Could it get bigger and be even more fun? Indeed, newly expanded Toledo Jeep Fest (TJF) No. 7 was the biggest and best event since the 2016 kickoff. More than 78,000 attendees from 40 states and 5 countries came to Toledo in 2024 to enjoy the All-Jeep Parade, Vendor Midway, Glass City Center Exhibit and Friday's new Glass City Crawlers Block Party, attended by more than 200 jeeps.  

While the 2016 event was expected to attract 20,000 attendees to northwest Ohio,  on All-Jeep Parade Day (Saturday, August 6) Toledo hosted more than 40,000 people from around the Midwest and beyond.

We’re excited to share that Thread Connected Marketing (Thread) has won a Press Club of Toledo 2024 Touchstone Award for our social media coverage of Toledo Jeep Fest (TJF)!

We were honored to receive this recognition, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the supportive Jeep community we’ve connected with.

In manufacturing, traditional marketing approaches have long focused on product features, specifications, and technical details. But old rules of marketing no longer apply. Today's manufacturing landscape demands a shift towards a customer-centric approach—prioritizing storytelling, engagement, and the creation of meaningful content that resonates with buyers at every stage of the decision-making process.

Thread Marketing Group's dedication, creativity, and exceptional ability to make a difference through our work has been recognized and awarded on three occasions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. We take pride in receiving outstanding awards, especially during such challenging times.

Finding the Good During an Economic Slowdown

We have all seen it before. The first thing to be cut in a down economy is marketing. It's the easiest thing to do and generally doesn’t require l

aying off employees or reducing production. It hearkens back to the days of when marketing couldn't show return on investment (ROI). And even now in the days of data overload, it still tends to be the fallback position. However, research shows that companies that continue to spend on marketing and even increase their spends, fare better during recessions than those that do not.

This unprecedented pandemic is a wake-up call for companies to carefully review the strategies, policies, and procedures in place to protect employees, customers, and operations. An important part of those policies and procedures includes how you communicate, both internally and externally.

All Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRMs) are not created equal. You need to seek out one that is the right fit for your organization. In Joe Sharp's blog post last week, "Marketing your Business with CRM Software" we shared reasons that Thread chose HubSpot as our CRM.  But every organization needs to find a CRM that provides you with the tools you desire but is not overwhelming to learn and use. The highest-rated CRM system is of no use if no one wants to use it.

Okay, I will save my, “Your brand is bigger than your logo,” speech for another time. Today I want to focus on reasons why you should change or consider changing the most important, outward facing components of your brand:

Far too often, agencies and companies alike unwittingly focus on tactics, rather than strategy, in their marketing and communications activities.