Ep 7: Andrew Dugan of PUMA

Most water marketing leads with the product. Andrew Dugan thinks that's exactly backwards. An engineer and former manufacturer's rep turned water-industry copywriter, Andrew joins Paul to make the case for niching down, building better case studies, and one move he's always pushing clients toward: humanize the technology. Lead with the customer's problem, talk about yourself in the middle, close on the results. They also get into where AI is genuinely eating copywriting work, where it falls flat in a jargon-heavy industry, and Andrew's new venture, PUMA: the Products for Utilities Marketing Agency. A practical, no-fluff conversation for anyone marketing, selling, or building in the water industry. ---------------------------------------- IN THIS EPISODE Meet Andrew Dugan: from manufacturer's rep and engineer to copywriter Why niche all the way down to the water industry? What niching down teaches you, and advice for finding your "through line" How a niche pre-establishes credibility and reduces context switching Translating technical products and jargon into human stories The push and pull of putting human stories ahead of the engineering What makes a good case study versus a bad one Advice for a stretched marketing director under pressure for leads How sharper targeting creates sharper messaging What's actually changing in how water companies market The AI conversation: where it helps, where it hurts Authenticity as a counter-reaction to AI slop The one thing to take away: humanize the technology The question no one's asked, and where to find Andrew (PUMA / http://runwithpuma.com) ---------------------------------------- ABOUT THE GUEST Andrew Dugan is a water-industry copywriter and marketer who got his start as a manufacturer's representative serving wastewater treatment plants across Colorado and Wyoming. An engineer by training and a certified water and wastewater plant operator, he founded Waterrights to help water and wastewater manufacturers turn technical products into compelling marketing — case studies, white papers, ghostwritten articles, taglines, and more. He is now transitioning WaterWrites into PUMA, the Products for Utilities Marketing Agency, to do deeper, broader work for the companies he serves. Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn (search "Andrew Dugan"), and find his new agency at http://runwithpuma.com. ---------------------------------------- ABOUT THE SHOW Below the Surface with Paul Balsom is a podcast about marketing, growth, and go-to-market strategy for the water, wastewater, and environmental industries. Host Paul Balsom is a fractional CMO and former water technology company operator who sits down with the founders, marketers, investors, and operators shaping the sector. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes drop regularly.