Basics VII: How Clients in the Construction Industry Shape Target Group Behavior – Example: Structural Engineer
- Jörg Appl
- Dec 19, 2024
- 5 min read
In the construction industry, planners, technical planners and consultants are a central, but by no means homogenous, target group. They contribute specific expertise in areas such as architecture, statics and project management – but their requirements and needs vary greatly depending on the client. Whether it's the client, contractor or authority, each client has different requirements for these target groups.
In this blog post – part of our series on technical marketing in the construction industry – we show how you can differentiate your marketing strategy to address each target group with added value, without any bullshit.
📈 Want to test your knowledge? At the end, you'll find cool case studies that will catapult you into the marketing Olympus of the construction industry! 🚀
Target groups in the construction industry: specialist planners and consultants and their varying requirements
In a construction project, specialist planners and consultants form a clearly defined target group that professionally supports the client in specific areas in order to meet the client's requirements. These requirements include services such as architectural planning, engineering, project management, financing and construction supervision. Often, it is a team of specialists that we, as marketing managers, want to address with targeted technical offers and marketing strategies.
It should be noted that many consultancy groups – such as structural engineers, stress analysts or test engineers – are not only commissioned by the client themselves. Other project participants, such as contractors or building supervisory authorities, can also call on these specialists.
Example of structural engineers: different needs despite the same professional role in the construction industry
An illustrative example of this are the structural engineers. This target group provides specialised services, but the needs and requirements of a structural engineer can vary considerably depending on who has commissioned them.
In a construction project, the structural engineer can work for various parties:
For the client itself (structural engineer A in Figure 12)
for the general contractor or – in the case of trade-specific contracts – for the individual contractor (structural engineer AA in Figure 12) and their subcontractor (structural engineer SU in Figure 12),
for the building supervisory authority as an independent auditor (structural engineer BA in Figure 12).
Although these parties often require similar services, the expectations vary considerably depending on the client.
Figure 12 illustrates this difference using the example of the structural engineer: identical target groups within the same construction project can be commissioned by different parties and are accountable to them.
These multiple responsibilities directly impact the needs, requirements and priorities of the planners, specialist planners and consultants.
Conclusion for marketing strategy in the construction industry
These varying needs emphasise the importance of a targeted marketing strategy. Marketing managers should recognise that a target group such as ‘structural engineers’ within a construction project cannot be considered as homogenous.
It is crucial to tailor technical solutions and offers to the different needs:
For owner-oriented planners, specialist planners or consultants, the marketing message could emphasise the advantages of long-term stability and security of the structure.
For contractor-oriented planners, specialist planners or consultants, the focus is on efficiency, time savings and cost effectiveness, since these criteria are crucial for the success of the contractors.
For planners, specialist planners or consultants oriented towards the authorities, marketing can increasingly emphasise compliance with regulations and innovative solutions to meet high safety standards.
A differentiated marketing strategy thus helps to address each target group in a targeted manner and to effectively serve their specific needs.
Questions that will take your marketing expertise in the construction industry to the next level!
Case study 1
You are a marketing manager in a company that offers services for construction projects. A potential client, a building owner, wants to know why different structural engineers working on the same construction project may have different requirements and needs for an offer (product, software or service). What is the best way to explain this?
A) Structural engineers are only commissioned by the building owner by default, so they always have the same requirements.
B) Different clients such as the client, general contractor and building authority each have their own priorities that can influence the focus and requirements of a structural engineer.
C) Structural engineers are solely responsible for building regulations and their needs are therefore standardised.
D) Structural engineers only have to follow the instructions of the building authority, regardless of who commissions them.
Answer: B)
Explanation
A structural engineer can work for different parties, such as the client, the general contractor or the building authority. Their requirements and priorities differ depending on the client. Marketing managers should emphasise that the type of advice and technical solutions can be adapted to meet the specific needs of each client. Option B is therefore correct because it describes the varying priorities due to the different clients.
Case Study 2
A construction contractor asks you, as marketing manager, how best to approach structural engineers who work on behalf of the client compared to those who work for the building inspectorate. What is the best approach for your recommendation?
A) Client-based structural engineers value long-term safety and stability, while inspectorate-based structural engineers focus on strict compliance with regulations
B) All structural engineers have the same needs regardless of who their client is.
C) The needs of structural engineers only change for private projects, not public projects.
D) Owner's structural engineers are solely focused on time savings and cost efficiency.
Answer: A)
Explanation
A structural engineer working for the building owner often focuses on the long-term stability and economic viability of the project. A structural engineer working for the authority focuses on ensuring that the project meets building codes and safety standards. This distinction is important for marketing managers because the target audience must be adapted depending on the client. Option A correctly describes this distinction.
Case Study 3
A prospective client wants to know how your company can ensure that its technical services meet the different needs of all parties involved in the construction project. How should you respond as the marketing manager?
A) We provide a one-size-fits-all solution that works independently of the specific
needs of the client
B) We customise our services to the individual needs of the respective clients and their consultants, such as clients, general contractors and authorities.
C) Our services are aimed only at clients and therefore take no other clients into account.
D) We offer specialised services tailored only to the short-term requirements of the general contractor.
Answer: B)
Explanation
Consultants such as structural engineers have different requirements depending on whether they are working for the client, the general contractor or the authority. It is therefore important to customise the technical services accordingly. A targeted marketing strategy that addresses the different needs shows the potential customer that the company is able to offer specific solutions Option B does this best, emphasising that the services offered are tailored to the individual requirements of each target group.
Further Reading
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