Manufacturers are proud of what they make, and rightly so. Innovation, quality, and technical excellence matter. But when the story starts and ends with product specs, something essential gets lost.
Emily Chaney, Director of Enterprise Public Relations and Reputation at Marvin, recently shared a different approach that is essential to her marketing philosophy: the most powerful manufacturing stories don’t begin with the product. They begin with people.
“The last big story I told wasn’t about the product at all,” Chaney said. “It was about how the product gets made—the people who make it, their craft, their pride. That’s what resonates.” Chaney’s philosophy on manufacturing storytelling reaches its full potential when it’s people-first: when the spotlight is on the craftspeople, employees, and end-users who shape and live with the products every day. Here’s why this approach outperforms product-only storytelling—and how to make the shift in your own marketing.
The power of storytelling in manufacturing
Manufacturing is often called the backbone of the economy, yet it’s also “the biggest industry we don’t talk about,” as Emily Chaney observed. Too often, its impact gets overshadowed in lieu of messaging that highlights technical details alone. While specs, processes, and technical wizardry matter, it is the more personal stories that unlock something bigger—credibility, connection, and market influence.
Good storytelling techniques can:
- Differentiate your brand. Brand narratives emphasizing people-first stories set you apart when competing products are interchangeable.
- Build trust. Show the human element, the craft and the pride behind every product.
- Create emotional connection. Align with the values and lives of your audiences.
- Earn attention. Win headlines and loyalty with stories that resonate at every level.
For manufacturing companies, people-first storytelling isn’t fluff. It’s a powerful tool for growth. But making this transition doesn’t happen without some effort. The early stages of product development train us to focus on the technical details. Eventually, however, a mindset shift is needed to avoid the most common manufacturing marketing pitfalls and get your company to the next level.
Pitfall #1: Specs over soul
The Problem: Leaning too hard on product features can make your story sound like a catalog entry. It may inform, but it rarely inspires.
Why It Falls Short: Technical specs don’t capture attention in a crowded market. They don’t build an emotional bridge to your audience. And they don’t answer the bigger question: why should I care?
The People-First Alternative: Frame product specifications through the lens of the lives they impact. A window isn’t just a measurement of glass—it’s the craftspeople who built it to order, the architect who specified it to solve a design challenge, and the homeowner whose life was improved by the light and air it brings to their space, helping them to live well. That’s a compelling story that sticks.
Pitfall #2: Ignoring the makers
The Problem: Too many manufacturing brands overlook the very people behind the product—their employees.
Why It Falls Short: When you leave the makers out, you leave authenticity out. Manufacturing audiences—customers, partners, even recruits—want proof that your brand is grounded in real skill, passion, and pride.
The People-First Alternative: Elevate the makers. Show the craft, the customization, the passion, and the human decisions behind production with case studies, customer testimonials, and other compelling narratives about real-world impact. As Chaney puts it, “We’ve often debated whether craftspeople should sign their work. That’s how much pride goes into every piece.” When you put those faces and voices forward, you humanize your brand story and strengthen credibility.
Pitfall #3: Treating stories as “small”
The Problem: Manufacturing companies sometimes believe their stories aren’t “big” enough for national attention, hindering the potential of their communication and earned media strategy.
Why It Falls Short: That mindset leads to imposter syndrome—or worse, silence. When you don’t tell your success stories, you forfeit control of how your brand is perceived.
The People-First Alternative: Aim higher, consistently. As Chaney challenges, “manufacturers should be hitting the big leagues. You have a right to play in that space.” You don’t need a breakthrough invention to be seen as a manufacturing leader, but you do need the right message and the persistence to make it stick. A thoughtful people-first story—how your company treats employees, how a craftsman solved a unique challenge, how your product changed a customer’s life—can be just as newsworthy as specs on a press sheet. It may not come quickly, but honing your message and sticking to it is the key to top-tier visibility.
How to shift from product-first to people-first
Making the leap doesn’t mean abandoning your products. It means reframing them in the context of human experience. Here are three tactical steps:
- Mine the stories only you can tell. Look for the intersection of your craft, your people, and your customers for truly authentic brand storytelling. Pursue initiatives and stories that establish you in the “category of one” no other brand can claim.
- Balance scale with intimacy. Yes, pitch The Wall Street Journal-worthy stories. But also leverage people-first narratives for your most important niche audiences—dealers, builders, designers, or engineers. A few well-told stories to the right people can move the needle more than one splashy headline.
- Build trust through transparency. Be decisive, be clear, and don’t shy away from showing the real work behind your products. Authenticity outperforms polish in the long run.
The bottom line
Specs will always matter in the manufacturing industry. But specs alone can’t transform a brand. When you center the makers, the users, and the human experiences around your products, you move from transactional (“here’s what we make”) to transformative (“here’s how we make lives better”).
Great stories, grounded in human impact, are how manufacturers win credibility, emotional connection, and competitive edge. Or, as Chaney reminds us: “Storytelling is not just about what you make. It’s about the people who make it—and the people whose lives it touches.”
