F086: Simplify, Amplify, Accelerate: Industrial Marketing Growth Strategies for the AI Era

When you’re a small shop owner, marketing can suck up precious time and money–and still feel like a complete waste. Why is that? In nearly 20 years of helping small shops with marketing, Emily Wilkins sees the same mistakes over and over: (1) Relying on generic marketing tactics (2) Skipping the front-end work (3) Outsourcing to someone who doesn’t “get it.” The good news is: when you get your brand right – and your mindset right – you stop chasing RFQs and become a magnet for the right prospects, people, and partners. In this session, Emily breaks down why one-size-fits-all marketing is a time and money suck, and what to do instead, regardless of size or budget. This talk is a wake-up call, delivered with real world stories and a healthy dose of humor. Emily highlights the difference between a RADICAL (profitable and impactful) shop and an average one. And no, it’s not their marketing budgets. It’s that they’re brave enough to lead with human connection, clarity, and personality. You’ll leave this talk with confidence, conviction, and a practical framework you can put to work immediately to start magnetizing your ideal customers, talent, and partners. If you’re ready to build a business your team is proud to rep, and attract the right humans without grinding yourself into the floor, this talk is for you.

Manufacturing marketers are under real pressure. We're being asked to generate more leads, create more content, and compete against larger, better-funded rivals, often with flat or shrinking budgets. AI is reshaping what lean industrial marketing teams can accomplish, but separating genuine opportunity from noise has never been harder.

This session delivers a practical playbook for AI adoption and expansion in industrial B2B marketing. Grounded in real-world deployments with manufacturers and industrial brands across complex, niche markets, I'll show you exactly where AI is delivering measurable results, and where the hype still outpaces the reality.

Three frameworks anchor the session:

1. Content at Scale that produces technically credible material without sacrificing brand voice
2. Smarter Demand Gen that sharpens targeting and accelerates campaign velocity
3. Brand Findability in a search landscape being rewritten by AI in real time.

No PhD required. No blank check needed. Just a clear path forward.