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Why Construction Firms Avoid PR

Construction and PR: not always a match made in Heaven. It didn’t have to be this way.


Why do so many firms avoid adding a full-time PR role to their team, or engage with a consultant? It’s pretty simple and not the fault of the general contractor. Most PR firms don’t have a clue how to navigate the nuances of the construction industry, especially when on the inside and sitting across from a seasoned engineer.


The biggest disconnect is that your average PR consultant assumes they can walk into a construction management firm and employ the same tactics they use at a traditional consumer company. I’ve learned time and again that the biggest value my firm can provide to your average GC and construction manager is demonstrating how quickly we understand the complexities of their work, and minimize our time spent in front of a pre-construction manager or estimating chief.


After having worked in the consumer PR industry for a few years, I can certainly understand how some practitioners assume they can employ the same tactics as they would a handbag company or dog toy manufacturer. Put simply, you cannot utilize the same approach when working for a construction, architect, engineering, or commercial real estate firm.


If you represent a GC or CM, keep these considerations in mind when choosing a PR partner:


  1. Demand evidence of relevant experience. If a consultant tells you they understand your business because they churned our a few press releases for an architect, they are lying.


  2. Can you imagine this person in your office, talking with your PX or M/E/P coordinator? Will they minimize intrusion on your teams and be a quick study when dissecting complex topics? Your answer should be a resounding “Yes!” to both questions.


  3. Ask for references. This should be a no brainer, but if your firm is in the A/E/C space, now is not the time to take a chance on a firm that potentially doesn’t understand your business. References from other A/E/C firms is a must.

     

  4. If you’re serious about hiring a firm, bring them to a jobsite. See how they interact in unscripted moments with a superintendent or rookie engineer. If they can’t extract information quickly in a 5 minute exchange in the trailer, what’s going to happen when attempting to do it by phone or Zoom?


  5. Finally, don’t get locked in on PR. Actual PR results happen once you know they can write about the A/E/C and CRE space competently, and communicate that data to a reporter. Demand to see some content that reflects a level of proficiency that wouldn’t look out of place in a proposal.


If you haven’t asked these questions, consider doing so before making an investment of time and money that kills productivity and turns your project management team against your first foray into public relations.

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