Discover Vicky Knight’s unconventional journey into the world of engineering marketing, how she found her passion, and how she uses her learnings to transform NCMT’s marketing strategy.

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On our latest episode of the Engine Room podcast, Rob Dando spoke with Vicky Knight, who is the Marketing Manager at NCMT. Vicky's journey into marketing and her passion for the engineering world is a testament to the unconventional way many professionals get into industrial marketing. 

Here’s what they spoke about, with timestamps:

00:22 How Vicky became Marketing Manager for NCMT
03:11 Some examples of engineering in everyday life
04:26 Who else is in NCMT’s marketing team with Vicky
07:07 NCMT’s biggest marketing successes and challenges so far
11:28 What is the main thing you measure your success against?
14:20 Is video content worth it?
17:47 Which data capture points are NCMT operating?
19:53 Vicky’s top marketing tips
23:31 Vicky’s top marketing resources
25:30 Traditional marketing vs digital marketing 
27:58 What’s coming up for NCMT?
 

An Unconventional Journey

Vicky's journey into marketing began during her time at Coventry University. Whilst studying English & Teaching English as a Foreign Language, she stumbled upon a marketing role during her placement year. Intrigued by the opportunity, Vicky decided to give it a shot, and that’s when she discovered her passion for the engineering industry. This is what led Vicky to believe that passion finds you when you least expect it.

Vicky feels her teaching background gave her confidence in communication, which has been a valuable skill throughout her marketing career. Also, her exposure to the engineering world fuelled her drive to learn more about the field. This combination has created a genuine passion for marketing in the engineering industry for Vicky and helped her career success. 

Engineering is Everywhere

Engineering plays a crucial role in our everyday lives and is involved in many aspects of our existence that people don’t acknowledge it for. It can be seen in roads, bridges, and vehicles, from the engineering of suspension systems in our cars to complex railway tracks. It doesn’t end there either; in our homes, engineering allows us to enjoy the comfort of modern living. Plumbing brings clean water and removes waste. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems help us to control the temperature and feel of our homes. Electronic engineering has created endless capabilities in our homes, such as boiling water, toasters, televisions, charging ports, lighting and the internet - it never ends; engineering really is everywhere.

In the podcast, Vicky shared a story that highlighted this:

“Recently, my mum had a hip replacement, and at the time, we didn't think about who made the joint at all. Since then, I've been into a company that does orthopaedics, and they prompted me to ask my mum about who made the joint. I then asked her, and of course she didn’t have a clue. But you'd want to know the manufacturer if you were shopping for a car, wouldn’t you? People take engineering for granted, but it's fascinating how much engineering is everywhere”

Confidentiality as a marketing challenge

One of Vicky's challenges as a marketer in manufacturing is how confidentiality can get in the way of a good story. Marketing around intellectual property can be tricky, and as an agency, we know how valuable ideas can be, but of course, we want to show off the fact we have them (and lots of them!). 

But how can you tell your story if it's a secret?

• Push back to senior management on whether the 'injunction' is really necessary. Sometimes, it is important to have a level of confidentiality around certain products, but think about the return on investment if you were able to implement marketing campaigns sooner. With a truly innovative solution, you could win respect for being thought leaders in the market.
• If you really can't market the product yet, build your case study as you go, so there's no delay in marketing material around the release.
•  Create thought leadership material around wider industry conversations concerning product applications.
  
  

The Value of Marketing

Using strategic marketing can help businesses differentiate themselves, create brand awareness and increase sales. But it’s not just for their target audience; it also can serve as a useful tool for recruitment, as in-house marketing can help to shape your company into one that people will enjoy working for. 

“Marketing isn't just about sales. It's about the perception of a company for recruitment and ultimately for bringing in new talent.”

Vicky recognises marketing's broader impact, including brand perception and recruitment. Vicky isn’t alone with this; she also feels that NCMT’s investment in marketing and the support she receives from their stakeholders shows that NCMT recognises the power of marketing for business growth and recruitment too.

Vicky's unconventional journey into the engineering marketing inspires young marketers and professionals, and her story highlights the importance of embracing unexpected opportunities and discovering true passions along the way. 

If you want to learn more about Vicky's experiences and gain valuable insights from her journey, we recommend listening to this Engine Room podcast episode.

Want to talk B2B industrial marketing? Get in touch.