Most practices are probably doing more marketing than they think they are, but very few get it right, argues marketing consultant Rachel Birchmore. Too often they are just doing ‘stuff’ they feel they ought to be doing – or which they see everyone else doing – without any strategic thinking behind their efforts.
Strategic thinking is different: it is thinking about where you want to be and how you are going to get there. It’s about thinking in an integrated, connected way.
Birchmore runs AreBe Marketing and helps architectural practices and other consultants to develop strategies and activities to win the work they are targeting and develop their organisations. She will be presenting ‘Strategic Marketing – how to position yourself vis-à-vis the clients you want’ at the Guerrilla Tactics 2018: Expanding Practice CPD day on 14 November 2018.
‘When asking questions of a practice, we often find they are taking actions that are not going to lead to anything,’ says Birchmore. ‘People can spend serious money on a website, a PR agency, or a trip to MIPIM. They look at their peer groups and do what they are doing. But they are often doing things without thinking about what they are actually trying to achieve’.
‘What practices need is a clear picture of the future shape of their practice, the sort of clients they would like and the strengths of the practice. Then they can set out their stall and direct their marketing efforts in a joined-up way to make the best impact.’
Birchmore believes one of the obstacles to strategic thinking and planning among practices is the misconception that it is something that only large companies can indulge in. She is currently working with practices looking to target large overseas projects and those looking at housing or smaller cultural projects in London: very different practices with very different clients that need very different marketing strategies.
One area in which strategic thinking is crucial, but frequently overlooked, is in succession planning, preparing the next generation of practitioners to take on senior roles in a business.
In many smaller practices, the original founders are still the driving force and may have always had a strategic vision of what they want to do, even if it has never been set out as such. It’s known as ‘founder’s mentality’ in management terms.
Birchmore says that opportunities should be taken to sit down with staff and articulate strategic thinking, to look at how to get the team on board and to work out a strategy for future growth and communications.
‘This allows people to step back from projects, which normally occupy everyone’s thinking, and focus instead on developing client relationships and targets, which can get forgotten.
‘It’s an opportunity to set out answers to questions such as “What next?”, “How can we raise our profile?” and “How can we get into this new sector?”.’
Birchmore acts as facilitator for such exercises and then helps practices get organised so they can implement solutions. At a time when recruitment can be difficult for small practices lacking the profile of better-known offices, she argues that having clarity of vision for the practice will also prove much more compelling to potential staff.
Thanks to Rachel Birchmore, Director, AreBe Marketing.
By Neal Morris. This is a Professional Feature edited by the RIBA Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas
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