Architecture is not something the average person can afford (or needs). A car, we all need and buy, coffee even some generic legal services are advertised. The reason for this is numbers - the money spent on the advertising is worth the return.

Architecture, not so much. The person paying $50 million for an office building is not going to hire a fire because they have a billboard or took an ad about in GQ.

Trust me, architecture firms doing work at the high end does tons and tons of marketing, it just isn't to the everyday Joe (who cannot, and probably never will, afford an architect).



Think of it like this: do you know the names of the largest accounting firms or legal firms? No, of course not, because you, most likely, will never need their services.
However, if you ask a CEO or CFO of a Fortune 500 company, he'll be able to tell you because they are lobbying for his company's business.


All comes down to the return on the investment. Architecture is expensive and it is not a regularly consumed item like a donut is! Advertising is very, very expensive (the last ad we placed in a semi-well known publication cost $30k, for one month, one issue).

It's all about the numbers. Understand that and you'll see why Apple spends millions and millions and the 5 person arch firm around the corner spends a few thousand.

Also consider that many offices' work comes from state and government contracts that are done through a RFP process. As an outsider, you might be aware of the office because they built the new school by your house, but it's unlikely they would be willing or able to provide architectural services for personal projects.

I think the architects that are in the business of residential work, which is largely the sector that would want to know architects, do some amount of marketing to potential clients. AIA and other related groups sponsor home tours; most large cities have some type of home builders/interior design/construction convention; even local newspapers have weekly/monthly supplements that feature residential projects. Granted this isn't the in-your-face marketing you are perhaps looking for, but it's still marketing.

Also, consider that the building itself is something of a billboard anyway and if people like what they see, they will find the architect that did it. One of the offices I have worked for got a considerable amount of work this way- the new client was driving around/meet someone for drinks/etc. and saw one of their projects, talked to the owner to find out who designed it, and then called us to talk about a project they were looking to do.

Finally, the sad reality for the remainder of the offices is that they probably don't produce work they want to be known for. The local office that is pumping out CD sets for Walgreens and stucco-strip malls is just fine not attracting much attention.

Also, keep in mind that most of the brands and companies you are talking about are in a consumable industry. Dunkin' Donuts is selling you a product that you will get a limited amount of use from. They need to continually remind and convince you to consume their product again, otherwise they will go out of business. The more they can reinforce the experience of Dunkin' Donuts to you, the more likely, you as a consumer, will choose them over other related businesses because they have established brand recognition with you.

Architecture isn't consumable to the degree that would require massive marketing efforts. The average consumer, if they are lucky enough to afford any degree of architecture work, is probably going to work with an architect once. That kind of limited transaction doesn't require the need for highly visible marketing efforts.

Maybe we shouldn't be looking for such a personal marketing scheme, but a universal marketing of architecture as a profession. Try to create an atmosphere that encourages quality design. Get the AIA to make a superbowl commercial about the benefits of architecture. Change the world...

So much to unpack...so little time.

df - I would argue that having a generic ad done by the AIA would hurt things. People know architects exist, but they don't understand the difference between a "quality" architect, a al good designer, and the one designing the strip mall around the corner with faux spanish designs. The AIA, as an organization that takes fees regardless of the quality/talent of the member, cannot promote the "good" members over the "bad".

You would never see an ad promoting lawyers, or ads promoting cell phones - it is one company promoting their skills, talents or products above another. This is competition, this is good, and this is how a profession changes it's pay scale dependent on those criteria.

Personally, I think the profession will continue to lose and become obsolete if there is not some effort to attract younger talent and more creative business models.

trace - i like the last sentence of your post. i think the business model of the architecture firm is dying. i think (and hope) the new version of architecture will be radically different.

The thing is, business model changes take a long time before you actually notice significant change, largely because you need time for the older practices to dissolve or hand over leadership to younger partners. The old men that are running far too many of the offices are, at this point, in the business of padding their retirement accounts. It's unlikely any of these offices are going to make massive changes to their business models.

I think if you look, though, the younger practices have been changing the way they work for some time. The old model of "master architect/designer" is shifting towards practices that are more collaborative and studio-based. I'm seeing more offices developing better relationships with consultants as well and being more active in the construction process. All in all, I see the younger practices being a little more open, collaborative, and culturally aware than the older practices.

These might not be radical changes, but I think it's for the better. Shedding the image of the "ego driven tortured artist" that architecture has become associated with is a plus in my book.

There's been only one significant book written on this subject. Count it, one! But, that's actually pretty much a boldfaced lie. There's probably others.

Marketing for architects and engineers: a new approach, B. Richardson, lays out some pretty good ideas for marketing architecture and engineering services.

And the majority of these strategies rely on good ol' "synthesis marketing." Simply put, synthesis marketing is a strategic responsive marketing system requiring marketing on any given step of a process.


Example: Small 3 person architecture office focusing on small projects (staff includes a RA, LA and an assistant). This firm primarily does kitchen remodels, decks, pools, fireplaces and light remodels.

While it is pretty obvious who their clients will be (30-plus couples with limited number of children), they should also consider that their might be potential clients elsewhere. For instance, small wetbars might be a lucrative and easy projects for "non-standard" clients.

So, for this firm... their marketing operation might look like this:

1. Identify and target customers, advertise through necessary channels (local home journals, local events et cetera.)

2. After contact is made, have specific information for each category. If someone is interested in pools, your firm should probably have a separate portfolio for pools.

3. Marketing can and should still occur while the project is pending-- blogs, twitter, even local newspapers can be great places to talk about your client's project. And if your client is an egomaniac, then publicity can be a great way to stroke that egomania.

4. Exit marketing. Yes, you can still market once the job is done.



But, what if your firm only builds hospitals or universities?

You just make slight changes to the marketing plan. If your shopping institutional planning and architecture around, try academic specific publications to advertise in (Chronicle of Higher Education). Or trade shows (AMA annual meeting).

Do these strategies actually work? Well, there really hasn't been much data being collected to prove or disprove them as professional services don't scrutinize their marketing campaigns nearly as much as McDonald's.

In all honesty, the only edge firms have over one another (there's more than enough good designers out there and every firm is legally competent [licensing]) is marketing and managing client relationships.

And, unless you're a starachitect.... or a certain architecture firm despised by a certain royal married to a horse, your marketing doesn't do itself.

it is a sad state of affairs that a statement like this "A car, we all need and buy" is valid.

I find it more sad that the Ford F150 is still the best selling vehicle in the US, gas mileage: 19 mpg Hwy/14 mpg City

Or the hours spent in front of a tv, or the lack of significant funding for high speed rail, or...or...





But yeah, I need my car (even though I only put about 3000miles a year on it)

there needs to be an antidote to hgtv, a show that accurately depicts what architects do, but doesn't lose any of the mystique that originally attracted many of us to the profession (i.e. paul newman in the towering inferno).

as a brief aside to illustrate what i am talking about:

Doug Roberts: I thought we were building something where people could work and live and be SAFE! If you had to cut costs, why didn't you cut floors instead of corners?

James Duncan: Now listen. Any decisions that were made for the use of alternate building materials were made because I as a builder have a right to make those decisions. If I remained within the building code and god-dammit I did!

Doug Roberts: [Chuckling] Building code? Jesus. Building code. Come on, Dunc, I mean now that's a standard cop-out for when you're in trouble. See, I was crawling around up there. I mean duct holes weren't fire-stopped! Corridors without fire doors in them, sprinklers that won't work, and electrical system that's good for what? I mean it's good for starting fires! Phew, where was I when all this was going on? Because I'm just as guilty as you and that god-damned son-in-law of yours! What do they call it when you kill people?

most people these days have completely forgotten the doug roberts of the world and are content to search out the james duncans for their home reno (or mike holmes or ty pennington or insert hgtv buff douchebag here). we need to make architecture sexy again. the aia has real covered (real boring), but where is the sexy?