Blog

In 2025, Labrakita helped Interflon Scotland to promote its sustainability achievements. We helped them build a marketing strategy before building content, from case studies to content for their showcase tool to a landing page. Here is Director Keri Craig talking about it. Watch the video or read the transcript if you prefer.

Booth Welsh is a growing engineering technology business based in Irvine. Back in 2023, our MD, Samantha, interviewed Martin Welsh, Managing Director, and Aimee Doole, Strategy, People, Brand & Culture Director, about Booth Welsh's marketing journey and how crucial strategy and culture have been for their success.

When it comes to building a new website, there are two main choices and a kind of in-between option: bespoke websites, templates, and customised templates. So what are they, and what's right for your engineering business? In the engineering sector, it can be quite hard to stand out, so it's important to make sure that you make the right decision for your business. First impressions matter, and your website is often the first touchpoint potential customers have with your brand.

Labrakita Marketing was approached in 2021 to work alongside Workpro Casework’s Marketing Manager Lynne Campbell to look at the company from an outside perspective, to alleviate workload and help improve both marketing strategy and delivery. Our MD, Samantha Tonge, worked closely with Lynne as a Virtual Marketing Manager for 18 months. Once Workpro had a solid marketing strategy and plan, and had a marketing assistant to help with marketing delivery, Samantha moved to working as a Marketing Strategy Consultant to help take their strategy to the next level.

Samantha gets a lot of questions about her business and how she got here. So she’s written this blog so you can find out the answers to these. Why marketing? Why engineering? Why set up a business? Why marketing strategy? Why move to Scotland? Why the name Labrakita Marketing?

Do you know what social media platforms you should use? Do you know how to get the most out of them? Do you know if what you are doing is effective? In her latest video interview Samantha spoke to Social Media Strategy Expert Lindsay Chree of Chree8 Social Media about all these and more!

Engineering businesses have amazing products and services that benefit their customers, and they often believe that the product/service will speak for itself. But you must build credibility with your customers before they even look at your product. Credibility is essential in every business, and even more so in highly technical areas like engineering. Here in this blog series, I talk about some of the ways you can build your business’s credibility. In Part three I talk about the next level of credibility building: How you can become your industry’s Thought Leader.

How does product management fit together with marketing? How can they support each other to get the best result for the business? In Samantha’s latest expert interview, Greg Prickril shares his experience from the world of product managers. Why is segmentation, targeting, and positioning important? What is better: differentiation or innovation? What are the biggest mistakes companies make? Greg and Samantha discuss all of the above and show you how you can do better in your own business.

Correct marketing is essential for growth in engineering & manufacturing, but without the strategic groundwork, doing marketing correctly is a lot easier said than done! That's why Labrakita Marketing has teamed up with CeeD (Centre for Engineering, Education and Development) to help you measure your marketing strategy. In this article, we have some areas that you should think about when creating a marketing strategy.

Engineering businesses have amazing products and services that benefit their customers, and they often believe that the product/service will speak for itself. But you must build credibility with your customers before they even look at your product. Credibility is essential in every business, and even more so in highly technical areas like engineering. Here in this blog, I talk about some of the ways you can build your business’s credibility.

All businesses need to spend their budget wisely. This is especially true for small engineering firms. In Samantha’s latest expert interview, Debbie Hutchison discusses all things marketing for small engineering companies and shares insights from her vast engineering marketing experience. Where to start? What tools and methods are the most useful? What are the red flags that you might want to watch out for when engaging a marketer? Don’t miss out on Debbie's brilliant tips!

Engineering businesses have amazing products and services that benefit their customers, and they often believe that the product/service will speak for itself. But you must build credibility with your customers before they even look at your product. Credibility is essential in every business, and even more so in highly technical areas like engineering. In this blog, I talk about some of the ways you can build your business’s credibility.

How do you grow a new brand? How to build brand awareness? Should you rebrand your existing company? Samantha dissects these topics together with Dani Tanguay, who was involved in creating the new brand of the engineering company, Ewellix. These two seasoned marketing experts share their invaluable insights in this interview and discuss the benefits and the pitfalls of rebranding or creating a new brand.

Rob Dando from FINALLY discusses marketing in the engineering and manufacturing sector in Samantha’s latest interview. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think about engineering and manufacturing? If you think of oily, dirty boiler suits, think again! Rob is here to tell you what it is really like to work in this sector.

In Samantha’s latest video she spoke to experienced B2B marketer Ieuan Compton about the differences and similarities in Business to Business and Business to Consumer marketing. Is there any difference between B2B and B2C marketing? You might think that they are completely different! But this interview reveals more similarities than you might expect. In this discussion, Ieuan explains the “people buy people” concept and how to apply it to various areas of marketing.

Have you thought about engaging a marketing professional before but didn’t know where to start your search? Samantha discusses the credibility of marketing with Will Greig in her latest interview, to pinpoint what questions you should ask to find a credible marketing expert for your business.

Apparently, it is National Storytelling Week, and it inspired me to talk about using storytelling in B2B marketing. It’s used in B2C all the time but often overlooked by B2B marketers. Here I talk about why you should use storytelling and how to do it.

Are you working in an industrial sector and need to understand why good marketing is important? Or a marketer in an industrial sector that feels undervalued? Samantha's conversation with Doris Herzel explores aspects of a marketer's role that show that marketing is not just the "brochure department" but an essential part of any industrial company.

Samantha interviewed experienced B2B Head of Marketing Gica Trierweiler about B2B brands. They spoke about making B2B marketing brands exciting to their customers and how that can help them boost their sales. Find out why emotions play an important role in B2B communications.

Samantha interviewed Alexis Galliard, Managing Director of Digitrone Group. They spoke about Social Media advertising across different platforms, about common mistakes, getting the basics right before you start, keeping the cost down, how it fits into the sales funnel, and more.

Samantha interviewed Sean Carnegie, Managing Director of the audio creative agency, Radioville. Sean revealed some amazing facts about audio, the latest innovations in the industry, and how it can help your business to success. Did you know, for example, that different advertisements can be broadcast to podcast or radio listeners, in real time, based on their location or even their consumer habits?

Samantha spoke to Nick Brooks, a marketing consultant with extensive experience in B2B manufacturing & industrial sectors. They spoke about inbound marketing, the importance of the right content, at the right time, in the right format, and so much more. Have you ever wondered about what content might attract more people to your website, and how to convert them to customers? Find out more here!

Samantha chatted with fellow marketing expert, Nicky Parker, who runs in-depth marketing consultancy Bang Consulting. She works with companies to correct where they're going wrong with their marketing. Nicky shared the most common mistakes and pitfalls she encounters, and when it’s not actually marketing that is the problem. How would your business measure up under one of her deep-dive audits? Find out here!

In Samantha’s latest interview, web technology expert Andy Adamson spoke about the latest technology within websites. Andy shared his latest work including AI and chatbots. He explained what he sees as the next two big disruptive technologies: artificial intelligence and blockchain. Check out this interview to know what technologies to look out for in the coming years and how to keep your business competitive.

In Samantha’s latest interview, design expert Derek Watson spoke about how to make your complex simple through design. Derek shared ways to communicate complex processes in a simple way that people can understand and getting the right balance between too much and not enough detail. They also talked about rebranding, running workshops and just how challenging they can be when held online.

In Samantha’s latest interview, James Holden talks about everything SEO (and more). The web developer offers useful tips on how to make search engines your friend rather than your foe. He explains why regularity of posting is more important than quantity, and how to measure what works and what doesn’t work with analytics tools. From SEO through running your own business to web development, this fascinating interview includes something valuable for everyone.

In Samantha's latest expert interview, Jonathan Downie of Integrity Languages gives a brilliant insight into the world of interpreting. Whether you are thinking of doing business internationally or have always wondered what the difference is between a translator and an interpreter, Interpreters vs Machines, you'll find the answer here. He also shares best practices for picking your interpreters and points out pitfalls that everyone should know about.

In the seventh of my expert interview series, I spoke to print expert Neil Gorman about printing your marketing materials. We spoke about what questions your print manager should be asking, what business card finishes can make you stand out and what innovations he's been working on.

In the sixth of my expert interview series, I spoke to designer Mona King about web design. We spoke about the latest trends, keeping it simple, using images and video and why it is important to use experts where possible.

In the fifth of my expert interview series, I spoke to Julie Neilson of Julie Neilson media about marketing videos. We spoke about how important it is to include video in your communications mix, why small business owners should think about making their own videos, how to make your own video and much more.

Many of the businesses I speak to have their short-term goals planned out and know them in detail. But for many, looking just twelve months ahead is too far for them to know where they want to be. It's important to know what you want to achieve in the next month, but it's just as important to know what you want to achieve in six months' time, in a year, and even in five years. In fact, it's not a bad idea to at least have broad goals set out for ten years too!

In the fourth of my video interviews with experts, I spoke to events expert Ruby Sweeney of The Events Hub. We spoke about the things to think about when organising a marketing event, how to make the most of it and what pitfalls to avoid.

In the third of my video interviews with experts, I spoke to Barry Clark of Dunedin Consultancy. We spoke about whether sales and marketing should be one department, how we can work better together and some amusing examples of how not working closely has made things go horribly wrong.

You may have heard of the 4ps of marketing (the marketing mix) Product, Price, Place, and Promotion, but it’s only really the last P (Promotion, or marketing communications) that most people think of when they hear “Marketing”. What about the others? Here are some things to think about when it comes to Price.

In the second of my video interviews with experts, I spoke to Stuart Aitken of Aitken Design. We spoke about everything graphic design – from how to choose the right designer, what to think about when it comes to logos, designing for print VS web to what the future of augmented reality might mean for the world of design.

You wouldn't be doing what you do if you weren't an expert in your field but do your potential customers know this? How do you make sure that you or your business are the go-to expert with the credibility that inspires trust in your industry? I've put together a few ways to do this.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool, both for marketing communications and business development. In the first in my series of interviews with experts in specific fields of marketing and fields related to marketing, I spoke to Steve Ponton of LinkedIn success systems. Steve is an expert on LinkedIn, with a focus on the business development side.

A year that no one could have predicted. It was a rollercoaster of a year – locked down in March, I hit my one-year business anniversary in July, I picked up my first international client in August and my first virtual marketing manager clients in September. I couldn’t have imagined at the start of the year that we would end the year in lockdown, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have imagined that my business would be where it is today.

Here is the second part of my "Top 10 Marketing Communications" tips video - tips 5-10! When I first set up my business, Labrakita Marketing, there were lots of things I didn't know about running a business, such as the accounting and legal side. It stands to reason, if it's not your speciality, you are probably in the same place when it comes to marketing communications. That's why I have put together my Top 10 Marketing Communications tips videos.

When I first set up my business, Labrakita Marketing, there were lots of things I didn't know about running a business, such as the accounting and legal side. It stands to reason, if it's not your speciality, you are probably in the same place when it comes to marketing communications. That's why I have put together my Top 10 Marketing Communications tips. Here is part one - tips 1-4!

I set up my business one year ago last month. It has not always been easy to maintain the energy and confidence going it alone. Here are a few things I have learnt over the last 12 months. Caveat: I have a partner who is employed and no children. Starting your own business when you are single or have children will come with challenges I have not had to worry about.

I set up my business a year ago this month. It has not always been easy to stay motivated, and at home, you can get distracted by all sorts of things. Here are a few things I have learned over the last 12 months. Caveat: I have a partner who is employed and no children. Starting your own business when you are single or have children will come with challenges I have not had to worry about.

To make sure that your messaging, where you sell, your pricing and even your products and services are right, you need to know who your target audience is. It is tempting to say “everyone” but concentrating on specific segments helps you focus your limited resources - particularly important if you are an SME. It also keeps your messages on-point.

If you’ve ever been to a networking event, chances are you have found yourself having to stand up and explain who you are and what you offer in just 30-60 seconds. How can you do that in such a short slot? Being able to explain your business concisely is an essential skill in any situation, so this is good practice for you.

You launched successfully, and you now have some paying clients. What next? How do you keep the momentum going and make sure that you continue to get a steady stream of leads, and your brand name out there? It is cruicial to keep up with your marketing activities if your business is going to continue to grow and thrive.

I’m now finished for the year (apart from the odd social media post) and I’ve been reflecting on what a rollercoaster year 2019 has been.

I’ve been networking in Edinburgh and West Lothian for four months now, and I have tried out most of the networking meetings at least once. I have not just got business from networking but advice, support and a list of suppliers. You can easily end up networking full-time. So you don’t have to, I’ve ranked the seven I have been to twice or more (I don’t make a judgement until I have been twice) with my reasons here:

Whether we like it or not, the economy is cyclical, and we all know a recession will hit at some point. B2B (business to business) industries are not immune, and cash-flow is critical for SMEs. So how do you make sure that you not only survive but thrive? How do you create an opportunity from a downturn? What is different about businesses that come out of a recession on top, and what can you learn from them?

You have your brand, branding, web design, your business cards are at the ready, what next? When you launch your business, it is crucial that you get traction within your target market as soon as possible so that you can start earning. Here are some of the essential actions to take when launching your B2B start-up and that all-important website.

Since I officially launched my business a few of weeks ago, I have had a lot of questions about where the name Labrakita Marketing came from. When coming up with a brand name it is important that it is unique and that it stands out. For many this may simply be their name or an acronym/initials. Ideally it should include also an indication of what you do, but it is more important that you are not confused with the competition.

In a word, yes, even in B2B. Social media is an important communications tool to get your message out there, to engage with your audience and to improve the SEO of your main digital asset – your website. What social media you use and how depends who your audience is, what social media they use and how they use it. Here are some of the social media options out there and my take on them in a B2B context.

The word “brand” brings to mind a logo (partly because of the origins of the word used to mark cattle), tag line, company colours, fonts, brand guidelines, even tone of voice but there is a difference between a brand and branding. Your brand is the essence of your company and what you represent, your branding is used to communicate that. Brand is just as essential in the B2B world as it is in the consumer market.

Whether you operate in construction, manufacturing, engineering or tech, you need to get complex information across to B2B professionals who are bombarded with messages every day. Your customers may be technical, but they are also very busy. They may need to read through all the details before making an order or specifying your products, but they will only read the details if you can grab their attention in the first place. Getting your marketing communications right is crucial.

Marketing is often confused with advertising and PR. Advertising and PR are of course part of marketing, but they are a small part of the promotions (or communications) aspect of the marketing mix – and yes, marketing is so much more than communications! So, what exactly is Marketing and what is it if it’s not just communications?

As a qualified B2B marketing professional with 15 years of experience under my belt, the one thing about setting up my business that wasn’t daunting was the marketing. I am not so familiar with writing Ts & Cs, figuring out what the tax man wants, bookkeeping etc, and it stands to reason that most start-ups are in the same boat when it comes to marketing so I am going to write a series of blogs for B2B start-ups. Here is the first.