The intersection of strategy, marketing, and technology, commonly known as MarTech, is penetrating the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries.
As of April 2019, there were more than 7,000 MarTech tools on the market (7,040 to be exact), up from just 1,000 five years ago, according to ChiefMartec. This flood of tools and apps for marketing and business development professionals is impacting firms in multiple ways, from difficulty in selecting the right technologies, to challenges in keeping up with changes, to issues with using the tools effectively.
AEC firms of all sizes are investing in MarTech with goals to improve their marketing strategy and drive more sales, but recent research from The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Foundation shows AEC firms aren’t yet applying these solutions to their fullest potential.
The new six-page report, "Powering Up Technology: A Spotlight on Martech," looks at how MarTech tools help AEC brands, allow for deeper understanding and engagement, and support communication with clients and their target audiences.
On the flip side, the data shows how AEC firms aren’t yet applying these solutions—such as social platforms, client relationship management (CRM), and content management systems (CMS)—to their fullest potential. The findings and analysis are based on a survey of 500 SMPS members conducted by the SMPS Foundation in conjunction with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
This chart was created by chiefmartec.com to track the marketing technology landscape. Click on the chart to see the full infographic. Source: Marketing Technology Media, LLC. Produced by Scott Brinker (@chiefmartec) and Blue Green Brands (@bluegreenbrands).
Eighty percent of respondents believe the current MarTech strategy at their firm is average or unsuccessful, expressing the belief that there is significant room for growth in this area.
“AEC companies are beginning to harness these powerful systems and advanced platforms to execute and analyze modern marketing campaigns,” said Michael Geary, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and the SMPS Foundation. “While marketers recognize the importance of this technology, their organizations struggle with how to implement these technologies and associated MarTech initiatives.”
SMPS will use the findings of this report to craft learning opportunities for the AEC industries, and the SMPS Foundation will conduct a follow-up survey in 2020 to measure progress.
The report addresses a variety of topics, including:
• Awareness of MarTech tools
• Barriers to MarTech usage
• Drivers behind MarTech adoption
• Delivery of MarTech metrics and reporting
• Integration of MarTech-specific marketing roles and consultants
The report first appeared in the August 2019 issue of Marketer, the journal published by SMPS.
SMPS members receive a free download of the report from the SMPS website.
Non-members may download and purchase the report from the SMPS website for $24.95.
Related Stories
| Mar 11, 2011
Mixed-income retirement community in Maryland based on holistic care
The Green House Residences at Stadium Place in Waverly, Md., is a five-story, 40,600-sf, mixed-income retirement community based on a holistic continuum of care concept developed by Dr. Bill Thomas. Each of the four residential floors houses a self-contained home for 12 residents that includes 12 bedrooms/baths organized around a common living/social area called the “hearth,” which includes a kitchen, living room with fireplace, and dining area.
| Mar 11, 2011
Oregon childhood center designed at child-friendly scale
Design of the Early Childhood Center at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore., focused on a achieving a child-friendly scale and providing outdoor learning environments.
| Mar 11, 2011
Guests can check out hotel’s urban loft design, music selection
MODO, Advaya Hospitality’s affordable new lifestyle hotel brand, will have an urban Bauhaus loft design and target design-, music-, and tech-savvy guest who will have access to thousands of tracks in vinyl, CD, and MP3 formats through a partnership with Downtown Music. Guest can create their own playlists, and each guest room will feature iPod docks and large flat-screen TVs.
| Mar 11, 2011
Construction of helicopter hangars in South Carolina gets off the ground
Construction is under way on a $26 million aviation support facility for South Carolina National Guard helicopters. Hendrick Construction, the project’s Charlotte, N.C.-based GC, is building the 111,000-sf Donaldson Hangar facility on the 30-acre South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center, Greenville.
| Mar 11, 2011
Texas A&M mixed-use community will focus on green living
HOK, Realty Appreciation, and Texas A&M University are working on the Urban Living Laboratory, a 1.2-million-sf mixed-use project owned by the university. The five-phase, live-work-play project will include offices, retail, multifamily apartments, and two hotels.
| Mar 11, 2011
Chicago office building will serve tenants and historic church
The Alter Group is partnering with White Oak Realty Partners to develop a 490,000-sf high-performance office building in Chicago’s West Loop. The tower will be located on land owned by Old St. Patrick’s Church (a neighborhood landmark that survived the Chicago Fire of 1871) that’s currently being used as a parking lot.
| Mar 11, 2011
Community sports center in Nashville features NCAA-grade training facility
A multisport community facility in Nashville featuring a training facility that will meet NCAA Division I standards is being constructed by St. Louis-based Clayco and Chicago-based Pinnacle.
| Mar 11, 2011
Slam dunk for the University of Nebraska’s basketball arena
The University of Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs will have a new home beginning in 2013. Designed by the DLR Group, the $344 million West Haymarket Civic Arena in Lincoln, Neb., will have 16,000 seats, suites, club amenities, loge, dedicated locker rooms, training rooms, and support space for game operations.
| Mar 10, 2011
Steel Joists Clean Up a Car Wash’s Carbon Footprint
Open-web bowstring trusses and steel joists give a Utah car wash architectural interest, reduce its construction costs, and help green a building type with a reputation for being wasteful.
| Mar 10, 2011
How AEC Professionals Are Using Social Media
You like LinkedIn. You’re not too sure about blogs. For many AEC professionals, it’s still wait-and-see when it comes to social media.