Marketing Green

By Michael Reilly, Reilly Communications

Eco-friendly construction is on the rise. Interest from clients in all sectors is up, as homeowners, corporations and organizations test the waters of building green.

The good news is the emergence of an exciting new service area and the opportunity to have a lasting impact through design and construction. Each of your competitors, however, is claiming to be a green expert. Truly innovative builders and designers need to differentiate by showing clients their green knowledge, experience and passion. Here are six strategies to separate your firm from the eco-mob.

1. LEAD, DON’T FOLLOW Recognize the fact that having LEED-certified projects in your portfolio and LEED Accredited
Professionals on staff is not enough. Differentiation through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects will pass quickly, and you need to create your own area of true excellence, a niche within the broader definition of green.

2. GET WAY OUT IN FRONT Appoint yourself an expert in sustainable building, and then back it up by becoming one. Back up your claim through research, teaching, writing and speaking on sustainable building practices to accelerate both your reputation-building and your knowledge gain. You also need champions inside the firm willing to make a serious commitment of time and effort.


3. CREATE TANGIBLE PROOF One of the biggest complaints of clients is the lack of data on the payback resulting from implementing green design. Document the success metrics on your own projects, and gather additional data on successful projects within your market sector. If you have little proof data, start gathering it now.

4. BRINGYOUR KNOWLEDGE ON THE ROAD TO CLIENTS Why wait for the RFP or the invitation to come and talk about green? Gather your research and project data,
create a (short) tutorial on the benefits and cost of building green, and go see your clients. Odds are you will find a
willing audience.

5. BEWARE OF THE “GREENWASH EFFECT” One of the more cynical results of the rush to green materials and practices is the inflated claims of those selling the services and products. Called “greenwash,” this has produced a climate of hype and given pause to clients. Be certain your marketing pitch accurately describes your expertise and ability to deliver. If your team is still in the learning curve, be honest in how you describe the service.

6. GET IT ONTHE WEB SITE Clients are using Web sites to create their short lists for upcoming projects. Web sites,
and the company culture the Web site reveals, influence potential clients. Get your green experience and commitment
to sustainable practices on your Web site, and update it frequently.

The sustainability movement offers a great opportunity for the construction industry. It will challenge the capacity for innovation as firms work to position their teams and create value around their green services. There’s plenty to do, however. Buildings emit one-third of the country’s greenhouse gasses. At the rate green building is penetrating the market today, it will take a generation to make a sizeable reduction. That’s a lot of marketing!

Clients need to partner with firms that are ahead of the curve on sustainability, building information modeling, integrated service delivery and technology integration. These are the clients who appreciate the creativity and overall value delivered by best-in-class service professionals. Seeking relationships with these great clients is crucial.

Marketing green demands a solid strategy to expand your expertise and simultaneously inform clients about this expertise. Carve out your unique specialty, create some proof of the value you offer, and seek out the informed buyers. Once you get started, it won’t be just the buildings that are sustainable. The relationships will be as well.

Michael J. Reilly, FSMPS is President of Reilly Communications, a Boston-based marketing and PR firm, President of the Massachusetts Building Congress, an instructor at Boston University, a past national and past chapter president of SMPS, and a contributing editor for Marketer magazine. He can be reached at 617.464.1717 or mreilly@reillycommunications.com.