We could almost be getting used to it ! Just as brands have barely had time to learn the lessons of the previous crisis, the building and construction industry is being hit head-on by a new cyclone ; a sector-wide crisis of unprecedented scale : inflation, rising interest rates, plummeting building permits, renovation projects on hold…
Generally treated as an adjustment variable, marketing and communication are often the first budgets affected (not to say axed). Yet communicating well proves an absolute necessity in stormy times: to hold your positions, to create a competitive advantage, and above all to prepare for the end of the crisis.
So, should you freeze marketing and wait for the good weather to return? Or carry on as if nothing had happened ? Here are 4 communication tips to turn the prevailing gloom into an opportunity to create short-, medium- and long-term value for your brand.
Keeping the connection with your audiences, carving out a competitive advantage, getting ahead and preparing for the recovery: communicating in times of crisis is a major strategic issue for brands in the building, construction and housing sector.
In normal times, we are always chasing the clock ! Projects come one after another, and it remains difficult for marketing and communication teams to lift their heads, to take a step back and embrace strategic topics.
Periods of crisis or uncertainty upend our daily routines and challenge the status quo. They can be the opportunity to tackle fundamental topics that will shape the brand for years to come - each one a head start over competitors when the recovery arrives.
Here is our TOP 4 of projects to launch in the coming months!
Project no. 1: putting services back in the spotlight
Ouch, we're starting with a big one ! Services are a genuine communication topic, and such a powerful creator of value ! In a market broadly aligned on product performance and price ; services create differentiation, build audience loyalty and develop brand preference.
Often relegated to the back of the catalogue (or to the familiar "our services" section of the website), now is the time to take a hard look at them and give them back the place they deserve : front and centre in your marketing strategy. As pillars of a successful customer experience, examine your "services narrative" (offer marketing) and the communication that goes with it (tools, content, communication programme, etc.)
Project no. 2 : setting out on the specification path
Specification is a hardy perennial ! Everyone knows they should do it, but it is never the right time to start : undefined messaging, lack of time, emergencies to deal with, and so on. Communicating with specifiers means creating connection and value around your solutions so you don't get dragged into a price war; it means offering a virtuous alternative to traditional distribution channels; it means securing substantial, recurring business volumes; it means building a strong, enduring brand.
The trouble is that, by definition, it plays out over the long term - several months to years - and short-term ROI is low. But right now that is rather good timing because, precisely, there is not much to expect from the short term on any front ! ;-)
By launching a strategy aimed at construction specifiers now (project owners, contractors, architects, quantity surveyors, engineering consultancies, etc.), you stake out positions, build connections with your audiences and interest in your solutions, and prepare for the end of the crisis so as to be named in as many tender specifications as possible when the moment comes. A genuine investment in the future !
Specification is our speciality. We explore the subject in depth in our dedicated article!
13 December 2021
Paul R.
8minProject no. 3 : strengthening the bond with tradespeople and distribution
In times of crisis, the battle for shelf space is fierce: sell-in becomes less ambitious, sell-out more uncertain ! It is the perfect opportunity to rework your value proposition in depth, so as to be the "crisis partner" brand for tradespeople and builders' merchants. There are plenty of avenues : messaging and communication campaigns, rationalising or clarifying the product offering, new sales promotions, economic solidarity or innovative services, novel communication materials, more technical morning sessions or face-to-face formats, and so on.
Indeed, we touched on this a while ago in our interview with Fouzia Salhi, Marketing Director of BMI France : " (you have to) say less, say it better and say it straight. When the weather turns rough, you need to be as clear and transparent as possible with your customers, and avoid hiding behind clumsy explanations. "
Now is the moment to demonstrate that your brand is far more than a supplier - that it is truly the partner in the success of tradespeople and distribution through troubled times : it sets the course, delivers concrete, useful solutions to take action, and stands by them through the crisis.
As the saying goes, it is in rough seas that you recognise good captains. Will you be one of them?
Project no. 4 : rethinking your communication strategy
Crises shake our certainties, and every euro must be invested for the best possible ROI : what brands used to do yesterday with 100 euros, they must now do with half as much ! So it is time for trade-offs, prioritisation, organisation and choices.
No more room for error - every euro counts !
So perhaps this is the opportunity to overhaul your entire communication strategy : in substance as well as in form. Messages, materials and tools, channels and levers, activities: what for ? for whom ? with what objective ? is it genuinely essential or structural ? what does it bring me ? can I do it differently, better, cheaper, smarter?
These questions arise automatically for brands' big-ticket spending (media buying, trade shows or events), but the thinking must filter down to operational tools and sales activities. It may be the moment to reorganise your ranges, review your emailing strategy, rationalise your product launches, concentrate your communication around a few annual pillars to dilute it less... and why not go as far as branding, to clarify your positioning?
To go further...
Sustainable/CSR communication is, for instance, a priority project for housing brands. They have built this dimension into their customer communication, and we discuss it in our latest article.
How do you prepare for what comes next and emerge victorious from the crisis ? While we have no miracle recipe, we believe the support of a communication agency specialising in building and construction is more relevant than ever : a serious asset for prioritising, making the right choices and securing the ROI of your activities in the months ahead! Shall we talk it over a coffee ?