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Manufacturing Innovation Blog
Powered by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership
For more than 50 years, Quality Patterns, Inc., a family-owned and operated company in New York City, has serviced clothing designers with its marking, grading, and pattern and sample making skills. It has proudly worked with some of the most well-known design houses, but also considers it a duty to support emerging designers. The company is consistently sent the most complex projects, is widely recognized as a top resource for engineering garments, and uses technological advancements to maximize productivity, efficiency, and quality. Thanks to its reputation, new business traditionally came from referrals and recommendations.
Due to COVID, many long-term clients were out of business and the emerging designers Quality Patterns usually worked with had disappeared. Orders were unpredictable and addressing customer acquisition was a top priority. Quality Patterns had to find new clients, but without word-of-mouth referrals, it had no systems in place to attract them.
A New Approach to Lead Generation
Prospective customers needed a way to discover Quality Patterns and get educated on its services. Partnering with ITAC, part of the New York MEP and the MEP National Network™, Quality Patterns developed its first website and established a digital footprint. The website showcases its services, builds social proof by sharing an impressive list of the company’s past clients, and offers simple methods of getting in contact with the Quality Patterns team.
We were nonexistent in the modern ways of doing business, but now our website is bringing in an average of five new leads a week. Sign me up for any future projects!
— Maria Lipari, Director of Operations, Quality Patterns, Inc.
Using search engine optimization (SEO), the website was built with a content strategy to help Quality Patterns appear as a top result on search engines without any paid ads. Positive reviews and quick links with contact information were now displayed online. With this inbound digital marketing strategy, future customers can easily find Quality Patterns and identify it as the best solution.
Digital marketing has provided Quality Patterns with increased awareness and a new, consistent lead source. On average, five new prospective clients are reaching out every week to learn more and schedule consultations. Even international designers are filling out the web form to initiate projects.
These new customers not only help replace past clients lost to COVID, but also smooth out the ebbs and flows of business from top customers who traditionally follow the seasonality of the fashion industry. The team at Quality Patterns remains positive as business picks back up, with much more work from smaller ateliers and emerging designers, who learn of its services thanks to its digital presence.
Results
- 13 created or retained jobs
- $5,000 in cost savings
- 5 new leads per week
Could your company benefit from assistance with digital marketing tools? Connect with your local MEP Center for more information.
The New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) is the official representative of the MEP National Network in New York. The MEP National Network is a unique public-private partnership that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers generate business results and thrive in today’s technology-driven economy. The MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
