Building Product Marketing: May 2009

Informational Graphics

Many construction industry professionals are visual thinkers. This makes it especially important to include clearly understandable graphics in building product marketing literature.I want to bring Steve Greenberg to your attention. One of our associates at Chusid Associates, Steve has a talent for being able to explain even complicated buildings, products, or technologies with simple-to-understand, yet elegant drawings. As these example show, Steve works in a variety of style, from forensic to journalistic to cartoon.

Construction Chart Book

The Construction Chart Book, available as a free download, is a valuable resource for product managers and other building product marketing executives. Published by The Center for Construction Research and Training, formerly known as The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights (CPWR), it contains hard to find information about construction industry employment demographics and trends. Amply illustrated with graphs, it also contains good analysis of industry conditions - at least as they were prior to the market crash of 2008.

About half the book focuses on occupational health and safety issues. This can be a fertile area for identifying potential marketing opportunities. Who know, for example, that 64 percent of carpenters have abnormal hearing (Chart 42b). This is valuable insight not only to tool manufacturers, but also to producers of structural connectors or building systems that might be able to eliminate the need for hammering or cutting - sources of loud jobsite noise.

Green Is Dead!

We've been saying for a while now that green is on the verge of dying out as a cutting-edge issue, in the same way that fire safety and ADA accessibility are now well established part of building design. Two years ago, for example, there were dozens of "Green Building" trade shows on the national and regional level; now those are quickly dying away to leave just a few prominent ones. Instead, environmental issues have been incorporated into the regular construction industry shows. Sustainability has become such a fundamental issue that you either have it -- or you go home, no discussion needed.

Today I received proof that we may have already passed that point:

EcoDater Launches - Online Dating for Green and Eco-Friendly Singles

EcoDater is an eco-friendly online dating site for green single men and women who care about living a natural, holistic lifestyle. EcoDater.com offers its members a comprehensive array of tools to participate in the EcoDater community and find other green, eco-friendly singles easily and efficiently. The EcoDater blog is updated twice a week and offers an excellent survey of developments in the eco-friendly world.

This demonstrates how much "green" and "sustainability" have permeated the mainstream; someone looking for an eco-friendly date is going to expect an eco-friendly building, whether they are a tenant looking for the greenest rentable space or an owner looking to build a LEED Platinum building.

The green movement is dead.
Long live the green movement!

New Green Product Registries

Two new online construction product registries address the sustainability benefits of products and buildings. Participating in these registries provides several marketing benefits to building product manufacturers:

Increased visibility of your products.
Enhance perception that your company is active in the greening of the industry.
Enhance your green branding by using the registries' logos on your website and literature.
Answering the questions on the registry forms may help you uncover new ways to green your product.

CSI has introduced GreenFormat to allow manufacturers to report the environmental properties of their products in a searchable database. To be listed on GreenFormat, construction product manufacturers must complete an online questionnaire that collects information about their product. Data from the questionnaire is then displayed in a standardized fashion designed to ease sustainable design decision-making. “GreenFormat is an excellent place for building product manufacturers to list the green attributes of their products,” says Brenda Little, JD, an environmental consultant at Chusid Associates, “This resource will reach architects, designers, specifiers, and other professionals in the construction industry.”

GreenPLUS has now been launched to rate a home’s Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) attributes related to environmental stewardship and disaster-preparedness. The registry contains a growing database of manufacturers providing green products for home consumption, construction, and upgrade. Homeowners and contractors consult this registry when selecting building products to qualify their home projects for GreenPLUS certificates.

Chusid Associates is available to help file your product’s information with the two registries. According to Ms. Little, "Environmental concerns can pose questions that manufacturers have not asked themselves in the past. Even if a manufacturer can not answer all the environmental question about their product, it is important to be part of the green conversation. If a customer cannot find you listed in the green directories, they may assume you do not have any environmental benefits."

Preventing Cola Warming

This just makes me happy.

"Proposed new national energy efficiency standards for beverage vending machines (a.k.a., soda or pop machines) will help make America more energy efficient, according to a coalition of energy efficiency, environmental, and consumer groups. The proposed new standards, released today by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), would cut the average energy use of the most common new cold beverage vending machines by about 42%."

They estimate using smart controls could save 10 billion killowatt-hours over 30 years, saving the property owners $250 million."

It also suggests that continued incremental improvement in building product energy conservation can add up to huge energy savings.

AIA 2010 Call For Presentation

The American Institute of Architects annual convention will be June 10-12, 2010 in Miami, FL. They have just issued the call for presentations, deadline July 1, 2009.

An AIA convention presentation can be a great platform for product manufacturers; it gives you an hour or more of face-to-face time with architects that have identified themselves as interested in your product. It gives you a chance to define the terms of discussion in that category, to set yourself up as expert, and to gather high quality leads.

The impact of being a speaker goes beyond the number of attendees. Thousand of people will see your name and program title in the trade show publicity. You can publicize your participation among your customers to raise your profile and stimulate requests for similar programs for local AIA chapters. And a video of the presentation can be a great addition to your website or used as a webinar.

For more information or assistance in preparing a submission, please contact me at aaron@chusid.com. We can also help you identify other conference looking for speakers from your industry.

Using "Non-Proprietary" Articles to your Advantage

There are lots of magazines that accept submitted case studies or short product news pieces, but there are only a few that will accept in-depth technical articles. Many of these magazines have a policy against using proprietary names in articles. This is also true in industry guidelines for continuing education, where the only permitted reference to your company or brand are in the title and final slides of a presentation..

Ironically, this policy actually increases the marketing value of the articles. By writing in an authoritative, non-proprietary voice, the article will be perceived by readers as having more value as a trustworthy source of news they can use.

Moreover, writing your article correctly creates brand equity for you. For example:

Author Credits: The author bios identify your company affiliation and can include your website and email address, making it easy for interested readers to contact you.

Creating Awareness: The first step in sales is to create awareness and interest. The article is intended to get designers thinking about the many benefits of your product. At the early stages of a project, it is most important that an architect know about the product category because they can always look up your name for specific information. More, one of the benefits of publicity is conditioning prospects so they are more responsive to other sales contacts or advertising.

Define Terms: By publishing the article, you get to establish the scope of the discussion. By discussing your points of differentiation you establish them as the baseline for comparison. The focus is on educating the customer to appreciate the benefits you offer.

Photo Credits: The projects cited and the photographs used will all be credited to your company. If you have a jobsite installation photo, there might be a banner in the background, or a package in the foreground, with the company name.

Online Content: The article can go onto your website and those of your reps, dealers, or applicators. You will be able to use it as part of your sales collateral.

Reuse: With a quick rewrite it can be sent around to other magazines as a press release. This maximizes the value of your investment.

Licensee Support: If the name of the game is winning licensees, then it is important to show the type of publicity you are getting for your existing licensees. The same is true for certified installers, distributors, and others in your market stream. List them as co-authors, and feature their projects.

In short, anyone reading the article will be lead to think about your products and will have no trouble finding you when they are ready to move forward.

We're Making a Difference!

From ENN: U.S. Carbon Emissions Fall by Most Since '82

Sometimes, walking around trade shows surrounded by people shouting out how green they are, I wonder if we really make a difference. We discuss, we worry, we sacrifice, we innovate... but does it ever pay off? Well it did this year. US carbon emissions were down 3.8%; it's not a large number, but it's a start.

The article attributes the decrease to more efficient driving practices and increased use of alternative energy. However, continued improvement in building performance and construction industry programs such as LEED have also contributed to this reduction. So have the continuing effort of manufacturers to reduce their energy consumption, rationalize distribution system, and eliminate waste throughout their operations.

Nice work team! Let's keep it up!

Requiring "Registration" to Download Internet Content

Many building product websites require viewers to register and log in before they are able to access or download product information. I believe this is a mistake in most instances. Many internet users are reluctant to enter personal information and fear you will use their email to barrage them with spam. Having gotten use to nearly instant information from the internet, they resent the time it takes to register. Keeping track of usernames and passwords for manufacturer sites is also a burden.

Requiring registration will not keep your competitors from accessing your material. Assume that everything you post online will be public information.

I recently had to register to get onto a client's website. Their website sent me a confirmation email with my computer-generated password - another problem as I had to then go into the website and change 79Of9Adsf98 into something I had a better chance of remembering.

But most amazingly, the confirming email said: "Please do not reply to this email as it has been automatically generated and is not monitored." What a lost opportunity to invite a prospect to enter into dialog by calling or responding.

Recession and Building Product Marketing

Building products has always been a highly competitive marketplace, and the current economy is causing many firms to reconsider how they allocate their resources. While cash flow and other short-term considerations may demand most of your attention, it is important to continue planning for long-term growth and profitability.

History suggests that companies that continue active marketing programs during slow economic times are more likely to come out of a recession faster and better positioned than companies that throttle marketing initiatives.

To make this point, I want to share a few of the strategies being used by Chusid Associates’ clients:

NEW PRODUCTS AND NEW COMPANIES: Several of our clients are actively developing new products and even launching new businesses right now. One CEO told me. “This is a great time for us to be gearing up. We’re getting great deals on the equipment we need for our new plant.” Another says, “I am blessed to be launching my business at this time. All my competitors are distracted by debt service and downsizing, so I have been able to swoop-in and grab opportunities they are missing.”

CAPTURING MARKET SHARE: Even though it has had to lay-off some of its employees, one of our clients is actually increasing investment in marketing communications. The general manager explains, “There is an 18 to 24 month lag from when an architect first calls us and when we actually get to ship an order. If I cut back on advertising now, I will still be paying for that decision in 2010.”

BUILDING SMARTER: Many designers and builders are reluctant to use new products. Yet when times are tough, they may be more motivated to consider innovations that offer time or cost savings. This is just the case with our client offering a prefabricated wall system. Their ability to deliver a project faster, slashing construction financing, is opening doors for them.

Granted, not all of our clients have the means to invest in growth right now. For them, the goal is to identify the best strategic options possible with the resources at hand. Even this can be to the benefit of a firm if it enables them to jettison dead weight and focus resources on the products and marketing programs that are most important to your future.

Green News from Michigan

Michigan is looking to increase green construction, meaning any manufacturers or reps working in the area need to step up their green efforts to remain competitive and take advantage of the shift.

From mlive.com's business section:

"Trade unions are ramping up certification programs in emerging green technologies, and everyone from construction managers to subcontractors looks to sustainability as the way of the future.
Wholesale retraining won't be required, industry experts said, but upgrading of existing skills is needed to meet changing demands."

Companies can help meet this need for education and information by:

Developing and improving green product literature,

Offering continuing education courses about green techniques and products, and

Publicizing use of their products in green projects.

The companies the become the leaders in green education and retraining in Michigan will be the winners. They will set the stage and define the dialogue about green building in the area.

Developments like these in Michigan are taking place throughout the nation.

Are Testing Laboratories Reliable?

Chusid Associates recently supervised a comprehensive testing program to determine the physical performance characteristics of a client's building product. We retained a testing company with a good reputation and an international network of laboratories. Unfortunately, the lab's work was riddled with errors. And even when the errors were pointed out to them, their revised reports still contained errors.

Errors made by the laboratory included:
- inaccurate measurements or uncalibrated equipment.
- failing to observe specified test procedures.
- writing incomplete reports and reports with spelling and grammatical errors.

Two examples indicate how poorly the laboratory performed. In one test, measurements were taken in degrees F, then reported in degrees C without making the necessary conversions. In another case, they reported that that the product, a quartz surfacing, had a Mohs hardness of 9, an impossibility since quartz is the reference standard for Mohs hardness of 7.

What this illustrates is that product testing programs must be carefully managed by a building product manufacturer, either with their own technical staff or a qualified consultant.

Here are a few guidelines for testing building products:

1. Select the Right Tests: Consider what tests may be necessary for certification or approvals, your internal quality assurance and quality control programs, to respond to data from competitors, and to protect your company from liability. Oh, and try to find tests that realistically predict product performance in the field or offer meaningful comparison to other products.

2. Understand the Tests: It is not enough to simply order a test according to an ASTM standard number, as an example. Many test standards contain several procedures or variables that must be specified. Preliminary testing may be required to know which protocol makes sense for your product.

3. Read the Test Reports: They may be dull technical writing, but you need to read the reports carefully before sharing them with customers. Most labs will make reasonable modifications to a report to clarify its meaning or offer data most useful to your marketing situation, so long as the modifications do not distort the findings of the test.

4. Understand the Test Results: Understanding what the results mean will help catch potential errors in the testing. More, it helps to understand the results in order to be able to explain your product's performance. For example, salt spray testing is commonly used to compare the corrosion resistance of products, but the results do not corrolate well with real world exposure.

5. When Possible, Witness the Tests: This can often enable you to catch a mistake that would otherwise damage the credibility of the test. It will also help you to understand the results.

To see one example of how test data can be used in marketing communications, see the article we wrote for our client.

Just Say the Magic Word

FizzBin - The Technical Support Secret Handshake

We need a word that says "I know tech" when you're on the phone with tech support, you'd just say "Fizzbin" and they'd know.

I hate that 5 minute to 5 hour long "ramp up" when I'm on the phone with any kind of technical support as they realize that we both know what we're doing. Or at least, one of us does.

How often, as a building product sales rep or marketer, have you had this problem while talking to architects and engineers? It's understandable; they have to work with many reps that know nothing about the industry beyond their own products, if that. Wouldn't it be nice to have a magic word that tells them you know the industry?

There is. The Construction Specifications Institute offers the Certified Construction Product Representative Program.

As a product representative, you're a vital source of technical information for the construction team. With CCPR certification, you'll be a sought after industry expert with an in-depth understanding of the overall construction process and superior ability in the principles of effective product representation. Plus, CCPR on your business card means you speak the same language as architects, engineers, specifiers, contractors and other decision-makers – and that opens doors.

This certification is available to people that have at least two years as a product rep and have passed the Construction Document Technologit (CDT) exan. If your customers are architects, or you are trying to get written into more specs, this can be a powerful tool.

Do Architects want BIM from Manufacturers?

Q. I'm wondering what architects are looking for from manufacturers when it comes to BIM projects?

A. Let's be realistic here. Most architects ARE NOT looking for BIM details -- at least not yet. Even the relatively few firms already using BIM for overall building design are still doing details in CAD.

Suggestion -- Your website is a great opportunity for market research. Below the "Download CAD" buttons on your website, put a "Request BIM" button that takes people to a place where they can tell you what they want. If the opportunity is big enough, you can respond in an ad hoc basis. After a few months of requests, you will know what you need to do.

If you have a broad product line, some products may be more appropriate for BIM than others.

Even if architects aren't really using the BIM of your products, it does help the image of your firm as an up-to-date market leader, and can be used to attract attention.

More, you probably have 3d drawings (dare I say models?) of many of your products for in-house engineering, fabrication, and shop drawings. In this case, the cost of putting them online is fairly small, so why not do it?

Social Media in Building Product Marketing

New communication and collaboration tools can increase the reach and effectiveness of your sales and marketing, reduce the environmental impact of sales calls and help control cost of sales.

Consultants from Chusid Associates recently presented a seminar on the topic for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute. Presenters included: Michael Chusid, FCSI, RA and Aaron Chusid, CSI. Aaron is a specialist in communications and Michael has authored numerous articles on building products and construction.

Among the topics discussed were:

Social networking sites (LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, etc.)
Twitter
Email blasts
Blogs
Building information modeling (BIM)
Desktop-to-desktop video conferencing
Cell phone internet

The program is available for presentation to Building Product Manufacturers, Trade Association, and Professional Societies.

Copies of the handouts are available by contacting aaron@chusid.com.

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