By Construction Marketing Association (CMA) Chairman Neil M. Brown The 214-page comprehensive guide covers all aspects of marketing building products, equipment and construction services to construction and related targets. Units include Strategic Marketing, Tactical Marketing, Specialized Marketing, Practical Marketing, and Marketing Resources. All functional marketing types including traditional and digital media are described with practical tips. Content on channel marketing, A/E/C marketing and retail hardware/home improvement marketing is provided, along with many, specific examples of marketing programs and campaigns in the construction industry. The book also serves as the study guide for the CMA's Certified Construction Marketing Professional (CCMP) program.

1. Tools of the Trade: Modern Marketing for Construction Brands
Construction Marketing Association
www.ConstructionMarketingAssociation.org
Neil M. Brown
NEIL M. BROWN

2. Table of Contents
PREFACE: WHAT IS CONSTRUCTION MARKETING?............................................................7
Book Purpose and Structure.............................................................................................................7
Why Construction Marketing is Important...................................................................................... 8
UNIT I: STRATEGIC MARKETING ..........................................................................................9
The Modern Marketing Mix............................................................................................................ 11
Branding: Your Most Important Marketing Decision.................................................................... 15
Marketing Planning Best Practices................................................................................................. 35
Market Research­ Types and Practices......................................................................................... 41
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Strategic Marketing Tools............................................................................................................... 45
How to Measure Marketing Results: New Rules........................................................................... 49
UNIT II: TACTICAL MARKETING..........................................................................................61
Internet Marketing—Acronym Soup: Web2.0, SEO, Mobile, Apps, PPC, QR Codes.............. 71
To Blog or Not to Blog?.................................................................................................................. 86
Social Media Best Practices ........................................................................................................... 94
Advertising—The King of Traditional Marketing........................................................................ 125
Publicity: PR in the Age of Social Media..................................................................................... 131
Trade Show and Event Marketing Best Practices........................................................................ 135
Direct Marketing: Mail, Email and more...................................................................................... 139
New Product Development and Launch.....................................................................................151
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Content is King!............................................................................................................................... 63
Pricing for Profit.............................................................................................................................157
Tools of the Trade: Modern Marketing for Construction Brands

3. UNIT III: SPECIALIZED CONSTRUCTION CHANNELS AND SEGMENTS............................159
Marketing to Distributors and Related Channels....................................................................... 161
Channel Marketing Survey ......................................................................................................................................... 162
Channel Sales Policies and Support Programs.......................................................................................................... 164
Marketing to Home Improvement Retailers................................................................................ 167
Home Improvement Snapshot and Survey................................................................................................................ 167
Retail Merchandising and Packaging ........................................................................................................................ 170
Retail Line Reviews....................................................................................................................................................... 175
Proprietary Retail Brands............................................................................................................................................. 177
Marketing Architectural/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) Services....................................... 179
A/E/C Marketing Survey.............................................................................................................................................. 179
Lead Generation is Top Priority................................................................................................................................... 181
Construction Lead Services......................................................................................................................................... 186
Leveraging Associations for Networking................................................................................................................... 193
UNIT IV: PRACTICAL MARKETING CONSIDERATIONS.....................................................197
Finding Modern Marketing Talent............................................................................................... 197
Selecting Marketing Partners—3 Steps to Find a Great Marketing Agency............................ 199
Marketing Automation: What It Is and Why You Need It........................................................... 201
UNIT V: CONSTRUCTION MARKETING RESOURCES .......................................................207
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.........................................................................................................213
ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION MARKETING ASSOCIATION...............................................213
Tools of the Trade: Modern Marketing for Construction Brands

4. Preface
WHAT IS CONSTRUCTION MARKETING?
In the broadest sense, construction marketing encompasses the variety of activities, programs and
projects that support revenue generation. Similar to marketing in other categories, construction
marketing is about developing and/or promoting products or services that serve customer needs.
“Marketing 101” college textbooks defined marketing via the marketing mix and the Four P’s:
Product, Promotion, Place and Price. No question, these are still important. However, marketing has
changed significantly in just the last few years. And a growing list of pundits voice that traditional
marketing is obsolete, or that marketing is being replaced by new and interactive media.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: MODERN MARKETING FOR CONSTRUCTION BRANDS addresses new
media, traditional marketing, and the integration of both for measurable results. The objective of
TOOLS OF THE TRADE is to identify and describe all aspects of a modern marketing program, and
then to detail how each element of this new and different marketing mix can be implemented. To
reinforce this learning, TOOLS OF THE TRADE provides visual examples and numerous case studies
from our beloved construction industry (not billion dollar consumer brands that are not relevant).
To deliver on these objectives, TOOLS OF THE TRADE is organized in five units: Strategic
Marketing, Tactical Marketing, Specialized Channels and Market Segments, Practical Marketing
Considerations, and Construction Marketing Resources.
Strategic Marketing describes the foundational marketing initiatives that drive all downstream
marketing implementation like planning, research, strategic tools, branding and how to measure
marketing results. Tactical marketing describes functional activities including content, Internet,
social media, advertising, publicity, new product development and much more.
Next, TOOLS OF THE TRADE identifies Specialized Channels and Market Segments including
Distributor Channel Marketing, Retail Channel Marketing, and marketing to architectural,
engineering or construction services or A/E/C marketing. Each of these channels or segments
require vastly different marketing approaches than the others. Rather than being too general,
we identify the specific marketing requirements of each.
The Practical Marketing Considerations unit provides insight into three areas deemed important
by Construction Marketing Association members: hiring marketing talent, selecting marketing
partners, and marketing automation.
Tools of the Trade: Modern Marketing for Construction Brands

5. PREFACE
Please note that TOOLS OF THE TRADE is intended for experienced marketers, not beginners.
Indeed, the book serves as the advanced marketing training guide for the Construction Marketing
Association’s certification program, the Certified Construction Marketing Professional (CCMP)
designation. In fact, much of the content for the book is from ongoing training, webcasts and
whitepapers from the Construction Marketing Association.
Some content for the book is provided by contributors and subject matter experts, duly noted
in the respective chapters. Special thanks to the Construction Marketing Association Board of
Directors for their ideas, support and volunteerism. Kevin Enke of Bosch Power Tools, Deborah
Hodges, Executive Director of the Construction Writers Association, Jim Scarlata of Emerson
Electric, Paul Deffenbaugh of DeepBrook Media, Tim O’Brien of CNH Construction Equipment.
More special thanks to Lindsay Brown, my associate and manager of the CMA blog and social
media program. Together we can achieve great things!
With marketing changing so rapidly, updates will be required. To this end, your comments and
suggestions are appreciated. Contact information is listed at the end of the book. Please check
back periodically for updates.
WHY IS CONSTRUCTION MARKETING IMPORTANT?
The construction industry has been one of the hardest hit in the recent recession. All sectors of
construction—commercial, homebuilding and remodeling—have declined significantly. Some
reports as high as 40%. Unlike prior recessions, construction is not expected to recover or return
to the “exuberant” levels prior to 2007.
As a result of this economic turmoil, construction firms and the manufacturers that sell to them have
undergone restructuring, layoffs and certainly, marketing budget cuts. This raises the question –
how can you achieve marketing results with fewer resources? Less staff? A smaller budget?
The answer is more effective marketing. Doing more with less. Fortunately, some of the new
marketing tactics are more cost efficient and measurable than traditional marketing. And when
new marketing is integrated with traditional marketing, we have realized excellent results.
Measurable results. So marketing is not just a cost center in a soft economic environment, but
a growth engine. TOOLS OF THE TRADE will show you how!
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Tools of the Trade: Modern Marketing for Construction Brands

6. ABOUT NEIL M. BROWN
Neil M. Brown is Chairman of the Construction Marketing Association, and
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Construction Marketing Advisors. Prior to
these roles, Brown was CEO of numerous marketing consulting and creative
agencies for the past 15 years, managing some of the biggest brands in the
construction sector. Prior to the agency-side, Brown was a brand manager
at electrical products manufacturer IDEAL Industries, and later CMO of an
architectural metals manufacturer. Neil earned an MBA from Northern Illinois University, and
a BS-Marketing Cum Laude from Southern Illinois University. Neil is a frequent author and
contributor to Advertising Age, BtoB magazine (formerly Business Marketing), Marketing
News and other publications. He is author of two books, Tools of the Trade: Modern
Marketing for Construction Brands, and Branding Best Practices: A Guide to Effective
Business and Product Naming.
ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION MARKETING ASSOCIATION
The Construction Marketing Association (CMA) provides professional development and certification,
marketing training, resources and information, networking and recognition. CMA sponsors the
Construction Marketing STAR™ Awards, and Construction Marketer of the Year™ Awards. And CMA
produces the Certified Construction Marketing Professional (CCMP) program. Full information is
available at ConstructionMarketingAssociation.org. The site links to the Construction Marketing
Blog with marketing news, resources and related content, and the association’s Twitter, Facebook,
YouTube and LinkedIn pages.
Questions? Contact Neil Brown at neil@constructionmarketingassociation.org
Tools of the Trade: Modern Marketing for Construction Brands