Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008 - (Page 16)

MARKETING It’s About Name Recognition Two marketing professionals offer their insights to raise awareness for positive business results. By: Eileen Mozinski In a turbulent economy, Christine Rombouts says it is the businesses without solid public relations and marketing plans that are often hit first and hit hardest by market forces. Those pressures have been growing rapidly in all sectors in recent months in the midst of a national economic roller coaster of unprecedented proportions. “Obviously, sales of new homes and land have been increasingly difficult,” said Rombouts, an associate with Carlsson Public Relations. “The difficult market has affected nearly all aspects of the homebuilding industry, including land planners, architects, designers and construction companies.” She points out that now it is even more apparent that companies that were formerly too busy for marketing are hurting significantly more than those that constantly make efforts to circulate their names and services. Marketing is multifaceted and has rapidly grown more complex for not only architecture, engineering and construction firms, but all businesses in this age of technology. Rombouts cautions that although many business decisions today call for limiting marketing budgets in a depressed market, such cutbacks can lead to disaster. “If there was ever a time to step up promotions, it’s now,” she said. Her focus tends to be on obtaining stories first, speeches second and awards third. Knowledgeable public relations is about getting the message out in industries where traditional advertising isn’t always the best means of generating business. “People don’t look in the yellow pages for an architect,” Rombouts said. The distinction between public relations and marketing efforts can be unclear, but Rombouts said it is best to think of marketing as a broad term, which focuses on the generating promotion of a business’s product or service. “Within marketing falls business development, public relations and advertising,” she said. “PR is a function of marketing.” Rombouts advises her clients to start with an overall marketing plan, followed by drafting a PR plan with a focus on media relations as well as activities such as Internet search-engine optimization and sponsored events. Press events can be effective in nabbing local media attention, although Rombouts stressed that the “news” aspect of a project or its universality must be the emphasis to attract reporters. It’s called “relevancy,” according to Richard Heap, director of Arate Communications Consulting, Inc., based in Leawood, Kansas, which focuses on architecture and communications. “There is no difficulty when the story is particularly relevant,” said Heap, who pointed out that, for editors, interest can often revolve around the financial aspects of a project. Outlining the unconventional and judicious use of resources, a project conversion or even the realigning of a phased project are the types of issues that attract readers’ attention and, therefore, editors and reporters. “Editors like to connect the solutions for difficult financial challenges to project successes,” Heap said, which means getting answers to some questions before pitching a story. “Where can things be quantified? What is real, what is proven?” Cost issues and related topics are “top of mind” for most editors, according to Heap. “Solutions including specific building redesign strategies or how rising costs are effectively managed are topics editors are interested in,” he said. “There are incredibly sophisticated systems that design experts are using. Architects and engineers are problem solvers, and the more complex and difficult the challenge you present to the media, the better.” While cost is a consistent news topic, Heap also recommends becoming aware of emerging and evolving trends. Some, like those related to sustainability, are a newly established fixture of the news cycle. “Everyone is interested in sustainability. We all share a stake in this,” said Mainstream Media Rombouts’ efforts are part of an overall goal of increasing awareness for a company, but she said many of her clients are in search of the more traditional public relations tool: a feature article in a trade magazine or in local media. She notes that the mainstream media, including newspapers and local television stations, can be a little more difficult to work with than some other outlets. “You can’t just call a newspaper or TV station and pitch an idea that doesn’t have a lot of newsworthy value and timeliness to it, Rombouts said. She said a story in the mainstream media, where editors and writers are usually crunched for time and space, requires more persistence and a stronger story platform than any other outlet. Marketing and PR Carlsson, which is located in southern California’s Orange County, specializes in real estate, building, planning and architecture marketing. Rombouts focuses on public relations, which includes placing media stories as well as searching for venues where her clients can speak and participate in awards ceremonies or other events. The idea is to increase name recognition and gain positive exposure. 16 November/December 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources The BottomLine Go Forth and Tread Lightly on the Land It’s About Name Recognition Managing Risk in the Sustainable Building Frontier Industry Spotlight Achieving Sustainable Land Development Worthy of Recognition Stormwater Wastewater Erosion Control Innovation Classifieds Advertiser Index Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008

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