Michael Ference Fluid Power Marketing

In growing a business, standing still is not an option.  I have learned from many years in the business world that you must keep moving forward to sustain and grow a business.  Protect your core business and customers while stimulating growth, but you must do both. That is why marketing and advertising are so important to companies.  It is one thing to know and protect your core of business and accounts but companies must grow to survive.  That is where stimulating growth comes in. At Fluid Power World , we help companies to reach new customers and prospects while also sending their sales message to core customers.  By regularly sending your sales message out the right audience with the right frequency, a company can indeed stimulate growth but it takes time and patience. That is why I recommend an integrated advertising program to all of my clients.  Use print advertising and banner advertising on our websites to build and maintain brand awareness. ...

I know that it is not even January yet, not the New Year.  But, the first 2018 issue of Fluid Power World will be our February issue and there is a lot to talk about there! For starters, we will feature Mobile Hydraulics in Utility Applications.  As regular attendees at the ICUEE Show in Louisville (International Construction Utility Equipment Expo), we have picked up many application stories that we would like to share with our audience. If you never visited the ICUEE Show, then you can find out more about it by visiting their website .  The show will take place again in 2019 but we have some great reviews from the past show. Tubing vs. Hose -  is a question that will be addressed in our February 2018 issue of Fluid Power World .  We already have lots of great content on the subject on our Hose Assembly Tips website and I invite you to visit there for the latest product information. Next, we will review Pneumatics in Food Processing....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! Join us in 2018 for a really great year for Fluid Power World! We kickoff the year with our joint issue with Design World magazine in January.  It is called the Leadership in Engineering and it will be one of the biggest and best engineering issues you will ever see! In February, Fluid Power World will publish our first issue of the year and our lineup will include:  Mobile Hydraulics - Utility Applications, Tubing vs. Hose, Pneumatics in Food Processing, Hannover Fair Preview, and Product Focus on Motors and FRLs.  That will be an excellent package of editorial content served to our readers in our first print issue in 2018. Consider joining us as an advertiser and place your sales message within a fantastic package of fluid power content.  If you have any questions, please contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com

I am no technological expert about robots, but I have listened to several presentations about the subject of robotics, artificial intelligence, and all of the technologies in between.  Our company, WTWH Media has become very involved in this technology with the acquisition of our website The Robot Report. I know that robotics is a market for fluid power components but, not being a technology expert, I am not clear of the volume of components sold into this market.  So we may have some synergy here with this new venture and I will look forward to any opportunities to utilize this new property for our fluid power customers. This new business sector also has an event titled Robotics Summit & Showcase and the first event will be held in May 2018.   Here is a link to the event website. I would like to hear any feedback on fluid power in robotics.  What I have heard is that robotics are being used in manufacturing, material handling, and even in cons...

If you have seen my sales presentation, you know that I promote Building Brand Awareness while Generating Sales Leads ... Does that look familiar?  Well, our capability to generate sales leads for our advertisers is better than ever.  With our five e-newsletters, e-blasts, white papers, e-books, and webinars, we can help your company to take advantage of the current upturn in the fluid power industry. Even if we do not get to speak before the end of this year, we can reconvene in 2018 to discuss ways that our network will help your company to increase sales and market share in the new year!

The National Fluid Power Association NFPA, wrapped up its regional meeting series this week with the Chicago area meeting held at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL.  For more information about 2018 regional meetings please visit their  website .  It was a very nice event with two excellent speakers. Tamima Farooqui is the Job Resource Specialist at the college and she gave a very thorough overview on what kinds of jobs technical students are seeking and how they can best assimilate into the workforce.  She gave some background on the type of training and counseling they receive at Moraine Valley.   The second speaker, Neil Barker, Associate Professor of Integrated Systems Technology furthered the notion of a diverse workforce.  He gave some great insights into the technical training and career aspirations of their technical students.  Later, Neil gave a tour of their new fluid power lab. Near the end of her presentation, Tam...