Matt Wills, marketing manager for American Metalcraft, recently visited our offices for a Content Review Workshop (CRW). In a CRW, manufacturers meet with our Content staff to go over best practices that can help optimize their products’ presence in the AQ Catalog. They also meet with our Customer Support and Product Management departments to review AQ’s newest features, capabilities and releases. Founded 70 years ago to make hubcaps, American Metalcraft has evolved over time to become a premier tabletop supply manufacturer, best known for its pizza product lines.
Matt has been with American Metalcraft for five years, right out of college. A journalism major, Matt says he became passionate about marketing during a marketing internship at a large children’s health system. “It was an environment that really put things into perspective,” said Matt. “I liked the idea of combining my journalism skills with marketing concepts in order to tell a story.”
Matt Wills
Matt works with AutoQuotes content account manager Stephanie Tileston. “We generally do two product launches a year, and have hundreds of products in our catalog,” said Matt. “One of my jobs is to make sure all our product information is accurate and up to date. I also work with a lot of quotes. The ability to use AQ to get all types of supplies and accessories into one quote is genius.”
What has Matt learned through the CRW? “I didn’t realize how useful AQ Analytics could be,” said Matt. “Based on sales, we thought a certain product was not performing well, and we were thinking about dropping it. But through AQ Analytics we saw the product was being quoted heavily. That means the demand for that type of product was there – we just need to figure out why we aren’t winning the sale.”
Matt said he also sees the importance of submitting information beyond price lists and their own catalog. “I’m going to send in care and use materials, warranties and high resolution product images that customers can zoom in on; all things that give our customers more information about the quality of our products.”
What trends is Matt seeing in his market segment? “Durable products that are care-friendly and safe are at the top of the list,” said Matt. “That basically means something that will last a long time, is dishwasher-safe, and won’t shatter into pieces if dropped. American Metalcraft has come out with different lines of products in melamine. (Melamine is an organic compound that is used to form a durable, machine-washable plastic.) We’ve introduced a variety of colors that complement and show off different types of food. There’s a faux wood line that is very popular. Customers like the look and feel of the melamine products.”
Matt is a young man – a millennial by age definition. What it is like for a younger person entering the FES industry? “The owners and leadership team of American Metalcraft are dedicated to bringing along a young and diverse workforce. I was brought on as ‘fresh eyes’ to give new opinions and points of view, especially for things like social media, our web presence, and new sales channels. They’ve taken and used my ideas. It’s an exciting place to be.”
Thank you Matt, for coming to our offices. If you’re a manufacturer and would like more information on our Content Review Workshops, please contact your Content Manager for dates and details.