Marketing and all things related

We laughed when Dow Chemical decided to re-brand, and then apologized after seeing their new Human Element approach. Well, today we learned from The New York Times (free registration required) that the steel industry is stoking a new image. You remember steel, right? Think smoke belching plants, layoffs, and companies seeking government protection from nimble foreign competitors. But as Donald Rumsfeld would say—that is old steel. New steel is “characterized by squeaky-clean, profitable plants controlled by computers, which are in turn controlled by well-educated engineers.”  That is the new image that trade organization, The American Iron and Steel Institute, will sell to a test market in Washington. There is no television, but the campaign includes radio, online banners and print advertising. Think Steel—the Backbone of America. Photo Credit: The New York Times.