SMPS is pleased to announce that Clare Kelly, CPSM, has been appointed editor of Marketer, the Society’s award-winning journal. Prior to this new position, Clare served on the Marketer Editorial Committee for two years and has written several articles for the publication.

In her role, she’s committed to seeing the Marketer thrive as the voice of SMPS. She’s dedicated to ensuring the publication remains the premier thought leadership journal for architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) growth professionals and beyond.

In additional to her editorial background, Clare is a professional services marketer with diverse experience and unique insight. She began her career as a print graphic designer. Clare spent 12 years growing in and developing the role of in-house marketer at an architecture firm. In 2019, Clare launched FUSE Marketing to help clients in the built environment execute competitive, holistic marketing strategies and tactics that align with their strategic business development goals. She earned her Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) designation in 2017 and her master’s in marketing in 2020.

Within SMPS, Clare has been an active member since 2013 and served on the SMPS Blueprints 3.0 committee. She was a contributing strategic thinker, editor, and infographic designer involved in the collaborative development of Blueprints 3.0. This SMPS publication is the definitive guide for marketing and business development professionals and departments in the A/E/C industry.

If you have any questions about Marketer journal, please contact marketer@smps.org. To view issues of Marketer, visit our archive.

More about Marketer journal:
Marketer is the Society’s award-winning bimonthly journal, which reports on current business development and marketing practices, issues, and trends. Marketer journal provides original, knowledge-based content relevant to A/E/C professionals: innovative marketing, management, and leadership strategies, case studies, and lessons learned. Articles are written by industry practitioners and experts who face marketing and business-development challenges and opportunities within their A/E/C firms.

Amplify A|E|C will be here before you know it and the planning committee has been hard at work since the fall bringing together new speakers and networking experiences for this summer’s conference in Austin. The 2023 program will include innovative learning formats, exclusive access to thought leaders, exclusive social and peer recognition events for Fellows, CPSMs, and chapter leaders to connect and network with their colleagues.

2023 not only marks the 2nd annual Amplify A|E|C conference, it is also our 50th birthday and we will be hosting a Celebration Gala the evening of August 9. To see all the package options and individual event tickets at amplifyaec.org/register! This year’s conference will be at the JW Marriott in Austin, and you can book your room on the Amplify A|E|C website by clicking “Accommodations” under the “Registration” tab.

To read more, download the full article for a peek behind the curtain of what’s to come at this year’s conference.

This article first appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Marketer.

To support SMPS’ efforts to become a more inclusive organization and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion across the A/E/C industries, the DEI Committee has created a glossary to provide an informative introduction to content our industry uses and provide options to promote a more diverse and inclusive culture. The glossary is not comprehensive and is a living document that will be updated continually.

SMPS strives to provide tools and resources to affect positive change like promoting inclusivity in how we speak, write, and present ourselves to strengthen equitable and inclusive practices across the A/E/C industries. Words matter. Effective inclusion is intentional and requires raising awareness, planning, and implementation.

Also featured on the glossary’s website is an interactive field for suggestions of new content to be considered for inclusion in the glossary. The DEI Committee looks forward to your contributions.

To read more, download the full article.

This article first appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Marketer.

For many marketers, social media, and the ever-increasing space it inhabits in our daily lives often makes it challenging to switch gears between perusing LinkedIn looking for inspiration to drafting captions based on a technical project description.

B2B social media is very different, and in my opinion, a lot more interesting than seeing photos from a distant relative’s Instagram story detailing each highlight of their last road trip. I love how social media keeps us connected, but when I arrive to a Zoom window to meet with a firm for the first time, I’m often more of a puzzle master. Instead of social media connecting your firm to the rest of your industry, it acts as a barrier, a grey area that marketers know they should understand, but simply can’t stay consistent with their approach.

One way to help clean the slate of the so-so analytics and missed opportunities of last year is to be energized and inspired by what is to come this year in social media. This area of marketing is always
changing, updating, and launching new features. If you are like me and can’t wait to see what new
tool or release is going to change how we create next, this may give you some new ideas for how
to approach social media. If this isn’t your favorite task on your to-do list, but you are looking for a safe
space to find some support, I hope this list can guide you through to your next content calendar.

To read more, download the full article.

Article, written by Meagan Camp, owner of The Modern Take, first appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Marketer.

At a midsized construction company, there is a marketer in Nashville and one in Knoxville. Both manage proposals and promotional campaigns, reporting to their respective office leaders. At the headquarters in Chattanooga, a marketer reports to the chief executive officer but only manages the firm’s digital presence and branding, since the CEO expects office leaders to develop marketing and business development strategies for their locations. As a result, the three marketers rarely have reason to collaborate and often work independently.

This is not a setup for a bad joke but a widespread reality of decentralized and ungoverned marketing and business development programs that plague the A/E/C industry. However, there is a solution to this conundrum—a solution that also drives revenue, relationships, and reputation. It’s a chief marketing officer (CMO).

The CMO role is necessary for A/E/C firms to achieve their strategic and financial business goals. This C-suite leadership position guides marketing, business development, and sales efforts in holistic partnership with other business leaders (operations, human resources, finance, technology, etc.). With the new SMPS Blueprints 3.0, the path is paved for this new genre of industry leadership.

To read more, download the full article.

Article written by Julie Witecki, CPSM, first appeared in the December 2022 issue of Marketer.

I always look forward to December because that’s when we announce the Marketing Communications Awards (MCAs) Call for Entries. Our awards program has been around for 46 years, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing new or exciting! There are many reasons to enter the MCAs, open through March 20, 2023, and here are a few that stand out.

To read more, download the full article.

This article, which first appeared in the December 2022 issue of Marketer, was written by Molly Dall’Erta, director of member recognition and programs at SMPS HQ.

Most of us have heard of the butterfly effect, where small things can profoundly affect complex systems. We cannot think of a more complex system as can be found in human interaction. Intentionality within the system can create conditions  in the future that are significantly impacted by small interactions. Mentoring can be purposeful and, when applied with intentionality, can create great things in the future for both parties. Simply said, mentoring is incredibly important as it can shape the world in the future.

Mentoring has been a hot topic for a long time, especially since the pandemic and the work-from-home movement. However, as we have grown and progressed in our careers, we realize that it was because of the many people that have taken the time to teach and coach us. We are who we are because of their careful and well-timed tutelage. We both appreciate their time and realize that mentoring is not as easy as it sounds. But the more we do it, the more rewarding it can be.

To read more, download the full article.

Article, written by Leah Boltz, FSMPS, CPSM, and Craig Galati, FAIA, FSMPS, CPSM, first appeared in the December 2022 issue of Marketer.

It’s well known that 50 translates to L in Roman Numerals. And so the idea of “SMPS at 50” inspired me to contemplate the letter L.

When I think of SMPS, Learning and Leadership come to mind. Then there are all the invaluable Lessons that our colleagues teach us, the Limitless incentives to excel in our professions, the Laughter we enjoy along the way. And who can forget the Lively array of programs with Luminous speakers and Lasting business connections.

To read more and meet the 50^th Anniversary Task Force, download the full article.

This article first appeared in the December 2022 issue of Marketer. It was written by Ruth Millward who sits on the 50^th Anniversary Task Force.

Non-marketers don’t use or always understand our A/E/C marketing jargon. When we use language that connects with our internal customers (AKA coworkers and pursuit teammates), we are more effective in our roles. Bonus, we will be better positioned to help educate non-marketers about our unique skills and capabilities.

Marketers are experts at using language and visuals to tell stories. We research customers to learn what they care about to develop compelling messages that help win work. As communicators and collateral experts, marketers are adept at learning and recognizing what customers will be more receptive to in sales collateral and proposals, on websites, billboards, signs, and on social media.

Basically, we do everything we can with the time we have to customize what we develop and put in front of potential A/E/C buyers. But how often are we applying that same skillset to communicate internally with our colleagues and pursuit partners?

To read more, download the full article.

Article, written by Tiffany Rayhbuck, first appeared in the Marketer journal.

Over the years, my teen son and I have found connection by discussing sports— especially my hometown team, the Golden State Warriors.

My mind loves to think in analogies, and I couldn’t help but find the connection between winning projects in the architecture, engineering, construction industry, and the world of basketball. During the 2022 NBA Division playoffs, my son and I focused on one player in particular on the Warriors roster, Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins garnered a negative reputation for being lazy and overhyped on past teams. However, he seems to have found his groove with the Warriors, and in June 2022, he helped his team clinch the championship title in game six against the Boston Celtics.

As a follow-up to my February 2019 Marketer article “Teamwork is Everything in Business Development and Basketball,” I wanted to explore how the team environment—coach, fellow players, and fans— affects a player. Like Wiggins developed with his new team, can marketing & business development professionals create an environment that can help their technical staff improve?

While I always have theories, I reached out to some experts for their opinions. Two of my business development heroes are Elaine Moal, director of marketing and business development at Altura Associates in San Francisco, and Iben Falconer, global marketing and business development leader of SOM. I had them share their thoughts on how they help build their team, and we dove into my analogy. While no single environment works for everyone, here are some ideas that all of us should explore.

To read more, download the full article.

Article, written by Janki DePalma, CPSM, LEED AP, first appeared in Marketer journal.