Working with Western Indiana Region 7's WorkOne office, MillerWhite developed an integrated marketing plan for the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster (WVAMC) that would assist in changing the image of manufacturing from “blue collar job” to “desirable career.” The target audience was 18- to 25-year-old high school students or recent graduates who were unemployed or underemployed and not college-bound. One goal of the plan was to better understand the perceptions of the target group about WorkOne and manufacturing.
MillerWhite recommended a survey of students to help achieve this goal. The survey revealed misconceptions about manufacturing, such as that there were few manufacturing opportunities available in the area and that manufacturing jobs are hot, dirty and low paying. The results helped the WVAMC and MillerWhite develop an outreach campaign that included TV and radio spots, print ads and outdoor boards with the theme, “I Found My Career. It's Manufacturing.”