MFG Champs
“You guys did amazing. This is great. ”
Manufacturing Champions started as a collaboration between two of the most recognizable voices in manufacturing: Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial, and Chris Luecke, host of Manufacturing Happy Hour.
What began as an experiment in influencer-driven marketing and community-building had turned into something much bigger. Their Extra Innings events were becoming the afterparty people planned around at major manufacturing conferences and trade shows.
The momentum was real. The audience was real. The sponsor interest was real.
But the website was stuck in the past – funny because we used that line on their first website about manufacturing marketers not embracing influencers.
Businesses evolve!
Manufacturing Champions no longer needed their brand to convince the industry that creator-led marketing mattered. Jake and Chris had already proven that. Now, the goal was to drive FOMO, attendance, and sponsorships for the Extra Innings events.
The Challenge
Manufacturing Champions had evolved faster than its website.
The original brand helped legitimize influencer marketing in manufacturing, but by 2026, Extra Innings had become the clearest growth opportunity. With multiple events planned across the country and serious sponsor revenue on the table, the website needed to function as the central hub for attendees, sponsors, partners, and event follow-up.
The website wasn’t even talking about the events let alone attracting industry people or making it easy for them to find the right next step. Attendees needed to quickly find upcoming events. Sponsors needed to see why they should put their mark on it. Past attendees needed an easy way to relive the night, download photos, and share the experience.
In other words, new visitors needed to understand, in seconds, why Extra Innings had become the must-attend afterparty at some of the biggest events in the industry.
Manufacturing Champions already had strong brand equity, but the Extra Innings identity needed its own flexible mark that could work across the website, event posters, sponsor materials, social assets, and future merch.
The Solution
Marketing Metal rebuilt the brand experience around the real product: Extra Innings.
The homepage now positions Manufacturing Champions as the “Home of Extra Innings,” with bold language that tells visitors exactly what the events are: casual, high-energy gatherings where manufacturing people make real connections after the booths close.
No panels. No pitches. No invitation required; a nod to Chris’ hero, Anthony Bourdain. Just the right people, the right energy, and the kind of event you don’t want to miss.
We crafted a simple website structure so every visitor can find the right path faster. The new Start Here page routes people by intent: attend an event, sponsor or partner, or browse photos from past events. The Events section separates upcoming and past events, giving Jake and Chris a cleaner way to promote what’s next while turning past event galleries into proof.
We also built event templates that are easy to update with dates, locations, posters, Eventbrite links, sponsor logos, and photo galleries. Sponsor visibility was especially important, so we created a tiered logo display system that helps higher-level partners stand out while keeping the pages easy for their team or VAs to manage.
The visual direction kept the original feel of the Manufacturing Champions brand but energized the system around Extra Innings. The red, blue, navy, and black palette feels bold and event-ready. The sports-inspired typography hints at Jake’s famous Cubs merch without feeling like a novelty. The circular Manufacturing Champions mark keeps the parent brand recognizable, while the new Extra Innings logo gives the event series a stronger identity of its own.
Marketing Metal delivered:
A comprehensive logo suite for use in various formats
A simplified, event-first website
New homepage messaging centered on Extra Innings
A clearer Start Here page for attendees and sponsors
Updated About page messaging
Upcoming and past event page templates
Sponsor logo display structure
Event photo gallery structure
Contact form routing for sponsor inquiries
Newsletter sign-up and direction
Squarespace training so the team can manage future updates
The Result
“We love it”
The new brand experience does not over-explain. It shows the people, the energy, and the opportunity. Attendees can find the next event. Sponsors can understand the value. Past events now work as proof instead of disappearing after the night ends.
The site also gives Jake and Chris a more scalable system. Instead of rebuilding pages from scratch or relying on scattered links, they now have a repeatable structure for launching new events, showcasing sponsors, archiving galleries, and driving people toward the right next step.
Just as importantly, the brand finally feels like the party itself.
It’s fun, bold, credible, and human. It carries the familiar Manufacturing Champions identity forward while giving Extra Innings the spotlight it deserves.
Because when the event already has the right people in the room, the website’s job is simple: make everyone else wish they were there.
Has your business outgrown your brand?
If your business has evolved beyond the story your website is telling, we can help you tighten the message, sharpen the visuals, and build a system your team can actually use.
Start with The Setup™ and let’s find the radical opportunity hiding in plain sight.
Schedule a quick 15-minute call with Emily HERE to figure it out. No sales pitch, no gimmicks, just a quick introduction to see how we jive.
Learn more about our Radical process HERE.
