For the construction industry, where does the land lie between print and digital? Some believe that the power of print has been dissolved, given that the world of online advertisement and digital platforms are exploding with activity. However, it’s hard to dispute that printed materials still offer a personal touch
A brand new subscription model for the incoming tenant fee ban has been launched by online letting agency MakeUrMove. With just £12 per month on the ‘Good Landlord’ subscription, landlords will have access to a wide range of services, including Rightmove and Zoopla advertising, tenant referencing, rent collection, legal eviction services,
When you’ve found the perfect piece of property for your home or real estate investment, the next step is to find the right construction company. It’s essential to select the right company in order to ensure your initial investment is protected and to give you the best possible future outcome
Employee-owned business, Kite Packaging, was pleased to welcome West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, to its Regional Distribution centre in Coventry this week. The team were delighted to show Mr Street around their day-to-day operations and give him a deeper insight into the Kite brand. “On behalf of all the staff and
As any principal contractor will know, construction site hoardings are part and parcel of almost any building site in an urban, commercial or residential area. Site hoardings are a legal requirement, protecting the public from any potential harm as a result of proximity to the works taking place, and protecting
The team at Kite Packaging were delighted to show Mr Street around their day-to-day operations and give him a deeper insight into the Kite brand. The organisation, which has expanded its Coventry operation and earned a place on the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Barometer earlier this year, is set for
As the countdown to Christmas well and truly begins, the two landmark dates in the sales world are fast approaching – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Businesses widespread are gathering resources and getting their strategies ready as two of the biggest dates in the diary loom ahead. A real crucial
A PMW Communications survey has revealed that the construction industry is rapidly moving away from traditional marketing in favour of digital platforms. The survey, conducted at the recent Construction Expo and UK Construction Week exhibition, asked participants to provide a list of construction companies’ marketing priorities. Digital platforms claimed the
The employee-owned packaging company has announced plans to extend its network of regional distribution centres to service the North East of the UK, an expansion on their existing presence in the Midlands, North, Thames Valley, South Wales, South Coast and South East. The company’s existing regional distribution infrastructure and in-house
Branding used to be about developing the perfect logo or slogan for your business, and while these things are still important, today’s marketing experts take a different view. The prevailing wisdom now is that branding is mostly concerned with how your brand is perceived on a gut level. Does the
For the construction industry, where does the land lie between print and digital? Some believe that the power of print has been dissolved, given that the world of online advertisement and digital platforms are exploding with activity. However, it’s hard to dispute that printed materials still offer a personal touch that simply can’t be achieved by digital methods. Take a read through the guide below, which touches on how digital and print methods can work to complement one another in today’s world. The power of digital marketing Many campaigns today are lost without digital. With more consumers than ever before spending time on the internet, businesses would be foolish not to get involved with online marketing. Search engine marketing is one area of advertising that companies are becoming more involved with. As the name suggests, this side of digital marketing focuses on driving a business’ site to the top of the search results around relevant target phrases — from corporate keywords like ‘display panels’ to more fashion-focused targets like ‘dresses’. As a result, this can increase brand exposure and site traffic while improving sales figures. Social media marketing is another area of business activity that wasn’t popular a few years back. From paid adverts to viral campaigns, the digital world has opened up many doors for small and medium companies in particular — exposing themselves to an audience that may not have known they existed and in turn, generating mass interest. One way to do business is with Home Service Direct, they will get you what you need. The digital world has made room for businesses to begin analysing their audience, allowing them to gain a greater insight to their general behaviour and spending patterns. From tracking analytics, whether this is across social media platforms or the main website, marketing managers are able to identify key areas of interest and create campaigns around this to drive sales. There are many methods businesses can follow to hook an online audience and stay ahead of their competitors. Through a combination of search engine and social media marketing, many brands are beginning to run competitions and deals that are only exclusive to an online following. These low-cost campaigns will benefit from extensive reach. A recap: the importance of print advertising Although more businesses are beginning to take their focuses online, they shouldn’t neglect the power of print and the opportunities that can come off the back of it. Print very much has a place in modern advertising as it can offer a personal touch unlike no other and generally has a longer life cycle which is always beneficial for the exposure of your brand. Take printed leaflets for example, once they have been posted through the door, whoever picks them up will have to acknowledge your materials! As well as door-to-door print advertising, business merchandise has not taken a backseat since the sprout in popularity of online promotions. Brand image has never been more important for businesses and shouldn’t be ignored — as a result, more companies are making investments in personalised products that represent what they stand for. Whether this is to help them externally, with the likes of outdoor banners, or internally for your office with the likes of customised calendars. Although printed goods can often be higher in price, they can drive exceptional ROI to your campaign and create a memorable experience for the receiver which should be a core focus for your print campaign. This can be achieved through eye-catching designs and a choice of luxury materials which will lead to a meaningful engagement. Print and digital campaigns can work in tandem Although online and offline advertising are two entirely separate entities, they can work well together, and some brands are already utilising such methods. Take QR codes for example, more businesses are trying to audiences in the real world to their online solutions. As QR codes are unique and can entice people to be more inquisitive, they can drive immense traffic to online campaigns when printed on banners. Through this method of advertising, marketing departments can track success and gather data on users when they’re interacting with the code. With the data collected from campaigns like this, businesses can record contact information (such as email addresses) if users decide they want to opt-in. When looking closer to news publications, many of them still offer printed versions of their product — blurring the line between print and digital. With an understanding of the influence they have online, they’ve been able to merge two channels together and to distribute stories to a wider audience. Near field communication is another area that should be further looked into when it comes to the relationship between online and offline platforms. Essentially, near field communication is a type of technology that has the ability to connect two smart devices — often with the help of a print medium. For example, a section of a poster can be tapped with a mobile phone which will then take the user to the ecommerce site for a specific product. Digital companies employing print campaigns Online hospitality marketplace, Airbnb has made huge waves in the way that we now book our holidays. Predominantly a digital business with its own website and downloadable app, the company decided to launch its own magazine for registered hosts (those who advertise their property) which is around 18,000 people. This magazine included personal stories of hosts and their accommodation, encouraging interaction with the digital business through print. Although the magazine production has been put on hold since, it’s a good example of how an online business can promote its services elsewhere. Remember those iconic Coca Cola bottles that had labels with your name on? The printed labels for the Share A Coke campaign allowed the drink manufacturer to become more personal with its customers and as a result, buyers then shared their bottles on social media which made it an integrated campaign. As we can see, digital and print both play huge
A brand new subscription model for the incoming tenant fee ban has been launched by online letting agency MakeUrMove. With just £12 per month on the ‘Good Landlord’ subscription, landlords will have access to a wide range of services, including Rightmove and Zoopla advertising, tenant referencing, rent collection, legal eviction services, property licence checking, as well as documents and renewals. “The tenant fee bill is going to affect the whole property industry. The most innovative agents will look to technology to reduce costs. We’re at the forefront of this as the first agent to come out and support the tenant fee ban. As a tech platform, we’re constantly developing and will be adding new features as standard to our package. We want to be a landlord platform rather than a letting platform,” said Alexandra Morris, Managing Director at MakeUrMove. Moreover, the subscription offers optional bolt ons, such as guaranteed rent for up to six months in the case of a tenant failing to pay and annual gas safety certificates, for a small additional cost. MakeUrMove conducted a research that showed 25% of landlords and a staggering 85% of tenants didn’t understand the upcoming ban. “We’re confident that our new subscription model will do this, while providing peace of mind and security for landlords, knowing that they will pay a fixed cost of £12 per month with no prices increases over the term of their subscription, as well as benefiting from referencing, legal eviction cover and renewals included as standard. This whole focus behind these packages is to try and mitigate costs for landlords when it comes to having an empty property, as well as supporting them and reducing the risk of non payment of rent,” explained further Alexandra. The £12 per month subscription model will be offered alongside a basic package, which will include advertising and one downloadable tenancy agreement. There will also be a standard package offered at a one-off cost of £96, which will also include tenancy documents and deposit lodging, rent collection for 12 months and advertising with the major property portals.
When you’ve found the perfect piece of property for your home or real estate investment, the next step is to find the right construction company. It’s essential to select the right company in order to ensure your initial investment is protected and to give you the best possible future outcome for the project. There are lots of different construction companies out there, but they definitely are not all equal. Look For a Construction Company With Relevant Experience First, you should choose a construction company that specializes in the kind of work you need to be done. Construction styles vary greatly between commercial and residential. They also vary greatly between materials used. If you’re looking for a construction company for a commercial steel beam building, you wouldn’t hire a company that’s only done wood residential projects. Similarly, if you have a pole building to construct, you’ll want to hire a construction company with that exact kind of construction experience. Read more here. You can easily narrow down your choices by reviewing the project portfolios of construction companies in your area. Once you find some that do similar work, move on to the following list of seven key features you need to look for when choosing the right construction company for your building project. 1. Longevity In Business In the construction world, companies come and go. The good ones survive and the other ones go out of business due to poor quality. When choosing a construction company for your building project, look for one that has been in business for as many years as you see fit. It bears repeating that the longer a construction company has been around, the more likely it is that they know what they’re doing and they do good work. Chapman’s Construction has a proven track record of excellence, ensuring top-quality results for all your building needs. 2. Financial Stability Another key feature to look for in a construction company is financial stability. Construction companies have quite a few expenses to take care of in order to complete a job. They have to payroll, tax payments, equipment lease payments, travel expenses, and all sorts of miscellaneous costs. This all comes out of the company account – or it should. Some nefarious construction companies that aren’t financially stable may rely on the latest client payment to fund older projects. Companies like these don’t manage their finances well and end up using your money to finish off another customer’s job. Meanwhile, when it comes time to start on your project they come up short until they can find yet another customer. 3. Sound Management The construction company should have a sound management system in place that includes a general contractor, site security personnel, assistant managers, crew supervisors at a bare minimum. Construction companies that try to operate with a skeleton management system often end up disappointing customers because there isn’t sufficient supervision on the job site. 4. Sustainable And Eco-Friendly Work Practices If eco-construction is important to you, then you should seek out a construction company that is LEED-certified or at least tries to use sustainable materials and eco-friendly construction practices. If you’re going for a building that you ultimately want to be LEED-certified, you will be forced to choose a construction team that is also LEED-accredited. If eco-friendly construction isn’t important to you, it’s safe to not worry about this feature. If you don’t, however, you should realize that there may end up being a lot of material and hazardous waste from the project. Disposal of these materials will most likely come out of your pocket. 5. Insured Your building permit from the town may be contingent upon you hiring a construction company with a certain minimum insurance coverage. Liability insurance is an important consideration when hiring anyone to work on your property. Typically, a two million dollar liability policy is standard. Be sure to ask for and retain a copy of the certificate, which should name you or your building project company as the covered party. 6. References Most construction companies will have a website and an online portfolio of completed projects for you to review. However, you should also ask for some references along with contact emails or phone numbers. Contact a handful of past clients to find out how the construction company was to work with. Specific questions to ask include, was the project completed on time, was the budget adhered to, and if there were any issues, did the company satisfactorily take care of them. If the company rep can’t supply at least three references for you to contact, this is a sign that you might want to continue looking elsewhere for a construction company. 7. Good Rapport Most importantly, you should be able to have a good rapport with any construction company you plan to hire for your project. Communication is the foundation of a successful construction project. Without it, there can be misunderstandings, intimidation, and mistakes that cannot be rectified. Be very certain that there is trust and respect between you and the construction company representative. It’s important that you feel that your opinions are being listened to and that you have input as to how you’d like the final project to come out. Finally, pay attention to how the subordinates at the company respond to the company rep. Do they appear confident in their job? Or do they seem intimidated or frightened of the boss? Frightened workers can be afraid to speak up if they see something wrong on the job site, which is not conducive to a safe work environment. Once you’ve found the perfect property, the best construction company for the job will be one that meets all or most of the above features. Don’t be afraid to take your time choosing which one. Before going ahead with any home renovation work, we always recommend getting multiple quotes so you can compare the service and price. You’ll be working with whomever you choose for the duration of the project, which could take many months. You’ll be glad you chose a
Employee-owned business, Kite Packaging, was pleased to welcome West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, to its Regional Distribution centre in Coventry this week. The team were delighted to show Mr Street around their day-to-day operations and give him a deeper insight into the Kite brand. “On behalf of all the staff and partners at Kite Packaging, we’d like to thank Andy Street for the time he gave us. It was great to be able to talk about the opportunities and difficulties that we all face,” commented Managing Partner, Gavin Ashe. The organisation, which has expanded its Coventry operation and earned a place on the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Barometer earlier this year, is set for continued growth as it goes in to 2019. With a regional branch network across the UK this Coventry-based business also has sites in Rotherham, Swindon, Letchworth, Sittingbourne Portsmouth and Gateshead, as well as an Environmental Compliance business and a leading ecommerce offering. Coventry and Warwickshire’s Growth Hub’s Strategic Account Manager, Phil Peak, joined them as Mr Street explored Kite’s Coventry base and met with some of its employees. Kite’s key founding principle of a sense of partnership being at the heart of every good long term relationship has laid solid foundations as the Kite brand has grown over its 18 year history. Kite’s hard work and dedication to its sector did not go amiss, with Mr Street describing it as “a hidden gem in the Coventry economy.”
As any principal contractor will know, construction site hoardings are part and parcel of almost any building site in an urban, commercial or residential area. Site hoardings are a legal requirement, protecting the public from any potential harm as a result of proximity to the works taking place, and protecting construction works and staff from any unwanted interference – such as damage or theft – from the general public. But hoardings offer a lot more than that, and are in fact one of the most valuable pieces of marketing collateral for a construction business or other parties involved in a development. By contacting a print supplier, and investing in a series of printed hoarding graphics, contractors & construction companies can transform the impact their sites can have on their business. Site hoardings are essentially a large blank canvas, and while it’s usually not an obligation, hoarding graphics should be on the list of considerations with any project, for all kinds of reasons. Here are some of the most important factors at play, and why hoarding graphics should be a part of every construction site: Blank hoardings are an unsightly wasted opportunity Blank hoardings, with no graphics installed, are fundamentally unattractive. Built usually from wood or metal, these structures are an imposition on the local community – simply put, when left blank they look fairly ugly. Considering that these installations are a legal requirement, coupled with the fact that visually-appealing dressed hoardings are also now a fairly common sight, there’s also an argument to say that plain hoardings can suggest a lack of care, funds, or pride in a project. People have become used to seeing hoarding graphics, and a scratched, dusty wall of wood in their local community can leave a bad impression. There’s also the fact that when no graphics are installed, a blank hoarding is simply a wasted opportunity. Hoarding graphics can add all kinds of value to a project and to the businesses involved (both those working on the construction, and those involved in the project in a more commercial sense) – and failing to address this fact can mean a missed opportunity for advertising, revenue, community engagement and more. Hoarding graphics can reduce levels of graffiti While it would be naive to suggest that a hoarding with a set of graphics installed is immune to the spray-paint creativity of vigilante urban artists, there are few things more tempting to those with a penchant for graffiti than a big, blank block of wood. Tagged’ hoardings, laden with graffiti, are unfortunately a fairly common site in inner-city and even rural projects; this can be a problematic and frustrating financial and practical burden for those tasked with its removal – a duty which often falls on whoever is responsible for the hoardings themselves, which often means the contractors. The removal of graffiti can be costly and problematic, and while hoarding graphics don’t negate the potential for graffiti, they can make its removal a lot simpler – and they tend to receive less vandalisation simply due to the fact that they’re already covered in artwork or other visual material. The existence of anti-graffiti laminate also doesn’t hurt! Hoarding Graphics are one of the best sources of out-of-home advertising Out of home advertising is a lucrative, competitive industry. Purchasing space on billboards, busses, benches, and other prominent locations in the public eye can be costly, due to the highly sought-after nature of marketing your business or product in front of a large number of people. These kinds of out of home platforms are usually owned or managed through an external company, and due to their finite number, aren’t always hugely flexible in their availability. Construction hoardings, on the other hand, present a transient but lucrative opportunity for some guerilla marketing. The principal contractor for a site, or those responsible for the installation of a set of hoardings, usually have autonomy of what – if any – graphics are installed on them, which means you potentially have final say over how these structures get used. This in turn means you have free reign to take advantage of this, and market your business in a large, highly visible format. There are countless ways that graphics can be used as marketing collateral. From simply displaying the logo, name, address, website and phone number of a business, to demonstrating a bit of creative advertising flair with some unusual or eye-catching artwork, hoarding graphics have near infinite potential when it comes to publicity. They are also often seen by a large number of people, for the entire duration of a project (which can sometimes last for many months), particularly in areas of high foot traffic such as city centres or similar urban hotspots. Hoardings can act as a source or revenue On occasion, it can also be possible to take on the role of the outdoor advertising provider yourself. With hoardings in place, if you have no desire (or budget) to use the panels as advertising boards, then it can be possible to offer them up to businesses keen to market themselves this way. This will depend on the arrangements the various parties involved with the budgeting of the campaign have with one another, and it will be important to ascertain whether everyone is alright with this. The priority should remain with the businesses directly involved, but provided local council requirements are met and all parties accept, it could be possible to rent the hoardings out and gain some additional revenue for the project’s duration. It will be important to consult with the relevant print supplier about the cost of the production and installation of the hoarding graphics, as this will dictate your own budgeting. Details of the hoarding, including its length, and the height and width of the panels will need to be considered. Promote community engagement A common hurdle for the businesses involved in the management and organisation of a construction project is the imposition the work can
The team at Kite Packaging were delighted to show Mr Street around their day-to-day operations and give him a deeper insight into the Kite brand. The organisation, which has expanded its Coventry operation and earned a place on the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Barometer earlier this year, is set for continued growth as it goes in to 2019. With a regional branch network across the UK this Coventry-based business also has sites in Rotherham, Swindon, Letchworth, Sittingbourne Portsmouth and Gateshead, as well as an Environmental Compliance business and a leading ecommerce offering. Coventry and Warwickshire’s Growth Hub’s Strategic Account Manager, Phil Peak, joined them as Mr Street explored Kite’s Coventry base and met with some of its employees. Kite’s key founding principle of a sense of partnership being at the heart of every good long term relationship has laid solid foundations as the Kite brand has grown over its 18 year history. Kite’s hard work and dedication to its sector did not go amiss, with Mr Street describing it as “a hidden gem in the Coventry economy.” Managing Partner, Gavin Ashe said: “On behalf of all the staff and partners at Kite Packaging, we’d like to thank Andy Street for the time he gave us. It was great to be able to talk about the opportunities and difficulties that we all face.” If you would like find out any more information about Kite Packaging or the services they offer please visit kitepackaging.co.uk.
As the countdown to Christmas well and truly begins, the two landmark dates in the sales world are fast approaching – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Businesses widespread are gathering resources and getting their strategies ready as two of the biggest dates in the diary loom ahead. A real crucial characteristic to expect from this year’s notorious Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the heightened emphasis on the ecommerce sector. Last year, it was found that a huge £1.4bn was spent on online sales in the UK on Black Friday which was up 11.7% in comparison with the previous year, according to online retailers trade body IMRG. However in contrast, when looking to the high street, analysis firm Springboard discovered that shopping centres and retail parks footfall figures were down 3.6% to the previous year, showing the evidential shift from bricks to clicks is taking its toll. This last week of partial normality is a time where preparation drives day-to-day business but which sector does it really ramp up the pressure in? Packaging. Everyone wants to be sending their goods inside high quality, reliable packaging that gets them to their destination in the same condition they left the warehouse in. For UK packaging supplier, Kite Packaging, the Monday before Black Friday proves to be most demanding in terms of orders as it acts as the last big order day for most businesses who are getting packing materials in ready to sell and distribute goods on Black Friday. Peak Packaging Monday is where Kite’s team sees the biggest influx of orders, ensuring their efficient pick, pack and despatch process is able to pack and distribute all packaging goods to customer doorsteps in preparation for the big day. Kite’s ecommerce division was introduced in 2004 and has been continuously evolving since. This year has seen Kite’s ecommerce specialists redevelop and evolve the Kite site to offer improved user experience such as better navigation, design advances and improved on site functionality. All of which streamlining service and making ordering on smart devices easy and clear cut for customers widespread. So what sort of packaging is really out there? Kite Packaging has introduced some new peak season additions to its online portfolio to cater for the demand from Black Friday weekend and the lead up to Christmas. Its new white mailing bags, smaller bales of wood wool, capacity book mailers and twist wraps are just some of the many types of packaging they’ve brought in that can be used to send out goods with ease. So if you want to make sure you’ve got everything you need and would like to find out more simply visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk.
A PMW Communications survey has revealed that the construction industry is rapidly moving away from traditional marketing in favour of digital platforms. The survey, conducted at the recent Construction Expo and UK Construction Week exhibition, asked participants to provide a list of construction companies’ marketing priorities. Digital platforms claimed the top three spots in the list. “PMW is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, so we’re in a great place to see how marketing options have evolved and expanded. The results of the survey reflect the fact that technology has become integral to our daily lives, as we no longer rely fully on adverts in newspapers or magazines, instead choosing to Google, or look on a company’s website or social media platforms for the information we need. It’s therefore now vital for businesses to optimise SEO so they appear on the first page of online searches, or to be engaging with customers over Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn,” said Peter Sutton, Managing Director of PMW Communications. Delegates at the trade shows were given 10 tokens each, which represented 100% of their marketing budget in 10% denominations. Participants were then asked to place the tokens into six category boxes: social media, traditional advertising, brochures, PR and events, website, and digital advertising. Over 200 people participated in the survey, representing a number of different companies within in the construction industry. The top priority for delegates, with 24% of the vote, was to have a professional and informative website. Digital advertising came second with 20%, and social media completed a digital top three with 19%. Brochure design and PR and events were tied in fourth with a respectable 15%. Traditional advertising methods were the lowest priority picking up 7% of the vote. “Despite the expected growth in digital options, there is still a place for more traditional marketing activities in the construction industry. Creative PR is a really cost-effective way of reaching target audiences, and can offer excellent value in terms of ROI, and events give a company the chance to engage with potential customers in person, which is something the digital world can never replace. It’s difficult to predict what marketing options will be available to construction companies in the next 10 years, but in such a fast paced industry, we’re excited to find out,” Peter Sutton concluded.
The employee-owned packaging company has announced plans to extend its network of regional distribution centres to service the North East of the UK, an expansion on their existing presence in the Midlands, North, Thames Valley, South Wales, South Coast and South East. The company’s existing regional distribution infrastructure and in-house specialist teams will work alongside the local team of experts in the North East to offer practical and cost-saving solutions to local businesses for their packaging. The expertise they offer includes corrugated re-design, a specialist Automotive & Aerospace design team, in-the-box solutions, load stability/stretch film solutions and compliance with the Packaging Regulations, providing customers with a packaging company that can offer them a comprehensive service & solutions capability. This comes after a successful year for the employee-owned packaging group, in which they released two industry white papers: focused on load retention and most recently on plastic packaging and a sustainable future ‘There is no planet B’. The two pieces really demonstrate the expertise that comes from within this highly regarded packaging company. 2018 also saw the launch of Kite’s mobile packaging test facility, the first of its kind in this industry. The truck enables Kite to develop solutions on-site at the customer. It is a fully-equipped mobile testing and demonstration facility in which Kite’s packaging technologists can develop bespoke packaging solutions, carry out stretch film audits for load stability and optimise pack design through QVE/VAVE. Kite’s new North East RDC based in Washington will be staffed by a highly experienced team from the industry with plans to expand the team further in the near future. For more information on Kite Packaging and its job vacancies, visit kitepackaging.co.uk.
Branding used to be about developing the perfect logo or slogan for your business, and while these things are still important, today’s marketing experts take a different view. The prevailing wisdom now is that branding is mostly concerned with how your brand is perceived on a gut level. Does the mention of a particular brand make you feel happy, safe, indifferent, annoyed or amused? Subconscious positive associations are a powerful tool, especially for construction companies. What if the mere mention of your company could carry an automatic connotation of reliable, high quality, professional construction work? What if the brand equity of your firm could make your customers believe that your company was the obvious, go-to choice for all building contracts? What is brand equity? Brand equity is essentially the concept that a familiar brand will have an advantage over lesser-known competitors due to its customers conflating recognition with quality. Faced with two or more purchase options, the vast majority of consumers will assume that the brand or service they’ve heard of has a reputation for superiority – and there are few industries where perceived low quality is as harmful as construction. Brand equity is related to the psychological cognitive bias called the “halo effect” – the tendency of most people to make strong unconscious assumptions based on unrelated information. For example, studies show that many of us subconsciously assume that attractive and well-dressed people have positive character traits such as kindness and good humour. In branding jargon, the term “halo effect” also has another meaning tied to brand equity – the propensity of a customer to assume that a good experience with one product or item reflects on the entire brand. If you’ve had good experiences with a Samsung phone, chances are you’ll be more likely to assume that their TVs are good, too. This latter definition is less cognitive bias and more common sense, but the message is clear: brand equity can be a powerful asset for putting your business on a pedestal in the customer’s mind. Developing brand equity in construction The first step, of course, is to make sure your company really does deliver high quality, dependable construction services! If you get a reputation for second-rate construction work, the customers are going to catch on and stop calling, as your business name will become a byword for poor results (this is known as negative brand equity). If you consistently do great work your company will naturally start to develop a reputation for excellence, with a large roster of happy clients and a website overflowing with positive testimonials – but you still need to make sure people have heard of you. An important facet of brand equity is brand recognition. Faced with the choice between a Superdry jacket, or a no-brand coat from a market stall, most people would prefer the familiar brand with its presumed higher quality. In order to leverage this principle, then, you need a widely recognised name. For a construction business, this needn’t be at Coca Cola and Burger King levels of public familiarity. Rather than trying to become a household name for the general public (which would be both unnecessary and nearly impossible), the goal is to become very well-known in certain circles and selected groups. By targeting your marketing efforts at those specific people you want to work with, you can position yourself as the go-to contractor for building work. Clarifying your business values Brand awareness is a little different of a concept to brand familiarity, although closely related. Whereas brand familiarity means that people recognise your name, brand awareness means that they understand something about who you are and what you do (and what sets you apart from your competitors). Recognising the name Apple is one thing; knowing that they are an electronics company with a focus on innovative design is another. It’s important for any company’s branding that they stand for something, and construction contractors are no different. Do your customers know what your core business values are? Brand awareness is about making sure that they do. Whether you want your message to be that you’re passionate about construction site safety, or that you care about the environment and sustainability, you should seek to clarify your specific ideology. Getting the marketing message out As well as the normal marketing channels – cold communications with potential clients, social media, search engine optimisation and so on – an oft-overlooked marketing opportunity is the hoardings that are legally required to envelop large construction sites in public areas. Why not use these giant boards to communicate something about your brand and your values to the public? The use of large printed hoardings can plant your business name in the minds of hundreds of people who might later not even remember where they saw it – but could cause them to recognise it if they should later look for a construction contractor to help them with a project. Hoardings can essentially be a giant billboards to advertise your firm and its ethos, and by leaving them blank you could be missing out on a great opportunity to develop your brand equity. It’s not unheard of for truly artistic and creative construction hoardings to become something of a tourist attraction in their own right (such as the “melting building” hoarding that was erected in Paris in 2007), so don’t be afraid to go all-out with something bold. In the end, making the most of brand equity could be the key to securing larger contracts and ensuring your construction company is always in demand. Taking the time to consider how your brand is perceived by customers and leverage the power of brand recognition could give you a significant advantage over your competitors. ———- This post was contributed by PressOn, one of the UK’s leading large format digital printers. In addition to producing construction hoarding graphics, they also provide large format prints and banners for some of the UK’s leading retailers and brands.