Why the built environment needs marketing now more than ever?
During times of uncertainty the architecture, engineering and construction industry is often one of the first to be hit, is generally hit the hardest and takes the longest to recover. Here’s some Government research on the Construction Sector from last year that shows how construction has performed since 2007, covering statistics, policy and performance.
The stand out graph for me shows how the construction industry fared year-on-year compared to the rest of the economy. I’ve experienced the fall of the construction sector first-hand a few times but 2008/9 when Lehmann Brothers collapsed is the one that stands out.
Marketing and support staff often are the first to go
Let’s not kid ourselves in times of uncertainty non-fee earners / support staff (marketing, admin and BD staff) are the first ones shown the door. There’s always a massive rush to sure up the bottom line and minimising overheads is seen as the go-to initial move for most.
For many of us in marketing, at least the impact of Covid 19 has been dampened somewhat by a range of government support packages. Some marketers have been furloughed rather than made redundant – or at least for now…..
Why you need to keep on marketing now more than ever?
All this uncertainty shouldn’t mean that architecture and engineering practices stop marketing themselves – far from it. You still need to let clients and the market know you’re still here, what you’re doing and that you’re still open for business.
Below are some of the ways that you can still keep your company profile alive and relevant.
Talk to and connect with your customers
Find out what they’ve been doing and the approach that they’re considering for a post lockdown world. When do they think projects will be back on site? Which projects do they think will survive? What new opportunities are they pursuing? This is a great time to really listen and potentially use this as your chance to understand how what you do can support their efforts.
Make a plan for a post Covid 19 world
Touch base with your overseas counterparts, clients and partners. Some countries are starting to come out of lockdown and ease restrictions such as Japan and China – learn from what they’re doing and how they’re approaching things. Use that as a way to stimulate your ideas and chain of thoughts about how the UK may look to start to come out of lockdown.
Research, research, research
We’re in an enviable position right now as many companies and industry thought leaders are opening up access to their research insights - particularly their thoughts on a post Covid 19 world. Arup’s Foresight team, for example are now providing free access to their Arup Inspire platform so you can create scenarios from their built environment predictions. Economists such as Noble Francis and industry agents including JLL and Cushman & Wakefield are putting out their views on the future post Covid real estate construction market. Tap into this info and be curious. Think of scenarios and how they impact you, your business, your customers and the market at large.
Potential scenarios you may wish to consider include:
once when we return to work will the way we view offices be different
will cellular floor plans have a renaissance?
will we use technology more or expect more from it at home and in the office?
will home working become a more prominent part of business strategy?
will there be a drive for better home working spaces as part of new build house design?
What services/products and propositions can you offer now?
Is there a new service or product that you could introduce? Could your reconfigure what you do to add more value? Could you offer customer support for areas where they may now be weak? E.g. could your marketing team offer client support as a gesture of goodwill/partnership.
What services/products and propositions can you offer when lockdown ends?
This is where you look at your research and come up with what could you offer that’s of value to customers for when the market is back open? Are there any particular challenges that you can solve or work with clients to define now and then help them to overcome? E.g. when we return back to work – what will happen to all those jobs that had been postponed - could you offer some kind of commercial audit or rapid design review service to help clients get more clarity on their project portfolio etc?
If you think laterally – the opportunities to develop your business are there but you may have to put a bit more thought into identifying them.
Make social your friend
As everyone's hand has been forced to work online – this is a great time to upskill your teams and embrace it. Some architects such as Stride Treglown have moved their face-face campaign called #TalkingSpaces to online.
They’re producing thought provoking content shared on their owned blog channel as well as sending out a newsletter and having two-way conversations across their social media platforms as well as running webinars.
But let’s be under no illusion, some architectural & engineering practices and construction companies still view social media as a waste of time. To them face-to-face is the only way to do business! If you’re in this category it’s time for a serious rethink. Social media and using online tools such as Zoom to network have become the norm due to lockdown and even if their use lessens when we get back to the ‘new normal’, elements of what’s been started will be here to stay.
Thing to consider now:
Social media is a free way of marketing so accessible to all. It’s really worth all practice leaders and directors at least getting to grips with the basics so that they and their businesses can capitalise on these opportunities now and in the future.
Continue playing your role in the community
Charities are having a tough time right now with falling donations falling and many fundraising events cancelled or postponed. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is something that many engineering and architecture firms have always been good at - both in terms of fundraising money and pro bono support. It’s a great morale booster both internally and externally.
Things you can do now:
Contact your charity partners and see what help they need.
Share their news and fundraising initiatives with your network on social media.
See if there’s ways that you and your employees can continue to support during lockdown – this doesn’t necessarily have to be financial.
Sharpen up your marketing skills, be brave and carry-on
This is a time to be brave. Being brave doesn’t necessarily mean spending lots of money but what it does require is time to think, plan and come up with a comprehensive marketing plan for at least the short to medium term. There’s a lot that directors and boards can do by being smart and strategic to position yourselves as the go-to company for when we do come out of lockdown. Those who take action now marketing wise are likely to be the ones that reap the rewards in the future.
I’m Ayo Abbas, a freelance marketing consultant who specialises in built environment marketing. Have a look at my website and if you want to have a chat do book a chemistry call - it’s free and I can help you figure out your next marketing steps.
