. He highlights the company’s "belted drive expert" philosophy, their hands-on approach to customer service, and creative marketing strategies like "Todd Talks" that blend humour and insight to drive awareness. Tune in to discover how staying close to customers and embracing change fuels success in the power transmission industry.
Transcribe →Automating Creativity: How Cobots and Innovation Are Transforming Food Production
Jan 14, 202500:30:18Tap to summarizeThis week we explore the transformative power of automation in the food and baking industry with Doug Henderson and Jamie Bobyk from Apex Motion Control. Utilizing brand-new collaborative robots (cobots) to revolutionize manual processes, Doug and Jamie share how their team blends creativity and technology to solve complex challenges. They discuss the importance of video content in driving customer engagement, the humanization of cobots on factory floors, and the leadership needed to embrace these innovations. Tune in to discover why automation is reshaping food production and creating long-term partnerships.
Transcribe →From Products to Solutions: Rethinking Differentiation in Manufacturing
Jan 7, 202500:34:36Tap to summarizeMitchell Jerine joins The Kula Ring this week to explore the evolving dynamics of sales and customer engagement. We delve into the challenges and opportunities of this transition, including: Differentiating through value-added services and solutions. Overcoming internal resistance to change and navigating change management. Leveraging technology to access untapped markets while fending off new competition. Real-world examples, like GE’s IoT solutions and Caterpillar’s service-centric strategies, illustrating how manufacturers are driving innovation and redefining customer relationships. Discover actionable strategies to transform your manufacturing organization into a solutions powerhouse.
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