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The Knowledge Base: Cultivating Your Brand in the Age of Connection

Audiences have evolved in how they consume information, form opinions, and make purchasing decisions. While marketing still relies on tried-and-true methods—get your name and message in front of your audience—you must also cultivate connection, credibility, and community.

Your customers, particularly the younger generation of engineers, buyers, and program managers, want to discover value on their terms. They search for answers on LinkedIn, YouTube, industry forums, technical journals, trade publications, and technical blogs. They listen to podcasts, download white papers, and ask their peers. That’s why traditional branding still matters.

The Rise of the Informed Buyer
In the past, a brand relied on brochures, a trade show booth, and accompanying swag to do the heavy lifting. However, today’s younger professionals are digital natives; they don’t consume information like previous generations.

Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify.” That approach defined a generation still willing to take a claim at face value, if it came with backup. Today’s younger buyers often operate under a different model: They no longer trust, but they still verify.

In other words, skepticism is the default. It’s not enough to say your product works, is reliable, or is the best in the market. The burden of proof is on you. It means more value, real-world case studies, peer testimonials, published data, and credible thought leadership. Younger consumers don’t want persuasion; they want evidence.

Becoming an Authority Through Value
Build trust and brand authority by providing value through content that speaks to real-world challenges. Reflect an understanding of the obstacles engineers and manufacturers face every day. Whether it’s voiding issues, thermal management, or diagnosing electrochemical migration in harsh environments, your audience wants to build their business through solutions.

To be successful, consistently identify common pain points and offer meaningful solutions, positioning your brand as a trusted authority. You teach, guide, and lead. That might look like a well-crafted white paper, tutorial video, a “Tips and Tricks” webinar, or a social media post that shares lessons learned from a failed process validation. Alongside traditional marketing, these branding tools are targeted and useful.

You've achieved relevance when your brand becomes known as the one that always seems to have the answers.

Your Brand Is Bigger Than Your Products
Today’s most successful brands understand that what they sell is only part of who they are. The best brands represent a way of thinking, a commitment to solving problems, serving customers, and contributing to the industry. Their presence transcends any single offering.

Think of any respected company in our space, from capital equipment providers and chemical formulators to contract manufacturers. The ones we respect most aren’t just known for what they make; they’re known for what they stand for.

Build a Brand Through Industry Engagement
Your brand is also built in the halls of trade associations. Get involved with SMTA, the Global Electronics Association, and IEEE. These groups offer unparalleled access to thought leaders, technical resources, and decision-makers. But more importantly, they provide an opportunity to contribute.

I recommend speaking at a conference, volunteering on a standards committee, mentoring new members, moderating a panel, or writing a technical paper.  When people see your name or your company’s name on a conference schedule, in a published article, or on a working group document, your brand gains authority because they remember seeing your ads—your branding. Now, you’re no longer just participating in the industry; you’re shaping it.

People remember stories and connect with authenticity, so be willing to share stories about how you solved a customer’s problem. Share a hard lesson your company learned. Talk about a failed approach that turned into a breakthrough. It’s still vital to tell customers what you offer through traditional branding, but sharing the human side of your brand also matters.

Make It a Company-wide Mission
Brand cultivation is a company-wide mission. Sales, engineering, service, and leadership should all understand the brand’s values and message and embody them in customer interactions. Everyone has a role to play in shaping how your company is perceived.

A brand is built in every email, service call, LinkedIn post, and conference conversation. Consistency across departments turns messaging into meaning.

In electronics manufacturing, products come and go, technology evolves, features improve, and prices fluctuate. But a brand endures when it’s cultivated with intention.

This column originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine.