"AEC Marketing Fundamentals | Your Keys to Success" 

by Holly R. Bolton, Julie Huval, Stephen A. Jones, Kevin Miller, David M. Shelton and Ronald D. Worth

Reviewed by Travis Wilson, CPSM, Layton Construction

As Director of Marketing and Proposal Development for a nationally-ranked commercial contractor, Travis Wilson, CPSM, knows professional services marketing is ever-evolving. An avid consumer of business books and podcasts, he finds resources that help draw connections to the latest marketing best practices and the AEC industry incredibly valuable.

AEC Marketing Fundamentals | Your Keys to Success has been on his reading radar for several reasons. First, it’s part of the recommended reading for the SMPS Certified Professional Services Marketer exam (a designation Travis holds and maintains). Another motivating factor? Some of the contributing authors are friends and peers who are some of the smartest minds in the AEC industry.

Travis found the book overlays emerging innovations in marketing with fundamental concepts around AEC marketing. “Frankly, there aren’t many books that drill down on AEC marketing,” he explains. “It’s hard to know exactly what success looks like in your marketing beyond doing what you already do. AEC Marketing Fundamentals helps bridge that gap and identify new ideas and ways to improve.”

What stood out to Travis?

Technology Impact

From digital marketing and exploring inbound opportunities to virtual teams/jobsite to BIM, we market differently now. “This may be the biggest takeaway and a major objective of the book,” asserts Travis. “While some of the specific technologies and examples have already evolved since the book was published, it still draws the connections and importance that technology is having in AEC firms and their marketing.”

Communicating Benefits

The authors devote an entire section on this basic concept that often tends to be forgotten in our marketing messages. Through samples and practical exercises, you can make sure every word is communicating customer value.

Content Marketing / Content Calendar

“This important area of marketing is still emerging within the AEC industry,” Travis notes. The book provides a high-level view of this strategy and outlines the keys to managing the effort through a content calendar.

Travis believes AEC marketers at all levels can find value in reading this book. “Beginners can learn marketing fundamentals and find detailed best practices related to proposals and presentations.” And if you’re a senior marketer like Travis, you’ll learn effective tactics to adapt to new standards and technology.

Travis Wilson, CPSM is the Director of Marketing and Proposal Development for Layton Construction Company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has been with Layton for 14 years and oversees all of the marketing and proposal efforts for the firm’s 11 offices across 8 states. Travis received his CPSM Certification in 2012 and served as SMPS Utah President in 2017.