It’s a fact that marketing for professional services (especially firms in the AEC industry) is a whole different ball of wax than consumer product marketing.
It is also a fact however, that decision makers “buying” services are people, just like the consumers that buy products. So what can the architecture and engineering industry pick up from consumer marketing during this recession?
Since the recession hit there have been a large number of consumer rebrands effecting almost every major industry: apparel, food, grocery, hospitality…the list continues. Rebrands are EXPENSIVE, especially for a major corporation with stores (or products in stores) across the globe. Why are all of these large brands willing to sink so much money into a new brand in the middle of a struggling economy?
The reason is that marketing and branding are important. Not just important, crucial. Even to an already educated or aware audience, a rebrand provides new top of mind awareness for companies. The cost to rebrand a chain such as Holiday Inn, is well worth it now that consumers who have driven by the same Holiday Inn everyday notice it again. What was once an almost unnoticeable fixture on your daily commute is now a new icon that catches your attention.
Just getting new attention isn’t worth a rebrand, it has to be a part of a larger strategic decision. However, the point is that companies that are respected as smart marketers and understand their audience also understand the need to continue and even increase their marketing efforts in a down economy. The result is more control of the advertising space, increased marketshare and a position as the right choice in tough times and when spending picks back up.