ABOUT FUESTON & ASSOCIATES
Hard hat marketing refers to the B2B big iron industries we serve. Hard hat marketing means we have been shoulder to shoulder with industry professionals in their equipment training classes. We have had our boots on their ground on construction sites. It means that we care about telling their stories with truth and passion. It means that we care about the details, because they care.
We shatter their stereotypes as suits who only know how to write puffery that has nothing of the real job in it. They come to understand that we respect their work, their expertise, and the fact that all their jobs involve a degree of risk and danger.
Hard hat marketing tells stories that too often go untold. In the process of storytelling, we promote the excellence of our clients’ equipment—because we are only interested in serving clients with equipment that has also earned the trust of the people in the field.
WHAT IS HARD HAT MARKETING?
GIVING BACK TO THE INDUSTRIES WE SERVE
We appreciate the honor of representing clients whose products and customers contribute to the health of this country’s infrastructure. Whenever possible, we try to contribute something back to the industries that have given us a rewarding career. Here are a couple of examples.
Fueston explains. “At one time, the Trenchless Technology Group page on LinkedIn was a resource used by almost 10,000 active members. After a few years without active promotion, Grant Whittle of Trenchless Advisory Consultants asked me and two others to help him revitalize the page. I donated my time and that of my graphic artist to the effort, and to this day I am one of the four Owners of this page, working weekly to continue to build it as a free industry resource.”
“After serving the Towing & Recovery industry for a few years, I gradually became aware of a serious problem facing the industry," Fueston said. "Legislation based on the premise that all towers should be regulated as if they were predatory towers—the bad apples of the profession—put an unfair burden on the good guys. I realized that politicians and the public do not realize that the overwhelming majority of towers are good neighbors, not predatory towers.
I proposed a series of articles telling the stories of these good neighbors to Tow Professional magazine. Together we are co-producing a series of stories that are specially made to be shared with those outside the industry, to make the public more aware of their good neighbors in the towing industry.”
WHO IS MATTHEW C. FUESTON?
Matt’s PR and marketing philosophy is deeply rooted in his extensive experience. The first half of his career was in large system sales, and that informed the second half of his career in marketing. As a result of his experience in both disciplines he can help both the sales and marketing departments to improve each other (the intersection of sales and marketing). Matt also preaches the value of using one’s engineering department as a valued resource (the intersection of engineering and marketing).
“I've been in the field with the people who do the work, and the people who own the companies that buy your equipment. I know what they say when you're not around. I know how they feel about zero-content marketing "puff." I know how to show them respect in print. I'm more interested in communicating your message to the targeted demographic than in winning awards.”