I love to review websites.
For me its enjoyable to see what people do to make their website stand
out and the steps they take to own their piece of the online universe. Recently I had a chance to get ahead of the
process and complete some surveys for the National Glass Association as they
work to upgrade their online presence. Answering
formal surveys like this was a first for me and interesting to experience the
process. If you are interested in being
a part of that process of helping NGA, they would love to have your
insight! There’s there surveys ongoing-
doing one, two or all three if you like.
For the new glass.org click here
For the new glassmagazine.com click here
Thank you and I can’t wait to see what comes next and how
awesome these will be once completed and launched!
Elsewhere…
-- Its now August… my goodness this year has flown right on by…
so that means we are coming up on just one month away from GlassBuild
America. I’ll have some previews coming
up and I am honored to be speaking a few times during the show, so I really
hope I can see everyone there! If you
have not registered or booked your hotel room, I strong recommend you do so
today!
-- Got very sad news last week that Fred Millett formerly of
Pleotint and most currently from Whirlpool passed away. Fred at first didn’t like me much and I felt the
same about him. But as time went on, I
got along more and more with him and I really respected his knowledge, passion
and personality. He will surely be
missed. My condolences to his family and
friends.
This Weeks Interview-
Andrew Haring, Vice President of Marketing, C.R. Laurence Co.
Being a marketing/PR guy at heart I really love to see when
people excel greatly at it and when it comes to Andrew Haring, he’s way beyond
excelling- he’s dominating. I’ve written
about my admiration and respect for folks like Heather West and Rich
Porayko- and Andrew slides right into
that group. What he does and how he does
it is simply off the charts awesome. I
really enjoyed getting an insight on how he performs at the level he does and
get some insight on some other interesting angles.
I have to admit your
work rate looks to be off the charts- You’re running marketing for one of the
best known companies in our world (with probably an insane number of products) and
you seemingly are everywhere- online with social, leading tours, developing
marketing and communication- what is your typical day like? How do you get it all done?
Wow. High praises from a respected source—thank you. And
yes, we have (approximately) an insane number of products. The upshot of
working for such a massive and prolific company is that there’s always a story
to tell, and I’ll talk to anyone listening. My day starts at 3:30 a.m. and goes
by in the blink of an eye. I’m a big believer in project lists and even more so
in accountability. Don Friese instilled a “CRL-ism” in me years ago that is
simple but resonates: “Do what you say you’ll do.” Strong coffee and a strong
team behind me are also essential.
Being “everywhere” is due in part to the way I’m wired, but
also by design. The wheels are always turning and I’m not one to sit still or
step aside. CRL lets me wear many different hats and gives me a lot of
opportunities to run with the ball, which is conducive to my personality and
attention span. The other component to that is simply strategy. Someone in your
position can appreciate that remaining relevant takes different forms and
follows a different path than it used to. Channels and touchpoints are as
numerous as they are varied. While many of the fundamentals apply, I’ve found
that a conventional marketing playbook doesn’t track 100% in this industry. The
when/where/how to approach and the frequency are moving targets. Honestly, the
only way to have an impact and be effective is to immerse oneself and engage
with the people. Sometimes that entails continuing education, guest editorials,
panel discussions, or project walks. Other times it looks like stirring the pot
on social media.
So what’s next? What’s that hot product or hot product
segment that you see taking off?
That’ll cost you (kidding). I see broad trends gradually
adjusting the sails more so than a sharp market disruptor or a specific
juggernaut product. The key influencers are labor and energy codes in the form
of both “wants” and “needs.” There’s an all-out arms race for
installer-friendly products and methods. Products that reduce labor costs and
get glaziers on to the next project faster are always in high demand. I think
we’re going to see a lot more in the way of unitized/modular systems, offsite
construction/assembly, and project planning efficiencies.
Constricting energy codes are a given. Across the board,
anyone touching the exterior envelope—and whom wants to retain any sort of
vitality—is being responsive with product development. Innovation in
fenestration is the clearest evidence. The whole “battle for the wall” is a
topic unto itself for another blog entry, but the simple fact is that the
performance requirements for these systems are constantly evolving. It’s up to the manufacturers to provide
solutions that’ll hit the numbers and also successfully meet the design intent
for the architect. I’m anticipating a slew of high performance products to be
launched in the next 3 years ahead of 2022 version of the California Energy Code.
2019 just got adopted with no changes to commercial prescriptive requirements;
I don’t think 2022 will be as forgiving.
In your opinion
what’s the biggest challenge we have as an industry and how do we overcome it?
A common issue, which I can’t speak to directly, is the
labor pool. This is a recurring topic
brought up by customers. There’s a lot of work out there without enough skilled
labor to sustain it. This creates opportunities for other trades/industries to
encroach on traditional glazing scopes. Attracting the next generation of
glaziers is the hurdle. Unfortunately, many of the kids coming out of high
school are under the impression that there’s more value and opportunity in a
bachelor’s degree than in learning a trade.
Countering that misconception is difficult and I’m afraid there isn’t a
quick fix. Lack of exposure is likely the biggest culprit. I think early
outreach, education, and overall industry advocacy are the paths to success.
LINKS of the WEEK
No way this would ever fly in the USA!
From this weeks “people are stupid” file.
VIDEO of the WEEK
Fun way to pull a loose tooth!!
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