Strategic Marketing to Engineers: Research-Driven Insights with Wendy Covey

In this episode of Cutting Through the Clutter, host Cyndee Woolley welcomes Wendy Covey, CEO and founder of TREW Marketing, a strategic marketing agency with over 16 years of specialized experience serving engineering and technical companies. As author of Content Marketing Engineered and host of the award-winning podcast by the same name, Wendy brings unparalleled expertise to one of marketing's most challenging audiences. Wendy shares fascinating findings from her annual State of Marketing to Engineers research report, co-authored with GlobalSpec. Despite common assumptions that email is dead, 91% of technical buyers subscribe to newsletters—a powerful testament to the medium's enduring value. However, the rise of AI presents both opportunities and challenges: while 58% of engineers now use generative AI during purchasing processes, they only trust it at a four out of ten level. The conversation explores what makes engineering audiences unique—their considered buying journeys often lasting 18-24 months, their demand for substantiated claims backed by proof points, and their deep-dive search behaviors that can extend to page 15 of Google results. Wendy emphasizes the critical importance of accuracy in technical marketing, where even selecting the wrong type of bomber in stock imagery can erode trust. Key takeaways include the power of LinkedIn for nurturing long sales cycles, the essential role of video content (97% of engineers watch video weekly for work), and the effectiveness of authentic field videos over polished corporate productions. Wendy champions the "person over brand" approach, sharing compelling examples of technical spokespeople who successfully blend professional expertise with authentic personality to stay top-of-mind with prospects. Links and Resources: Connect with Wendy Covey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendycovey TREW Marketing Website: www.trewmarketing.com Today's guest is Wendy Covey, CEO and co-founder of TREW Marketing, a strategic marketing agency that has spent over 16 years specializing exclusively in engineering and technical companies.  Wendy is the author of "Content Marketing, Engineered," host of the award-winning podcast by the same name, and co-founder of the Industrial Marketing Summit, which brings together over 400 marketers annually. She co-authors the "State of Marketing to Engineers" research report with GlobalSpec—the industry's definitive annual study on how technical buyers seek information and make purchasing decisions. With 25+ years of experience helping hundreds of companies in semiconductors, automation, engineering software, and life sciences, Wendy brings research-driven insights and real-world expertise to one of marketing's most complex challenges: reaching engineers.  To learn more, visit:http://www.c2-com.com Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:http://missionmatters.com/author/Cyndee-Woolley/