BuildSite - Marketing to Contractors

Architects, engineers, and other specifiers are powerful gatekeepers for building product sales, but contractors make the actual purchase. The contractor's power to select products is particularly strong with commodity and generic types of products, putting them and the distributors serving them in the driver’s seat when it is time to choose product brands for the job. This role as the “last designer” means that contractors and distributors are crucial players in purchasing decisions.

BuildSite, is an online (and mobile) tool that helps get product information in front of distributors and contractors when buying decisions are being made. Through BuildSite, manufacturers can target buyers with messaging that is tied to "un-proprietary specs"—the kind that most contractors face.

While BuildSite can be used for product selection and for email messaging, I see its main application as a way to simplify the assembly and distribution of submittals -- the process by which a contractor sends product data sheets, sample warranty forms, material safety data sheets, and other product information to the designer.

At the present time, the system is strongest for products in Divisions 03, 07, and 09.

For additional information and a demonstration, contact:

  Melanie Loftus, Buildsite Product Manager
  mloftus@buildsite.com
  510-208-4428

BEES Sustainability Database Moves Online, Offers Limited Time Discount on Listing

The BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) database developed by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is a tool for life cycle analysis for building products.  It is now available as a nifty new online tool at http://www.nist.gov/el/economics/BEESSoftware.cfm. It allows the user to research a vast array of sustainability data on a wide variety of building products. Economic performance and environmental performance are both evaluated, and graphed as simple snapshot. The underlying numbers are all available too, including data on the presence of a huge array of chemical compounds, toxins, metals, and greenhouse gasses; energy usage in various categories; and more.  Even better, multiple products can be compared.

BEES is not simply a bunch of information.  It is software that draws info from its product database and does useful calculations that can be tailored to a specific project. On entering the system, the user can select products by the part of the building in which they are used.  Evaluation can be straight, or weighted according to a set of 12 impact criteria: Global Warming, Acidification, Eutrophication, Fossil Fuel Depletion, Indoor Air Quality, Habitat Alteration, Water Intake, Criteria Air Pollutants, Smog, Ecological Toxicity, Ozone Depletion, and Human Health.  There are several preset weightings to choose from, or the user can define the weighting.

Moving BEES online makes it operating system independent. (Previously, it was downloadable software that only ran on Windows OS.)  This means that you can access it with common web browsers on your computer.  Yes, you can even access it on your iPhone, although I wouldn’t recommend that for your first adventure into the system; some of the display on iOS Safari is a little buggy, and it helps to know where to expect information to appear.
Products in the database include a mix of generic and proprietary products, but the proprietary list tends to be limited. One of the advantages of having BEES live online is that NIST can now add new products easily.

Manufacturers can submit their products to the database, which has two kinds of value.  It will the improve usefulness of BEES, and it may give participating manufacturers an edge in getting specified on projects where sustainability calculations (LEED or otherwise) are factor in choosing products.

To participate, contact Anne Landfield Greig, Four Elements, LLC, the BEES Certified LCA Practitioner who works directly with the BEES project.  She will walk you through the process:

   Anne Landfield Greig
   Principal, Four Elements Consulting, LLC
   Seattle, WA
   w +1 206.935.4600
   m +1 240.426.1098
   anne@fourelementsllc.com

According to the BEES team, "A typical building product manufacturer should anticipate a cost of about $8,000 for the first product and $4,000 for each additional product with similar processing steps. These prices are well below the cost of validating, completing, and incorporating your data set into BEES Online, and represent a limited-time offer that is guaranteed only while funds are available. Manufacturers can expect a questionnaire seeking data from the following departments:

      Accounting - quantity of materials purchased
      Production Control - quantity of output
      Facilities - energy use
      Environmental - waste and releases."

Is your product in MasterFormat?

A marketing maxim says sales depend on three things: 1. Location, 2. Location, and 3. Location.

In construction, the location of your product information is determined by MasterFormat. MasterFormat is the industry standard for organizing construction information according to the type of work being performed. It is used to organize construction specifications, cost data, schedules of values, and other project data. Building product manufacturers need to know the MasterFormat sections where their products should be specified.

What happens, however, if your product doesn't fit into an existing MasterFormat section? This can occur whenever a new type of product is brought to market, or when new demands on buildings requires the creation of new building solutions.

Fortunately, there the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and its partners in MasterFormat have created a means for proposing revisions. Revisions can be proposed online at www.masterformat.com, and the MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team meets each summer to consider revisions.

Here are some examples of recent revisions:

Section 03 35 33 - Polished Concrete Finishing: Polished concrete has gained popularity in the decade since the technique was developed. We proposed this section on behalf of Lythic Solutions, a firm that provides materials for polishing. 

Section 03 48 63 - Precast Pre-Framed Concrete Panels: MasterFormat had a section for precast concrete panels, and a place for metal stud-framed panels, but no place for panels with a precast face and metal stud framing. We proposed this section on behalf of Ecolite Concrete, one of several firms pioneering this new technology. 

Section 09 24 00 - Cement Plaster: This section used to be called, "Portland Cement Plaster. However, our client, CTS Cement Manufacturing Corp, made a product that is used the same way, but contains a different type of cement. The solution was to drop "Portland" from the section name.

Having an assigned section in MasterFormat gives your product category increased credibility, signaling that it has become an established product option. And having a section name and number makes it easier for specifiers and contractors to search for and find products in that category. And it is part of your brand's positioning.

Taking the initiative to propose a change demonstrates your firm's leadership in the industry. It also gives you bragging rights, and a reason to issue a press release.

Of course, not all proposed revisions are accepted. For example, my suggestion for a new section for "Fly Ash Brick" was rejected. The committee felt this new product could be specified under the existing section for "Clay Unit Masonry." I suspect this decision will be revisited in a few years after Fly Ash Brick becomes more accepted in the marketplace.

Are Digital Natives Media Savvy?

No, says a new study from Northwestern University. In fact, they seem more impressed by a site's search ranking on Google than by pesky details like who wrote it, is it an unbiased source, or is it useful information. From the study's abstract:

We find that the process by which users arrive at a site is an important component of how they judge the final destination. In particular, search context, branding and routines, and a reliance on those in one’s networks play important roles in online information-seeking and evaluation. We also discuss that users differ considerably in their skills when it comes to judging online content credibility.

This is important for construction product marketing in three ways.


First, it's another nail in the coffin for the "digital natives" meme. I dislike the term because it seems like a dressed up modern version of the "Those kids and their darn toys!" mentality. Not every Baby Boomer grew up to be a TV producer, so why assume every Millennial knows HTML and Java? Even worse, it becomes a hand-washing pass phrase that many use to absolve themselves of responsibility for understanding the latest digital technologies. It's possible that the net, email, and social media have little resonance with your target market segment, but that's more a reflection of the audience you serve than their age; odds are good that will still remain true even years after the "digital natives" take over the industry, and their habits will only transform because you offer them good, useful tools online.

Secondly, it underscores the importance of search in modern marketing campaigns. I did a search recently on a new client's company name, and they came up on the bottom of the first page. Beneath two university groups, an indie punk band, and some guy on LinkedIn with the same name. A search for their product category name did not include them at all. It is no coincidence their website traffic was way below target. Increasingly, people use Google as their first stop when looking for new products, inspiration, or help solving technical problems. Your webpresence needs to anticipate and facilitate searchability.

Finally, it is a reminder to be initially skeptical of anything you read online (including this blog, by the way; we occasionally make mistakes or show bias too). On the other side, as content producers it means we must be careful to act in a trustworthy, responsible manner. Sites that give bad information don't stay high in the rankings for long; they may claim the top spot for a few weeks, but then get burned by the wave of negative feedback and backlash. Providing consistently high-quality information may take longer to get results, but they will be more stable in the long run.

H/T ReadWriteWeb for the tip.

Buildipedia.com Knowledgebase

Buildipedia.com bills itself as "an online network of information encompassing every aspect of the built environment."

The Buildipedia Knowledgebase was designed to give design and construction professionals quick access to the specific information they need. The Knowledgebase allows AEC professionals to quickly search for videos, images, and documents sourced from every corner of the industry."

Building product manufacturers need to utilize internet gateway sites like these to create and reach online and communities.

Hidden Text in Guide Specifications

When I write a guide specification for a building product manufacturer, I usually include "Notes to the Specifier", text that guides the specifier through the specification writing process. There can be dozens of notes throughout a guide specification, and they all have to be removed before the project specification is published.

I use the word processing "Hidden Text" function for the notes, allowing the specifier to hide all of the notes at the same time. This eliminates the nuisance of having to delete each note individually. I also include a preliminary note, not written in hidden text, that advises the specifier to turn on the hidden text function if notes to the specifier are not visible.

Arcat, an online directory of building product information, does the same thing in the guide specs they publish. However, they add a feature about which I hadn't thought: At the beginning of their word processing-formatted spec sections, they insert a link with instructions for those that may be unfamiliar with the hidden text feature of their word processor:

Display hidden notes to specifier. 

(Don't know how? Click Here)

Adding this link is a great idea, and I will incorporate it into future guide specs I write.

For examples of guide specifications, see: http://chusid.com/specifications.htm.

Beyond Wikipedia: Archiplanet

Some research this morning took me to Archiplanet, a wiki dedicated to "the facts, photos, and drawings here on your favorite structures of all kinds, anywhere, from your own cottage to the latest skyscraper to your nation's capitol." It served as a good reminder that there are many other wikis beyond Wikipedia, and your marketing campaigns will be more successful if you use the correct ones.

Wikipedia is very firm about what Wikipedia is and what it is not. The content criteria are strictly enforced by the members/editors. Ignoring these rules can get your pages deleted, and accounts banned.

According to their homepage, "Archiplanet is a community-constructed collection for all the buildings, building users, and building creators on planet Earth." It is sponsored by ArchitectureWeek.com, one of the leading online architectural magazines. For many building product manufacturers, this will make it a better tool than Wikipedia.

High Hopes For The Green Button

Try this: Look up a product category on www.4specs.com. (Make it a big one, like Steel Doors and Frames.) Now, scroll to the bottom of the page. There’s a green button there that says “Show these listings in Zip Code Order.” Click it.

Now, scroll to the part of the page nearest your zip code. See how the companies whose headquarters are closest to you are clumped near your zip code? If you looked up your own product category, does your headquarters location appear in the right place?

How might this function help you? Perhaps it will help design professionals in your area find you. Perhaps it will help you find fabricators who are interested in working with your raw material, or a company you can co-market your product with.

There’s an important thing to know about this button: what it wishes it could do. It can’t find manufacturers who can fulfill the LEED credit for products sourced and manufactured within 500 miles of the job site. Publisher Colin Gilboy’s disclaimer at the top of the page warns that it’s only a first step in a complex discovery process.

The bottom line lesson goes beyond the green button, though. It’s about transparency of information, and it’s about finding companies to form lasting relationships with. Design professionals are looking for companies that share information, like where their raw materials come from and where they manufacture their products. They also are looking for companies who speak their language, answer the phone in their time zones, and who can send someone to their job sites if problems arise.

These are high hopes for one little green button, but there are people out there pushing it. Do you show up?