Alan Slaney has worked with manufacturers, specifiers, contractors and trade associations to help many UK construction names build enduring brands. Among those he has represented are Dulux, Velux and British Gypsum. In an industry worth over £ 110,000 billion per year supporting over three million jobs, and 10 % of UK employment, the building services and construction industry offers massive commercial opportunities. So, what is it that determines which brands become prevailing landmark structures, while others often offering

similar products and services, crumble and fall? According to Alan, if we are to liken a brand to a building, the essence and strength comes from the inside. It is the building’ s core, the foundations and steel girders that keep it upright and maintain high performance. Similarly with a brand, the facade of glossy marketing brochures and digital‘ wow’ factor may be eye-catching in the first instance along with flashy price promises, but it is the substance within and the ability of the brand to consistently deliver upon a promise, that will ultimately determine if it is built to last.

Consistency is everything To succeed within this particular marketplace a building brand must be trusted by the trade and must deliver upon expectations one hundred per cent of the time. A tradesman relies upon his professional tools and supplies to do a good job. Otherwise it is a poor reflection upon his own professional skillset. Therefore, a good brand experience will create a loyalty from that building professional. Once brand loyalty and trust have been earned they will almost always trump any marketing tactics, including aggressive pricing strategies when

specifying building materials. For the building professional, business comes from reputation, so inconsistency or variable quality products can prove too high a price to pay to be sustainable in business. Trust permeates the entire supply chain and extends far beyond the product. More so than any other industry, this is a people business and good relationships are the absolute bedrock of that business. Alan commented:“ Successful brands make Customer Relationship Management( CRM) the crux of communication strategies in this industry. It is crucial on both

sides- a tradesman needs to know that there is support and back up from the brand, and the brand needs the tradesman’ s feedback. Also, any savvy building brand will know that their customer is ultimately their most valuable marketing tool. Word of mouth is very powerful and this type of third party endorsement cannot be bought, only earned. The holy grail of communication is when the manufacturer, supply chain and tradesman work in total harmony. A good CRM system can help facilitate this as it has empathy for and looks after the interests of each party creating effective channels of communication.” Developing a building industry brand differs significantly from other industries, even those that demand a similar level of brand loyalty to thrive, such as retail. Unlike retail, endorsement in this sector is very personal to the end customer. If we consider the type of language used to refer to a tradesman it is usually possessive: a customer will refer to‘ my builder’ or‘ my plumber’. This is also one

Alan Slaney

of the few industries where a service provider is invited into a customer’ s home- so trust is always paramount. Despite traditional roots, the building services sectors are open to change. Business is increasingly competitive and tradesmen will do what they can to stay ahead of the game, including embracing new technologies, if they can save time and become more efficient. Although challenger brands may find building services a difficult market to crack, with loyalty and consumer trust the foundations upon which orders are placed, there is room for development especially if they are offering something unique in either their products or service. Starting with the cornerstone of consistency, companies in the business of building a brand should start stacking their building blocks and assembling communication strategies based on reputation management and industry endorsement to help them take the first steps on the construction industry ladder.

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