2026 Barometer: construction and marketingB2B communication and customer marketing trends in the construction and housing industry

The building and construction sector is going through a period of profound change, between successive crises, accelerating digitalisation and new environmental and regulatory responsibility requirements. Faced with these upheavals, how are brands adapting their communication strategy?

That is the question we put to some thirty marketing and communication decision-makers from the sector as part of our 2025 Barometer. A study that highlights five major challenges and the trends that will shape the communication of construction industry players in the months ahead.

The downturn in activity, inflationary and geopolitical pressure and regulatory tensions are redefining construction brands' priorities. In this uncertain climate, 83% of those surveyed say they have adjusted their communication strategy in recent months, adopting a more targeted, more controlled approach.

Key trend: more ROI-driven, pragmatic communication

Straight to the point ! Rather than multiplying their communications, brands are refocusing their efforts on high-impact activities. "Every euro invested in communication must demonstrate its short-term value, particularly to general management under pressure. We must be more effective in our messages and better at capturing our audiences", explains a marketing director at an industrial group.

Consequences :

• Less scattering of activities, more targeted B2B communication
• Refocusing on priority activities, product launches in particular
• Budget optimisation with formats that are often digital and social media based
• Promoting offers and services through hard figures and educational content
• Best practice : preparing a "recovery" communication campaign, ready to be triggered once the major uncertainties have cleared

While digitalisation is accelerating - driven not least by AI - only 62% of respondents believe they have genuinely made the digital shift in their communication. Most decision-makers nevertheless consider digital an unavoidable step, even if adoption varies by audience.

Key trend: LinkedIn, the new hub of B2B

"LinkedIn has become our primary lever for reaching industry professionals at lower cost. It is where conversations happen, where expertise is built and where influence takes hold", says a communication manager at an interior fit-out and finishing works brand.

 Consequences :

• Emailing remains a pillar of B2B communication, but must be better segmented and editorialised
• Social media continues to grow in strength, particularly in its ability to create connection and animate a community at lower cost
• Webinars and online events are losing ground - cumbersome to manage and offering poor ROI. "Live" formats are now preferred
• AI is starting to be integrated to generate content and automate certain tasks, but with caution
• A broad rise in authentic, people-led content : UGC, interviews, testimonials, etc. Evidence-led messaging dominates
• Information overload : doubts about digital's place. It reassures brands in terms of the sheer volume of communication, but with what real impact ?

While 98% of the brands involved consider CSR a strategic issue for driving the sector's sustainable construction and decarbonisation challenges, only 39% believe their communication on the subject is clear and impactful.

Key trend: moving from "greenwashing" to tangible proof

Brands must strike the right balance between commitment and transparency. "We can no longer simply assert our commitments - we need concrete, measurable proof", explains a communication manager.

Consequences :

• Taking the "CSR" topic out of the corporate sphere and making it a "business" topic (integrating it into a product launch, or into social media content creation, for example)
• Showcasing environmental certifications and labels (FDES, etc.)
• More storytelling around sustainable innovations (e.g. video web series, interviews, etc.)
• More educational communication to guide professionals through the ecological transition, particularly the tradespeople audience, which remains less engaged

Construction professionals - ​​tradespeople, specifiers, distributors - now expect brands to provide clearer, faster, more accessible information. 67% of respondents stress that their customers' expectations have changed significantly over the past three years.

Key trend: simplifying journeys and better tailoring messages

"Our audiences are massively over-solicited and no longer have time to decode overly technical messaging. We must get straight to the point and bring them genuine added value", confides a marketing director in the interior fit-out sector.

Consequences :

• More short, impactful formats: explainer videos, infographics, LinkedIn carousels, practical guides, snack content…
• A creative challenge: conveying complex messages with simplicity, pragmatism and impact
• Omnichannel programmes to reach the right people at the right time
• Stronger support to help specifiers and installers sell better

The sector's brands must build a relationship with audiences in their own right, each with specific expectations, varying levels of expertise and concrete needs.

All the decision-makers interviewed agree that segmenting communication by audience has become essential to gain impact.

Key trend: from partnership to hands-on support in the field 

"The distributor can no longer be seen as a mere channel. It is a strategic partner. You have to give them the right tools, at the right time, to properly relay our offers and our image at the point of sale", explains a marketing director at a PPE manufacturer.

For builders' merchants:

• Need for clear materials that are easy to activate at the point of sale, from branch manager to counter salesperson (sales pitches, etc.)
• Importance of co-branded communication kits
• Expectation of tailored support in sales activation (technical morning sessions, training sessions, etc.)

For specifiers (architects, engineering consultancies):

• Demand for more technical content, with proof of performance and regulatory compliance
• Need for a differentiated narrative according to the level of specialisation
• Strong need for credibility and reassurance

For installer tradespeople:

• Expectation of simple, visual, immediately usable formats
• Added value of tutorials, installation guides and materials to convince their end customers
• Growing desire to be recognised as partners, not as a secondary audience

A frequently cited point of caution: the lack of alignment between the brand's messaging and the reality on the ground. 

"If the communication does not match what a tradesperson or distributor experiences day to day, it breeds distrust. It has to be true, useful, actionable", confides a communication manager at a building materials merchant group.

In 2025, building and housing brands will have to meet five major challenges to make their communication perform: 

• Optimise their budgets by prioritising high-ROI activities
• Accelerate their digitalisation while maintaining a human, quality-driven approach
• Clarify their CSR commitments by providing concrete proof
• Better understand and support their audiences with more direct, more useful messages.

The final word? "More meaning, more proof, more effectiveness. It is the only way to keep communication impactful and relevant."

Want to learn more about this study or discuss your communication strategy? Get in touch!