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Booming talent and innovative work fill the architecture and design community. Unless a firm communicates that talent to the outside world, it is likely to go unnoticed. Whether it be acquiring new business, recruiting new team members, positioning oneself as a thought leader, or any of the other pursuits of a design practice, marketing is a crucial piece of the puzzle. 

For our ninth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we look at the Marketing Coordinator and its context within a firm’s larger marketing operations. What qualifications does one need? Why is it so essential to a firm’s success? And how does one succeed in this role?

The Marketing Coordinator as Storyteller

With the rise of the internet, social media, and the ever-evolving content culture, firms have had to keep in step, and promotion has become an essential part of most viable business strategies. Design studios want to tell their story, and the Marketing Coordinator is the team member who facilitates the telling of that tale. In a 2015 Archinect piece, essayist Julia Ingalls wrote, “Long contained within the hazily defined realm of ‘business development,’ the role of architectural marketing coordinator has become distinct as more communication occurs regularly in public forums, not just in the press, but in informal online spaces.” Those informal spaces are the Instagrams, Facebooks, and YouTubes of the world.

A Marketing Coordinator is a storyteller who crafts a compelling picture of their respective employer.

A Marketing Coordinator is a storyteller who crafts a compelling picture of their respective employer. Sometimes that is done solo, and sometimes it’s part of a larger marketing team, but the goal of the marketing personnel at a firm is always to tell the outside world a compelling story about the work happening inside the studio. A firm’s audience may be a new client, prospective talent to join their teams, the general public, the local community, or surrounding educational institutions. Depending on the audience, a Marketing Coordinator will play a vital role in the composition of a particular narrative for that specific audience.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

Some of the typical qualifications and responsibilities firms seek in a Marketing Coordinator include:

• Degree in marketing or related field

• Production of proposal packages

• Social media and website management

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite

• Exceptional writing and storytelling ability

“A typical day for a Marketing Coordinator is very, very busy,” said Tina Frank, Corporate Director of Marketing at NAC Architecture. “They produce a lot, and they deal with many types of personalities and requests. Coordinators are essential to a firm’s success and are key to winning projects.” Tina goes on to explain the heavy production work for laying out proposals and pursuit materials to win new business. Moreover, Coordinators can often manage the photography of built projects, award applications, and broader communications materials, building a growing archive for a firm’s portfolio.

“A Marketing Coordinator must be a team player. Strong graphic sensibility, exceptional writing skills, and an interest in understanding architecture and this industry are crucial as well,” Tina continued, speaking on what she looks for when hiring a new Coordinator. “I’m looking for solid general talent and potential. Graphic and writing skills can be taught and improved throughout their employment, and a passion for our industry can be cultivated.”

Marketing Coordinators serve a vital role in creating the means and materials to cultivate and frame a firm’s value to potential clients.

Marketing keeps new work rolling in, and Marketing Coordinators serve a vital role in creating the means and materials to cultivate and frame a firm’s value to potential clients. Moreover, a Coordinator also works as a designer, but, instead of a building, the firm’s image is developed and delivered in an innovative and meaningful way.

What are firms looking for?

So what are firms looking for in a Marketing Coordinator? In SOM Chicago’s search for a Marketing Coordinator, the firm says it is seeking a highly creative, detail-oriented individual to create compelling marketing materials that support the business development efforts of our global design practice. The ideal candidate will have a passion for design and be able to generate engaging and refined content and collateral within a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Candidates should have at least two years of marketing experience, exceptional writing skills, strong visual and storytelling ability, and competency in Adobe Creative Suite. 

Washington, DC-based firm VMDO Architects outlines similar requirements in its search for a Marketing Coordinator:

Our ideal candidate is a self-starting marketing professional who possesses strong writing and organizational skills as well as experience working in Adobe’s Creative Suite to produce polished marketing proposals and other collateral. The ability and desire to create content-rich, graphically-beautiful storytelling that differentiates VMDO in the marketplace is a must. 

For VMDO, a successful candidate will have 3 to 5 years of communications, marketing, and writing experience; proven skills in storytelling through content, graphics, photography, and infographics; and strong management skills.

Crafting compelling narratives

Marketing Coordinators will continue to be a crucial part of the architecture industry. Their ability to elevate a design practice’s image can contribute heavily to an organization’s growth and development. Those interested in this role should have many of the qualities covered above, but above anything, a love of architecture and design should drive one’s daily work in this role.

Interested in a Marketing Coordinator job?
Take a look at the current opportunities on Archinect Jobs ↗