Architect Marketing
CASE STUDY
Architectural office Beluga & Töchter
Customer
Industry: Architecture, initial phase
Project: Business consulting for architects marketing, sales, finance (positioning of the company, development and implementation of PR, redesign of the website, marketing concept, competitions, bidding).
Company: Beluga & Toechter, Vienna, Austria
Contact person: Managing Director DI Astghik Der Sakarian & DI Heide Schicht
Challenges
When the office was founded, it consisted of two people. They had successfully completed their first projects. The previous orders were brought to the team by word of mouth. In the third year after their founding, the two approached me. Their goal was to address a larger circle of addressees and to be able to win customers away from word of mouth.
Solution
Four project parts were implemented together.
In the external appearance, the already adopted positioning of the office was emphasized. Sharpening of the positioning, concentration on private residential construction in the luxury segment. Conception of the web presence, integration of the corporate blog.
Focusing of acquisition activities through joint analysis of target customers, planning and implementation of acquisition activities and expansion of the customer segment to new areas. Proposal preparation.
Improved awareness of the office through editorial plan for the corporate blog, Facebook page, Xing presence, Twitter and recommendation pages, PR towards journalists (daily newspapers) and bloggers, application to numerous architecture platforms and registration of projects. Planning of networking activities, events, trade show visits. Publication of professional articles and marketing material (office brochure).
Marketing of implemented projects, e.g. Architizer, architektourist, derstandard, frame mag.
Success factors
In the beginning, the work consists of 90% acquisition and marketing. Public relations and social media marketing require continuous and planned content work to lead to long-term success. Individual campaigns rarely have a long-lasting effect.
Only an excellent service can be presented well in the long term and lead to business success. The basis for discussion between consultant and client must also be able to withstand critical discussions. PR cannot be completely outsourced, but the founding team must be fully behind it.
To sharpen the office profile, you have to stand out from the crowd. This means setting a strict focus and not straying from this path. Unfortunately, this also means that some paths cannot be pursued; ideas also have to be abandoned.
Results
Lectures, PR articles and hosting of the HGTV show.
Numerous articles about Beluga & Toechter in daily newspapers, international design magazines, on blogs and architecture platforms.
Invitation and hosting of the US TV show Home and Garden by HGTV.
Invitations to give lectures, e.g. Young Architects.
Customer growth and sales
The customer pipeline was filled. The number of visitors increased after the revision of the homepage.
Hand over marketing activities
The founding team has successfully taken over its own marketing and sales activities. The project took place in 2012.
About the collaboration
Depending on the situation and phase of the project, the working relationship was fluid and flexible. In some work packages konsultori’s role was limited to discussion and impetus, in others fully entrusted with implementation, in the majority partnership and success-oriented in the joint development of the issues, planning and implementation.
Astghik Der Sakarian about the collaboration:
We were looking for a team member or consultant who would complement us on business issues and share our enthusiasm for our work. However, we wanted to work with someone who could think strategically as well as implement with us what is needed in a still small office. We found that and we are looking forward to further cooperation.
Petra Wolkenstein about the collaboration:
Beluga & Toechter respond to the needs of their clients with unconventional planning. They translate cultural habits of the clients into architecture. It was a great pleasure to lift and present the creative treasures together. In the start-up phase, the office needed someone from the business consulting side to come in from the outside and question the issues, set goals together, develop plans, and focus on positioning, thus accompanying the team from the business side in order to exploit the business potential together. I am looking forward to the implementation of the next business segment for Beluga & Toechter.