The landscape of construction marketing has changed. New building regulations and the introduction of the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) demands the industry to improve standards and the presentation of construction product information across all marketing materials and channels.
The digitalisation of the industry was already underway, but the restrictions enforced by COVID-19 has had an undeniable effect on the world and the way businesses operate; it has accelerated to keep businesses moving forward.
Whilst this acceleration and modernisation was needed, the marketing communications space has become more crowded as traditional B2B marketing channels have been forcibly closed or restricted due to the pandemic.
So what does this mean for construction marketers? What are the key strategies manufacturers are using to meet these challenges, and how do these compare to competitors’ strategies? What are the main barriers to effective marketing, and how will things change in the future? These are just some of the questions we set out to answer when we launched the ‘Construction Manufacturers’ Marketing Index’ survey in September 2021.
In this landmark marketing report, NBS and Glenigan deliver the results of our first joint marketing survey, the ‘Construction Manufacturers’ Marketing Index’.
The report covers:
We also share people’s perceptions of marketing in construction, and what the future marketing landscape could look like for the industry.
This report is incredibly valuable to those supplying products to the construction industry: a way of benchmarking your marketing against others and, perhaps, learning something new that you can apply in the year ahead.
Download the report to find out how the construction industry is applying marketing, the strategies and tactics being used, and how this compares to your company’s approach.
We had 166 responses from a cross-section of manufacturers from at least 136 different companies of all sizes and included those producing a range of product types. More than half of the respondents work within the marketing area of the business; other respondents, though not necessarily sitting directly within the marketing team, have roles that impact and work closely with them. This gives us the important insight we were looking for. Many are senior figures, including marketing managers, marketing directors and director/partner/owner of the company. They are the people who make vital decisions about a manufacturer’s marketing and how the marketing budget is allocated and spent.
Download the report to learn more about construction product manufacturers’ budgets and the different channels used for marketing, including some of the reasons behind these decisions and how return on investment is measured.
The report shows that specifiers or designers are the primary target audience for construction product manufacturers, with contractors ranking second. Where manufacturers are marketing to specifiers or designers, they aim to reach architects in two out of five cases. 20% tell us that they market to engineers, while some target interior designers and surveyors, among others. So what does this mean when most manufacturers target the same audience? How do you make your voice heard above the noise? Download the report to find out more.
We discovered that there is a large focus on digital channels: over half of construction product manufacturers’ marketing activity is digital. However, traditional marketing (most types of marketing that are not online) still has a place. Almost a fifth of the marketing budget is allocated to construction-tailored marketing channels such as using digital (BIM) object libraries and project leads services such as Glenigan.
It’s clear that there is a changing marketing landscape. When asked to consider how their marketing might look in the next three to five years, 89% of respondents told us that they expect their approach to marketing to change a bit or a lot. Read the full report to discover how they think it will change.
Download the report now for more on who manufacturers are targeting, the specific tools and channels they use and the barriers they face.
Thank you to all 166 people who completed the survey, and to the organisations below who supported us by promoting it to their members and networks.
