What are the ingredients to a marketing campaign that packs punch and generates results? Think about the fundamentals. Once you’ve identified the business need, challenge or opportunity, you need to clearly define your goals and objectives. Many smart marketers focus on SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Based). Then it’s all about the development and execution of the strategy, all while measuring meaningful metrics and working toward generating the intended business results.
Along with these fundamentals, when it comes to marketing strategies in transportation and logistics, there are many unique factors to consider. Take a look at some best practices in marketing and sales specifically in this industry. TMSA recently announced 14 marketing and sales strategies that earned the 2020 TMSA Compass Award of Excellence and are considered best practices in marketing and sales specifically in the transportation and logistics world. Another 18 campaigns earned a TMSA Compass Award of Merit. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the most effective marketing and sales strategies earning the highest scores in this year’s competition. TMSA members can gain access to the full details of these award-winning programs in the Best Practices Library in the Members Only section.
For the last 3 years, LeSaint Logistics has invested significant time and effort in inbound marketing methods, resulting in a robust database of 20,000-plus logistics buyers. Despite this, only
a fraction of the database consists of active customers. After experimenting with several email campaigns, LeSaint became armed with those results and graduated to a more sophisticated email ‘drip’ program with a primary objective of staying ‘top of mind’ with prospects in its database. This was not a lead generation email campaign but rather a campaign designed to engage unengaged or inactive prospects in LeSaint’s brand and content. The campaign leveraged educational and informational content about marketplace trends, challenges faced by logistics buyers and case studies of successful supply chain performance, with multiple asset offers such as white papers, case studies and infographics.
Agency: Sol de Naples Marketing
Category: Content Marketing
With a new leadership team in place at JAXPORT and knowing the organization had not rebranded in close to two decades, the organization’s marketing team capitalized on the excitement and energy about the future of Jacksonville’s port with a complete brand refresh. The industry has changed since the turn of the millennium and continues to evolve. Likewise, JAXPORT is no longer just a regional port but a global one. The JAXPORT team spent hundreds of hours completing a brand audit, competitive analysis, market research surveys, and customer and staff interviews to fine-tune our messaging, design, and position in the marketplace. They took a hard look at JAXPORT’s logo, website, collateral, advertising, value proposition, and tagline - all with an eye for how to breathe new life into the brand. We examined our position in the market, to understand how people perceive JAXPORT. Ultimately, they addressed this question: How do we position JAXPORT for the future? This ultimately led to strategies and tactics used to launch JAXPORT’s new brand last year.
Category: Integrated Campaign
The GLT Logistics marketing department researched and gathered data to analyze the cause behind a recent loss of customers. After a deep inspection of sales reports and interviews, the analysis showed that one of the main obstacles preventing GLT from retaining customers was the lack of knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts, terms, and processes among people in the industry. This information void disrupted communications between 3PLs and customers. The team closed that gap by creating an educational program called Logistics Sessions. The goal of this educational program is to offer and expand knowledge in the industry. In addition, the program is breaking the barrier of disparate corporate cultures, enhancing and simplify customers’ daily tasks, boosting business performance, and empowering the entire industry to grow by delivering useful and valuable information to the transportation community.
Category: Integrated Campaign
The driver recruiting market continues to be challenging due to the driver shortage and high level of competition from other transportation companies. This has made it extremely difficult to recruit and retain quality drivers, specifically in the main markets where ITS fleet operates: Nevada, Washington, California, Oregon, Arizona and Utah. To combat this, ITS Logistics launched an integrated marketing campaign to increase search engine visibility of its individual job listings and reach a larger audience with new content, driver blog posts, driver testimonials, social media and a recruiting video.
Category: Integrated Campaign
Redefining the Road magazine has been published for members of the Women In Trucking Association for several years ago. While many organizations are abandoning print publications, the association found through strategic research that its members (a largely mobile audience) still valued the print publication but wanted more than just a limited focus on the organization itself. WIT recognized the need for a new vision for content and an overall update and looked to MindShare Strategies, WIT’s association management firm and agency of record, for assistance. MindShare Strategies has streamlined operations and established more consistent and strategic messaging. In addition, the agency/publisher worked to revise the mission of the magazine to better reflect the interests of its readership. Based on comprehensive membership research, it was determined that more varied content (professional development, practical career tips, human interest, industry trends, etc.) and more visuals were required to retain and grow the publication’s readership. The magazine overhaul has met with resounding approval by readers.
Publisher/Agency: MindShare Strategies
Category: Sales & Marketing Collateral
In 2019, Vantage Point Logistics developed a content marketing campaign focused on cementing its position as a cutting-edge technology company. With the launch of each of two new technology platforms designed to give healthcare systems better visibility into their supply chain, VPL sent regularly timed messages to a clearly defined group: VPs of the top 150 healthcare systems in the U.S. One was the introduction of VPL Traject. It was a game changer, offering healthcare centers and hospitals—for the first time—everything they need for greater visibility into both their outbound and intra-network shipment in one, easy-to-use place. Customers have their choice of multi-carrier support, with each shipment service level optimized by price for on-time delivery at the lowest cost. Its super-hero qualities made the direct mail campaign a no-brainer; they created Pop Art-style images that showed, in a fun and lighthearted way, just how much VPL could do to “save the day” of the individual/team in charge of shipping.
Category: Content Marketing
Throughout 2019, shark&minnow engaged with the Port of Cleveland to develop, create and promote content that amplifies their message to the general Cuyahoga County public audience. Like a ship that moves silently through the night, the Port of Cleveland is generally not regarded as a public good as other regional facilities are, such as the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, or Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. In addition to creating content for the public, shark&minnow also created content that was more targeted for specific industry events and created a B2B podcast, Great Lakes Forward, to establish the Port of Cleveland as the voice of the Great Lakes region. In conjunction with Great Lakes Forward, a series of videos were created, as well as a website to host and promote the podcast and a social media campaign tied all aspects of the content marketing together. Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn & YouTube) served as the medium to communicate the Port’s message throughout the year.
Agency: shark&minnow
Category: Content Marketing
Saddle Creek Logistics Services was scheduled to open a new distribution center in Duncan, S.C., for a major home improvement retailer in January 2020. To operate the new facility, the company needed to hire 150 warehouse associates, including forklift operators, inventory control associates, yard drivers and customer service representatives. Not only did the company need to hire a large number of associates all at once, but it also needed to do so in a new market where Saddle Creek had virtually no name recognition and get the new hires onboard and ready to start work in less than three months. Recognizing the urgent need to fill these openings, the recruiting and marketing teams quickly devised a plan to raise awareness for the company in the local marketplace and drive applications for the available hourly positions. They developed a dynamic, multi-pronged campaign that included content marketing, advertising, online marketing, media relations and job fairs. The well-laid plan proved to be a roadmap for success.
Agency: Digital Brew
Category: Recruiting Campaign
As a TMSA member, you can check out the 2020 Compass Award-Winning Entries, in addition to past winners, in the Best Practices Library in the Members Only Section. Not a TMSA member? Join Here