Architect Communication Channels

Architects are key specifiers and play an important part in the creation of demand for building products.

Deciding how best to spend a limited marketing budget can be difficult. In the past various publishers have issued reports to show how and where specifiers get their information but, not surprisingly, each piece of research tends to favour the sponsoring publication. For this reason Competitive Advantage undertook its own research into this area, providing an impartial review of sources of information used by architects.

If you need a focused approach to promotional spend, so that you can make informed decisions you will find this an ideal tool to use when planning and justifying communications budgets.

The internet is now the principal means for architects to identify new products. When sourcing information on new products this might be a general search, visiting a manufacturer website, an online product directory or online magazine. As might be expected, Google is the principal search engine.

There are some key features that should be available on a manufacturer’s website.

There are three key architectural publications regularly read and one general industry publication. New product information project stories and technical articles all receive a high level of attention than advertisements.

There are three most popular product directories. Online directories are selected as they are easy to use, provide free access and carry a large range of information.

All of the respondents considered hard copy literature to be important.

Architects that visit exhibitions think they are a good method of keeping informed but there are very few popular exhibitions. Those that attend exhibitions also attend conferences.

Some Architects only attend in-house CPD seminars, others prefer those seminars organised by their professional bodies.

1. Management Summary

2. Objectives and Methodology

• Respondent Job Titles
• Proportion of respondents working in each sector

3. Sources of Information

• When you are looking for information on new products where do you look?
• If you require information on a known product where do you look first

4. Trade Journals

• Which Industry or Trade journals do you read on a regular basis?
• How frequently do you read these journals?
• Which of the following types of information do you look at?
• What other items do you find interesting?

5. Product Cards

• Do you refer to product cards for information?
• From which publications do you use these?
• What type of information are you looking for?
• How useful do you find the information that product cards contain?

6. Internet and Digital Data

• Do you have an internet connection on your PC?
• Do you have a DVD drive on your PC?
• Which internet search engine do you principally use?
• Web based sources of New Product Information
• Web based sources of information on known products
• When using a manufacturer's web site what information do you consider it absolutely necessary and desirable for them to provide?
• Please could you give me some examples of manufacturer's web sites that you consider to be very good
• What web features do you find irritating?
• How often do you download PDFs of manufacturer literature?
• Have you used a webinar?
• Do you think these are a good method for gaining product information?

7. Product Directories and NBS

• Do you refer to product directories on the internet?
• If Yes, which one do you refer to the most?
• Why do you select this one
• Do you refer to paper based product directories?
• If Yes, which one do you use the most?
• Do you use NBS to help you develop specifications?
• Is it helpful to have manufacturers' specifications available through NBS Plus?
• How often do you use the facility of NBS Plus?

8. Literature

• Is hard copy literature still required?
• Reasons why hard copy literature is still required
• Does your practice have a library of manufacturer's literature?
• Location of practices without a library
• Does your practice use the Uniclass or CI/SfB library classification system?

9. Exhibitions and Conferences

• Do you visit exhibitions?
• Do you think exhibitions are a good method of keeping informed?
• Which exhibitions have you attended in the past 12 months?
• Do you attend conferences?
• Do you think conferences are a good method of keeping informed?
• Which conferences have you attended in the past 12 months?

10. CPD Seminars

• Attendance of CPD seminars
• Please can you name the certification organisations you are aware
• What do you consider makes a good seminar?
• Thinking about CPD seminars, will you attend technical seminars which are not CPD certified?
• What is the job function of the person in your organisation responsible for arranging CPD seminars?
• How do you learn about new CPD seminars?
• Do you attend in-house CPD seminars?
• If you do attend in-house CPD seminars, how frequently per month?
• Do you attend CPD seminars organised by your professional body?
• Do you attend seminars at third party venues?
• Attendance at types of CPD Seminars