Marketing Insights
Media Strategy
Marketing Automation
Written By
Matt Wadley
Content Marketing Associate Director
The AIA Journey to Specification report is an invaluable resource for marketers in the home and building category seeking to understand architects’ decision-making process.
By analyzing the factors that drive product specification, the American Institute of Architects’ annual report highlights the critical role architects play in selecting building materials and offers insights into their preferences and behaviors.
These insights can help brands more effectively engage with architects and increase the chances of having their products selected and specified. As an example, the 2023 study found that architects’ favorite places to learn about new product trends included:
Continuing Education and Webinars (83%)
Manufacturer Websites (79%)
Lunch & Learns (77%)
This is particularly important since the report also determined that architects continue to be both the most responsible and the most influential for finding information about new products and materials.
"Architects continue to be both the most responsible and the most influential for finding information about new products and materials."
Based on AIA findings, offering the specific resources architects seek when researching product information can help manufacturers stand out from the competition. But it’s equally important to proactively inform architects that your brand provides these valuable tools.
I caught up with Liza Timmons, marketing automation senior manager, and Dontrice Savage, integrated media planning associate director, to discuss how brands can better engage with architects and influence their decisions on which materials to specify.
In our conversation, Liza and Dontrice identified email marketing and paid media as two key touch points. Here’s a closer look at how to use each effectively when targeting the architect audience.
What role do email marketing and paid media play in engaging and educating architects?
Liza: Email marketing allows brands to deliver targeted, personalized content directly to architects, who rely on accurate, up-to-date information to specify products. By segmenting email lists and providing relevant updates, manufacturers can develop strong, productive relationships with architects.
Dontrice: Paid media, on the other hand, amplifies reach and visibility. It can target architects based on behavior and demographics, ensuring product information and educational content reach the right audience on a large scale.
Combined, these strategies ensure consistent engagement and visibility throughout the architect’s specification journey. As AIA CEO Lakisha Ann Woods said in the report, “In their quest to create meaningful, functional and beautiful spaces, architects value partnerships with manufacturers.”
How can marketers use email to build brand awareness with architects?
Liza: A successful email marketing program is built on providing a great customer experience. Your messaging should not only get people interested in your brand but also provide an intuitive path forward on their journey to specification. A key to this is ensuring there aren’t points where the audience can get lost or frustrated by an inability to find the information they want easily.
The AIA report emphasizes the importance of up-to-date product information and responsive communication. Email marketing excels here by offering architects product updates, detailed specs, access to CAD/BIM files and educational information directly in their inboxes. Automated campaigns can ensure architects receive regular, relevant information without the need for constant manual effort on the part of the sender.
How does paid media help brands showcase the resources architects look for when researching the right product to specify?
Dontrice: Paid media can target architects on platforms where they are actively seeking information. For example, LinkedIn and industry-specific websites are strong opportunities to target professionals looking for new products. By using targeted ads and sponsored content, manufacturers can ensure that architects are exposed to their products during crucial research phases.
Tapping into publisher partnerships can put your brand in the same place the architect is already looking for industry news, which helps create credibility. Offering access to educational webinars or in-person events not only fulfills what we see in the AIA report but also provides a great indicator of an architect’s interest in your brand. When they actively enroll, you know they’re committed to engaging with your brand.
Then, you have to pay it off with responsive sales reps, customer service, technical resources and a great website experience that offers easy-to-find product technical specs and descriptions. If you provide a poor experience for the architect at any point during these key decision-making moments, your brand risks creating frustration among architects. This can result in losing a chance to build desired brand affinity and potentially not having the product specified in the design.
