Brandstorm

On this episode of Brandstorm, Dan Trzinski and Nancy Christopher talk to the owners of Containers Up. Lyle Stoflet and Tom Daugherty had an ingenious idea. What if they could make a bar that could be shipped anywhere they wanted, and people could rent or buy them for private parties or corporate events? With these thoughts in mind, Lyle talked Tom into buying a 20- by 8-ft., upcycled shipping container for themselves and placing it on the street in front of Lyle's house for a neighborhood block party. Everyone loved it. No one came inside Lyle's house, and when it was over, the container was taken away. A new company was born.

Containers Up

Less than two years old, Containers Up is a premier designer and renter of customized, upcycled shipping containers. Earlier this year, the Milwaukee BizTimes awarded Containers Up the IQ Award for Innovation.

Containers Up has 10 rental units in Milwaukee and a few more units in Nashville. The containers are an alternative to renting tents or other structures for company events, trade shows, parties and wedding receptions, especially when it comes to mobility. Containers Up provides the vessels for your party or event, and you create the theme. The back wall of the container is a blank canvas for you to decorate, label or brand.

The containers can be set up in as little as 15 minutes and plug into any outlet like a toaster. Each unit holds about 35 people under the roof with sides that flip up like awnings. Some of the customized features include built-in taps, LED and accent lighting, a complete audio system, TVs, places for food, a full bar, ice tubs, seating and more. Guests receive an unforgettable experience and when the party's over, the container is picked up and taken away.  

Selling the Business

According to Lyle and Tom, the containers sell themselves. When people see the mobile party bars at events, clients can typically come up with their own ideas for how they want to use them. Their biggest challenge is finding good employees and navigating through the permit process, so they can educate their customers. The units can be leased for as little as one day or up to a year, if needed. They can even be customized and purchased. Peak times for Containers Up are usually during the summer months from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend, but with all the corporate events and trade shows, they are quickly becoming a year-round company with the ability to do up to 10 events a day.

Connecting with Containers Up

Email Lyle or Tom through the website at https://www.containersup.com/

Lyle Stoflet Email: [email protected]

Tom Daugherty Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn:

@lyle-stoflet

@tomdaugherty

Facebook: @containersup

Twitter: @containersup

Finding a captive audience to deliver your advertising message is always challenging.  On Episode 51 of Brandstorm, Becky Colman of Fuel Montana Media tells us why Gas Pump TV is an effective way to reach consumers with relevant, local content.

Getting Started

Business ownership has always interested Becky Colman. She tells us how she became a part of Fuel Montana Media and why it seemed like an exciting and innovative way to get into business ownership. We learn how Gas Pump TV works and why Becky believes maintaining a strong relationship with your clients is so important in this industry. Becky also discusses how she is planning to expand her business without compromising the personal service that makes her company successful.

Contracting Content

Creating relevant and engaging programming at the pump is critical. Becky says Fuel MT Media contracts with their local CBS affiliate to provide news, weather and sports. Ads are typically provided by the advertiser; however, Becky does have a partnership with a production company to create ads when needed. Ad lengths can vary, but Becky prefers 15-second ads at the pump.  The ads are interspersed with news, weather, sports and comedy to provide a five-minute loop of content, which is the average time consumers spend at the pump.

Effectiveness of Ads

Becky says she's biased, but she gets consistent, positive feedback from her clients about the effectiveness of gas pump advertising. Advertisers can be strategic in determining the location of where the ads run and in which daypart. Some advertisers can tie in with products that they sell at the gas station, offering discounts at the pump and there is technology being developed to deliver coupons to your mobile device, although it is currently not recommended to use mobile phones by the gas pump.

For advertisers looking to buy time at the gas pump, Becky says Fuel MT media also advertises their contact information at the pump or you can contact Becky personally with the information below.  

Connect with Becky

Website: www.fuelmtmedia.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/becky-colman-81a3317/

Fuel MT Media LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fuel-mt-media/

On Episode 50 of Brandstorm, Hosts Dan Trzinski and Nancy Christopher discuss the role of marketing in higher education with Dave Murphy, vice president of marketing and communication at a prominent Jesuit School, Marquette University, in Milwaukee.

Getting to Marquette University

Dave Murphy discusses how his initial interest in a media career led him to the world of marketing and advertising. After completing a degree in Mass Communication, Dave worked at a local radio and TV station. When the opportunity arose to join a small, boutique ad agency, Dave hopped onboard. During his 25 years at the agency, Dave held many positions, eventually attaining the role of Creative Director and later, Partner.

Dave's extensive agency experience led him to an opportunity to work in education as the Senior Brand Marketing Director at Marquette. Five years later, Dave was promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Communications, where he currently oversees the university's branding, marketing, and communication initiatives that impact academic reputation, enrollment, fundraising and alumni relations.

Finding Marquette's Audience

Dave tells us the intricacies of marketing to students. We learn how both digital and traditional marketing materials need to be used to reach prospective students, as well as the importance of providing a positive experience to prospective students while touring the Marquette campus. Dave says his department must adapt to the changing landscape of higher-education, while understanding and using technology as a delivery mechanism.

Competition in Higher Education

How does Marquette's status as a premiere Jesuit School attract students? Dave describes how Marquette's brand identity is carefully curated to appeal to students in the region as well as across the nation. Dave also says Marquette's athletic reputation creates a unique advantage when marketing to prospective students.

Client Side vs. Agency Side Differences

Dave describes how professional life inside Marquette University differs from that of the advertising agency side. We learn how Marquette's news presence is managed and promoted and how to make the best use of marketing university events. Dave also "grades" advertising agencies a "grade," describing what they do well and what needs improvement.

Connect with Dave Murphy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-murphy-521a535/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (414) 288-4810

Sometimes called premiums or swag, promotional merchandise is used to promote companies, brands or events with logos or slogans on products. On this edition of Brandstorm, Josh Kozinski, founder and chief business development officer at Sky High Marketing, talks about the promotional products industry, what's trending and how his company is meeting the growing demand for his services.

Sky High Marketing

Founded in 1997, Sky High Marketing is an $8 million company with 22 employees and locations in Waukesha, Wis., and Las Vegas. The company works with mid- to large-sized companies to help promote them through branded merchandise. According to Josh, Sky High Marketing can source any product you can brand or put a logo on.

State of the Premium Product Industry

The promotional product industry has never been healthier. Sales increased by nine percent from 2016 to 2017 and is a $23 billion industry. Companies are constantly looking for ways for companies, like Sky High Marketing, to get their brand in front of their customers. The healthcare, financial, manufacturing and insurance companies are the largest consumers of promotional products.

What's Trending?

Companies are constantly looking for ways for companies like Sky High Marketing to get their brand in front of their customers. Josh says that while companies are always looking for outside-the-box ideas, staple items like pens, polo shirts and coffee mugs are still popular because of their long-term usability in the home or office. And while the product may be the same, the delivery of that product is definitely changing. Josh recalls recently taking a t-shirt for a casino client, compressing it so it looks like slot machine and then shrink wrapping it for delivery to the casino's customers. Sky High Marketing's ability to be a one-stop resource for products, packaging and delivery fulfilment is a point-of-difference in this competitive industry.

Tech-related products, like power banks, Bluetooth speakers or charging stations, are increasingly popular as promotional products, as well as lifestyle items such as imprinted blankets, refrigerator magnets and pizza cutters.

Co-branding with quality name brands is also trending. Companies like Under Armour, Patagonia and Yeti are responding to the number of businesses interested in having their brands on quality products as long as they meet brand standards.

Game Changers

The internet has definitely been a game changer for companies like Sky High Marketing, not only in how quickly companies must respond to requests, but also the speed in which the products can be delivered. Josh says its preferred provider network is also a competitive point-of-difference. Each of Sky High Marketing's vendors have been carefully vetted, as well as the vendor's providers.

Sky High Marketing also creates virtual stores for its clients and offers in-house warehousing fulfilment services, where products are stored and shipped when purchased online. The company has an in-house design team and recently brought back embroidery services.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.skyhighmarketing.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshkozinski/

Twitter: @skyhighmktg

This past May, the U.S. Supreme overturned the key federal anti-sports betting law. Today's guest on Brandstorm, Dan Kustelski, is a leading authority on sports wagering and the CEO of Chalkline Sports. He's talking about what this decision will mean to sports betting in the U.S.

Chalkline Sports

Dan's company is a data company focused on customer acquisition and retention for casinos, race tracks, media companies and anyone else who wants to engage with sports betters. Chalkline Sports offers free-to-play games to capture names, as well as to educate and engage individuals in sports betting.

Supreme Court Ruling

Last year, about $150 billion was spent on sports wagering in the U.S., and most of it was illegal. The ruling helps states create a framework for managing it just like other legal forms of gambling. It also protects players by legalizing gambling and creates a new source of revenue for states. This decision will likely make the U.S. the largest, legal gambling jurisdiction in the world within three to five years.

Generating Tax Revenue

Although states will have varying tax requirements, the taxes collected will typically be on the net revenue earned by the sports books. For sports betters, it will be no different than players at a casino. Individuals will have to include their earnings on their tax return.

Sports Wagering in the U.S. vs. Other Countries

Dan says the difference is two-part. First, the sports events are different in the U.S. In a controlled environment, like Nevada where sports gambling has been legal, about 38 percent of all bets placed are on American football, 30 percent on basketball and 25 percent on baseball. In Europe and Africa, soccer is about 50 percent of the sports book. The second difference is education. Most Americans do not know enough about sports wagering to place bets. Casinos and tracks will need to educate its customers as a free service and that's where Chalkline Sports' free-to-play games come into play. The company is also helping the casinos acquire names through its database, so that when sports gambling becomes legal in their state, they will already have customers.

Demographics

Casino gamers skew older with an average age of 45, 46 and 47. Dan says sports gamblers are younger, typically 25 to 45 years. This is exciting for casinos and tracks that want to attract a younger audience. Much like fantasy football, sports wagering is more a form of entertainment than it is gambling.  

Online and Inline Betting

Dan believes online and inline betting will be where the growth happens in the next three to five years. Some states are already including online, mobile sports books, while others are more cautious and starting with retail sports gambling at least initially.

Inline betting is a more advanced way of betting. It would allow betters to bet on who will win a football game at halftime or put a wager on the points spread. Dan says this is where the future will be as inline and mobile betting are already trending in Europe.

Changing the Media Landscape

The current media landscape is going to change quickly. ESPN "Game Day" already has someone on the show talking about the odds and is planning to roll out a very specific type of gambling show. So is Fox. While odds-making used to be taboo, people will need them to help with wagering. There is also data to suggest that people will become more engaged with a sports program knowing they have placed a bet on something in the show. This is also going to attract new brands that will want to advertise on sports programming.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.chalklinesports.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkustelski/

Twitter: @djkustelski

People who enjoy board sports like skateboarding, snowboarding or wakeboarding are always looking for ways to up their game. Bored with the limitations of most balance boards, our guest on this episode of Brandstorm, Erik Olsen, invented the Whirly Board out of his garage.  

Giving the Whirly Board a Spin

Using PVC pipe, a piece of wood, a bowling ball and two pool balls was able to create a versatile balance training board with three balance points that make it possible to spin and walk it around.  Erik's invention opened the door to markets beyond board sports. Whirly Board is a new way to get fit, using the board for push-ups, squats, agility training, cardio and even yoga. It's a new accessory for the office. Employees with standing desks can use the Whirly Board in conjunction with a standing desk to stay active, stretching the legs and improving overall balance. The balance boards can even be customized with company logos to give out employees with standing desks or as a corporate gift.

The Power of Word-of-Mouth Referrals

The Whirly Board is distributed through Erik's website, Amazon and The Grommet, an online marketplace and product discovery platform for small businesses. It was the Grommet that discovered the Whirly Board and reached out Erik last Christmas. While not expecting much, the site sold more than 150 boards in the first hour.

Sales are currently up 400 percent year over year, primarily through word-of-mouth referrals and 5 Star reviews from satisfied customers. Erik is hoping that brand satisfaction will generate more customer reviews and YouTube videos of customers using the Whirly Board in creative ways.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.whirlyboard.com

LinkedIn: @erik-olsen

Where's the beef? On the last Saturday in September, it's in Minocqua, Wis. On this episode of Brandstorm, Co-hosts Dan Trzinski and Nancy Christopher talk to Krystal Westfahl, executive director of the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce, about Beef-a-Rama and the event's impact on the local economy. The signature Northwoods event attracts four times the town's normal population. 

Krystal Westfahl

As the executive director of the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce, Krystal has long history working in the leisure, travel and tourism industry. Earlier this year, she was nominated for the Governor's "Rising Star" award at the Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism.

Beef-A-Rama

What started out as a Fish-A-Rama about 54 years ago as a way to thank tourists, the festival had to change its name to Beef-A-Rama, when the fishing industry realized a seafood event would not be sustainable. So, each year on Sept. 29, the smell of beef fills the air, attracting thousands to the streets of downtown Minocqua for this quirky Northwoods festival. For over 50 years, Beef-a-Rama™ has been a premiere event with roasters cooking their signature beefs before dawn and herds of creative festival goers dressed in cow-themed costumes packing the streets to consume 1200 pounds of beef and enjoy live music, a Beef Eating Contest, Cow Pie Plop, and of course the famous Roaster Parade.

A Population Explosion

Minoqua is a town of about 7,000 residents. During the summer months, there's about 20,000 people, including the tourists. At Beef-A-Rama, more than 40,000 people attend this one-day event. Lodging reservations need to be made months, sometimes even a year, out for those who like to repeatedly come back. Minocqua is basically an island with two bridges that lead people in and out of the town. The organizers have about 15 buses running all day to transport festival goers as far away as 15 to 20 miles. The very scope of this event is a big challenge, so there is a Beef-A-Rama app that has been developed to help people navigate through the town and let them know everything that is going on that day.

Organizing a Signature Event

Krystal says if you're looking to create a signature event, it has to be well-defined and the quirkier, the better. You have to capture the imagination of the people with your events. More than a gathering of meat lovers, Beef-A-Rama has different activities that make this festival a grand celebration of beef.

Minocqua's Attraction

Voted by Midwest Living as one of the top 25 coolest Midwest lake vacation spots, Minocqua attracts visitors for lots of reasons. People have been coming because it's a family tradition. Others come for mountain biking, trail riding and to enjoy the area's 2300 lakes, rivers and streams in any vehicle of choice. The locals call the waters "gin clear" because it's almost like looking into a giant fishbowl to see the fish. Every community around Minocqua has its own personality and that includes Lake Tomahawk, Woodruff, Arbor Vitae – all within 10 minutes of the festival.

Getting There

Beef-A-Rama is always the last Saturday in September, and this year it is Sept. 29. The fastest route to Minocqua for out-of-state travelers is from Chicago, up I-94 to Hwy. 39 to Hwy. 51. There's only one stoplight on this route once you are in Wisconsin, and that is in Minocqua. Hwy. 51 takes you right into town, and when the road no longer goes any further (it shuts down for the festival), you are there.

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.minocqua.org

General Information: 1-800-44-NORTH

LinkedIn: @krystalwestfahl

Placekicker Chris Jacke shares what he's been up to since he left the Green Bay Packers and the NFL on this episode of Brandstorm.  Jacke talks about his company, Packers Alumni Resources, his new team of players and how to sign up a Packers legend for your next event.

Chris Jacke

Chris Jacke is a former football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. Jacke was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He went on to play eight seasons with the Packers from 1989 to 1996. In his last year with the Packers, he assisted the Packers to a 13-3 record and a win in Super Bowl XXXI, defeating the New England Patriots. When he left the NFL, Jacke took a few years off to be with his family. He became a licensed financial planner, and in 2013, was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame, the same year he founded his company, Packer Alumni Resources.

Packer Alumni Resources

Jacke's induction into the Packers Hall of Fame inspired numerous offers for him to speak at corporate events, play in golf outings, and assist in fund-raisers. His wife, Terry, who is also a business consultant, felt Jacke would have a lot more fun doing these types of engagements than financial planning and he agreed. While Jacke intended to promote himself in the beginning, after talking to other football players who were making appearances, like Gilbert Brown, Frank Winters and William Henderson, he realized most of them did not have an Internet presence or website. With their permission, Jacke put their photos on his website and offered to help set up any events that came in.

Today, Packer Alumni Resources has any impressive roster of former Packers players in addition to the previous players mentioned, including Jerry Kramer, Lynn Dickey, George Koonce, Ahman Green and Kabeer Gbala-Biamila (KGB).

Currently, Jacke only works with former Packers players, but is considering expanding and working with other football franchises.

Greatest Packers Memories

Jacke's greatest memories of his time in the NFL are his first field goal, the year the Packers were called the "Cardiac Pack" in 1989, and the Monday Night Football game when the Packers went into overtime against the San Francisco 49ers and Jacke kicked a long field goal to win the game.

Jacke was also with the Packers during their transformation from the Lindy Infante era to the Mike Holmgren era. In 1989, after a terrific 10-6 season, Jacke was sure the team would be contenders the following year with players like Don Majkowski, Sterling Sharpe and Brian Noble returning to play. The Packers would go on to 4-12 season the next two years. Through it all, Jacke loved the game, had fun and was proud to be a part of it all.

Promotional Opportunities

Jacke's team is available for almost any type of event, including church fund-raisers, corporate meetings, employee training, golf outings, and hunting and fishing expeditions. Jacke and his wife do their best to match the stories of former football players with the needs of the organizations inquiring.  George Koonce, for instance, likes to talk about perseverance, growing up in tiny shack on a dirt road and rising to become a Super Bowl Champion and later earning his PhD. Jacke often talks about transformation, citing the moves of Bob Harlan bringing in Ron Wolfe, and the domino effect of having a new coaching staff and players. The team was so different, Jacke says when the Packers won the Super Bowl in 1997, he and LeRoy Butler were the only players remaining from the Infante team. The Packers changed everything behind-the-scenes, too…the training rooms and weight rooms and recruiting Reggie White, who would become an ambassador for bringing in other players who wanted to play for the Packers.

Jacke ties this story in with leadership and corporate America. You have to put the right people in place to successfully lead.

Marketing His Company

Jacke uses social media and the personal contacts he and his wife know to market his company. In the early days, he would invite Packers sponsors and others for coffee to get their feedback about what he wanted to do with his company. It has helped shaped the company he has now, five years later.

Benefits of Celebrity Appearances

Jacke and his team get a lot of great feedback from their speeches. When companies conduct day-long meetings, it is helpful to break up the day with an appearance by a former Green Bay Packer who can share a story that is relevant to the goals the company is trying to achieve. Jacke also likes to help causes raise money by posting on his social media sites and helping to raise funds for charities at golf outings. Costs vary for celebrity appearances, depending on the player and the budget of the company.

Contacting Chris Jacke

The best way to reach Jacke is through his website, which also has his email and phone number. He is also available through social media. Jacke says he makes a point to respond to inquiries within 24 to 48 hours, depending on if it's a weekend or a sunny day in Wisconsin. 😊

Website: www.packerresources.com

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn:

• Chris Jacke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-jacke-25613787/
• Player Alumni Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/company/player-alumni-resources-llc/

Facebook:

• Chris Jacke: @chris.jacke.13
• Player Alumni Resources: @playeralumniresources13

Twitter:

• Chris Jacke: @jacke_chris
• Player Alumni Resources: @PlayerAlumni13

Ready for a reality check? This week's episode of Brandstorm features XR Futurist Alan Smithson. Alan talks about the differences between Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Extended (XR), what they can do, what you will need to participate, and how it is changing how companies market brands.

Alan Smithson

Alan is an XR futurist, inventor, author of DJ Prophets, mentor for Techstars, and CEO of MetaVRse, North America's largest VR and AR consultancy. More than 20 years ago, Alan started his interest in technology while working as a DJ. The convergence of his love for music and technology led him to invent the Emulator, the world's first, multi-touch application for Windows that let musicians create music using a giant, see-through touch screen. Alan began working with huge brands and musicians like Lincoln Park, Infected Mushroom and Armin Van Buuren.

In 2014, Alan saw VR for the first time and realized this was the start of everything, in his mind. He learned everything he could about 360 videos, AR apps and VR training. He invented the first VR Photo Booth and is currently working with the Museum of the Future, in Dubai, and the Ontario Science Center to develop the XR Learning Center.

MetaVRse

North America's largest Virtual and Augmented Reality consultancy, the mission of Alan's company is to inspire and educate the next generation of young entrepreneurs to think and act in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. With that in mind, MetaVRse is working on two initiatives, XR for Education and the XR Learning Center.

Reality 101

What is the difference between VR, AR, MR and XR? Alan says virtual reality is when you put on headsets and it transports you to a whole other destination or world. The technology takes over your hearing and vision senses and immerses you into where you are. Augmented Reality is when you can take your phone and hold it over something and you can see data overlaid on it. Google Maps is a good example of AR. Mixed Reality takes elements from both VR and AR. Extended Reality covers all of the immersive technologies and puts them under one umbrella.

Is Immersive Technology for Real?

Alan believes we are in the third phase of adopting these technologies. The first was making sure the technology works. The second was when marketers started using the technology to create gimmickry the drew attention to their brands. Now in the third, or utilitarian phase, we are just scratching the surface of what immersive technology can do. For example, IKEA has an application called "Place" that lets you place their furniture in your home in real sizes, so you can see how everything fits. Cases like this will allow consumers to make better purchasing decisions and help brands to better connect with consumers.

Alan says we are currently seeing a shift to 3-D everything. Facebook recently announced 3-D assets that let you turn your shoes, sunglasses or other products into 3-D. Snap Chat has millions of viewers under the age of 30, and is pushing the limits of what you can do with mobile phones.

AR/VR Uses

In the next three to five years, Alan believes there will be a significant uptick in using VR in marketing and sales, as well as training. He also sees great potential in mobile-based AR. By the end of 2018, more than 1.6 billion mobile devices will by AR-enabled. Alan thinks this is an untapped market. While the U.S. has been slow to adopt, China has invested trillions of dollars in mobile e-commerce. Amazon and Wal-Mart are also making great strides in mobile e-commerce. Alan has coined the term "v-commerce," intersecting VR with AR in e-commerce for retailers.

AR and VR Costs

Creating an AR or VR experience doesn't have to be expensive. 360 videos are relatively cheap. Car companies are using what is called "3 Degrees of Freedom" to allow the customer to look left, right, up and down and see what it's like to be in their car. Not enough of an immersive experience, there is now "6 Degrees of Freedom," where customers can move left, right, up and down to feel more of what it is like to drive the car. From something as simple as placing a camera in the car while you are driving, the cost can be as little as $10,000 to $100,000. Creating a full-on motion-simulated experience can be anywhere from $500,000 to several million dollars.

In AR, companies are spending anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 to do things like bringing a label to life. A company in Australia, makes a wine called 19 Criminals. Each of the 19 people on the bottle have committed a crime and if you hold your phone over the label, their stories are told.

AR/VR Devices

A VR experience can be as simple as having a computer or phone to pan around 360 videos. The next step up is Google Cardboard, which costs about $10 - $20. It is a cardboard box with a pair of lenses that you put your phone in and use the phone's onboard technology. For mobile phone-based VR, there a what is called a Google Daydream. Alan says it's just a nicer cardboard box made of material. The next step up in investment are VR headsets like the Focus, Pico Neo and Oculus Go. With the Vibe, Oculus Rift and PlayStation headsets, you can actually move around in a VR space. The various headsets run anywhere from $100 to several thousand dollars.

When will XR become Commonplace?

Apple is very quietly working on XR technology with its Apple Glasses, but Alan feels it will be some time before the company can create glasses that are small and comfortable enough to wear for extended periods of time, possibly five to seven years. In the meantime, both Apple and Google have released its developer's kits, putting all of the technology in an AR-enabled mobile phone to help developers begin to think in 3-D and eventually create this technology.

AI or Artificial Intelligence

AI is a broad term for computer vision and machine learning, which is vital to Mixed Reality, or MR. Headsets with 3-D scanners collect point cloud data and convert the data into 3-D objects. It maps the world around you in real time. AI needs to be able to distinguish a cat from a dog, or a car, or a person. Once AI can do that, there will be no delineation between AR, VR, 5G, MR, IOT, or Quantum Computing. Everything will just be computing.

L'oreal recently purchased technology from Modiface that uses AR-enabled phones to map a customer's face in real time and allow an individual try on makeup. The company has seen a 60 percent increase in mobile shopping, just another example of the potential in v-commerce, according to Alan.

AR/VR Education and Expertise

Unfortunately, schools lag way behind in teaching XR technology to marketing students. Alan knows of no other university that does so. It's one of the main reasons Alan and his company are working on XR for Education and developing the XR Learning Center. As a consultancy, MetaVRse is always looking for the best and brightest in this field. If you have an idea and don't know how to execute it, Alan's team can help you find someone who can. Or, Alan recommends that you reach out to a local chapter of the AR/VR Association, to help find experts in your market.

Contact:

Email: [email protected] (Y) to make public

Website: http://metavrse.com/

Social Media:

@MetaVRse

#MetaVRse 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alansmithson/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/metavrse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/metavrse 

Katie Felten and Bridgette Palm are working to change perceptions about modern-day manufacturing. They are also providing support to support to women in marketing who work at manufacturing companies. On this episode of Brandstorm, the two women talk about the new association they have founded called Women in Marketing in Manufacturing, or WiMiM, and how they are helping the industry become agents of change.

Katie Felten and Bridgette Palm, Co-Founders of Strategy House

Katie and Bridgette began working collaboratively about 5 years ago. Katie needed writing support and Bridgette was interested in social media strategies. Together, they developed a social media playbook and soon found themselves presenting digital media strategies to manufacturing executives. Realizing it was time to trade in their gmail accounts and create a company, Bridgette and Katie co-founded Strategy House about two years ago. The two marketing strategists are helping manufacturers market in the digital age.

Manufacturing: Perceptions vs. Reality

Strategy House is based in Milwaukee, the second largest city in the nation for manufacturing with more than 4,000 companies in the seven-county metro area. According to Bridgette, that gap is quickly closing behind Indiana.  While many people perceive manufacturing as "dumb, dirty and dangerous," in their words, the reality is manufacturing has changed. Companies are making huge investments in robotics and automation.

For the last 60 and more years, manufacturing companies have typically relied on their sales teams to take care of business. As these manufacturing companies shift in to the digital age, its leadership is not only seeing a changing of the guards, but these new leaders recognize that the buyer's journey is now done online. And with more than 50 percent of the manufacturing workforce expected to turnover in the next five years, recruiting and retaining top talent is essential. Manufacturers are turning to marketers to tell their story and spread the word.

WiMiM

While working to change these perceptions at Strategy House, Katie and Bridgette made another discovery. Manufacturers were often hiring young women with an understanding of how digital marketing works to run the marketing departments…typically as a one-woman band. Coming into a department that never existed before with zero processes, documentation or direction was very isolating. There was age, generational and departmental gaps that were causing frustrations on both sides of the aisle between management and marketers. While hired for their digital expertise, many of these women came on-board not knowing much about what the companies actually made or were delegated as the "t-shirt girl" or "name badge lady."

Katie and Bridgette formed WiMiM to provide support for and connect these women with their peers. Exclusive to women in marketing, who also work in manufacturing, the association is a platform for women to brainstorm with each other and share ideas. Once a month, Katie and Bridgette lead a discussion about a specific topic and then turn it into an issue-solving project. While still in the start-up phase, the association currently has about 35 members and is free to those who meet the criteria and want to join. An application is available on the Strategy House website.

Career Growth and Opportunities in Marketing the Manufacturing Industry

One of the things Katie and Bridgette like to do is visit local universities and schools to talk about career opportunities in marketing at manufacturing companies. They've found that these marketing jobs just aren't on the radar for marketing students. Bridgette and Katie say this is largely because no one has heard about these companies, even though there are thousands of manufacturing companies in the Milwaukee area alone.

In terms of career paths, women who survive in this industry will likely find themselves in C-suite jobs in the next five years. There is an enormous opportunity for career growth and success in manufacturing among young women.

Contact:

Katie Felten

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @katiefelten

Facebook: @katiefelten

Website: https://www.strategyhouse.com

Bridgette Palm

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bridgettepalm

Facebook: @bridgettepalm