Connecting with Architects

The practice of architecture—being a licensed profession—relies on trust. Trust that once specified, products, materials, and systems will deliver on the promises they make. To complicate matters, architects are—in general— professionally conservative and trust isn’t easily attained. They rely heavily on experience with products and typically have tried-and-true solutions that they return to time and again. Even those in the profession categorized as “risk-takers” generally still heavily scrutinize new solutions.

As such, product marketing requires a unique approach that stems from the specifier’s need for proof-of-use and proof-of-performance product information. Through decades of experience communicating with architects, I understand that this is most effective when delivered through project case studies that provide critical “social proof” in the form of peer testimonials and tangible solutions. 

What Exactly is Social Proof? Have you ever read an online review before making a purchase, asked a neighbor for the name of a reliable contractor, or browsed Yelp! reviews before choosing a restaurant? If you have then you’ve sought social proof; it’s a differentiator in a cluttered landscape of options. 

Why is Social Proof Important? If you look at it from a purely societal standpoint, customers have become more discerning, requiring social proof in the form of product reviews and ratings to cut through the clutter. A recent study showed that 93%* of consumers indicated that online reviews have an impact on their purchasing decisions. 

This dynamic is magnified in the architectural specifier world; the profession requires proven results. Weighing heavily on top of the demands of annual professional licensure are the necessary foundations of code compliance, sustainable outcomes, and occupant health, safety, and welfare. Building product, material, and system decisions are not made without an intense level of scrutiny; social proof can be a critical bridge between customers and unfamiliar products. It’s how you win new customers and keep the ones you’ve worked so hard to gain. 

How to Get There: So how do you gain a discerning architect’s attention in an ever-growing sea of marketing clutter? The answer is to provide value. Value in the form of intelligence, inspiration, and success stories delivered by a trusted voice… that of their peers. 

Peer architect testimonials and solutions, all framed within the story of a respected—even award-winning—project provide a powerful asset for connecting with the specification community. The raw material for these stories exists in your past work… it just needs to be identified, mined, and polished.

All products, materials, and systems have a story, I’ll help you find yours and leverage it.

*Source: Podium, State of Online Reviews