Marketing channels most popular with manufacturers

A recent survey conducted by RIBA Enterprises provides a useful insight into the marketing channels favoured by construction industry manufacturers.

The research, based on 370 responses to an online questionnaire, reveals that architects and contractors remain the two groups most commonly targeted by manufacturers and suppliers (having been identified by 85 and 65 per cent of respondents respectively). The group experiencing the biggest year-on-year increase in interest however, is facilities managers (up from 31 per cent to 42) perhaps reflecting the reduced number of new large-scale construction projects.

Company websites and product literature are still cited as the most popular methods of promoting products and services, though interestingly the highest year-on-year growth has been in online directories (up 6 per cent), promotional emails (up 12 per cent) and CPD (up 13 per cent). CPD is now rated the third most important marketing channel by suppliers of building industry products.

The questionnaire also provided us with an opportunity to turn the spotlight on ourselves, in effect creating a 'report card' of our performance across the last twelve months. Your feedback, good and bad, will be used to improve our service standards and develop existing and new products. Fortunately, a gratifyingly high proportion of you expressed overall satisfaction with the service you receive from us. The competence and availability of RIBA Enterprises sales staff was particularly highly rated, together with our responsiveness to enquiries (95 per cent rated it 'good' or 'very good').

Given the importance attached to architects and other specifiers it was helpful to discover that among those who expressed an opinion 89 per cent of you agreed with the statement that RIBA Enterprises 'is effective at targeting architects, specifiers and other decision makers in the specification process'. In addition, 84 per cent (of those who expressed an opinion) believe that we 'increase the chances of getting manufacturers' products specified for projects'.

Interestingly, when invited to comment freely on specific ways in which RIBA Enterprises might help ensure that products are selected and specified, many of you volunteered that you'd like more information aimed both at yourselves and your clients. We will therefore continue to develop initiatives such as Monthly Briefing and free Consultancy Days.

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