The AEC industry is more competitive than ever. Architects, engineers, and contractors are offering similar services across crowded markets – often using similar language and making similar promises. So, how does your firm break through the noise?
It starts with a brand strategy that speaks directly to your audience and clearly communicates what makes you different. And the smartest brand strategies don’t begin with guesswork – they begin with customer research.
By understanding how clients discover your firm, what content they engage with, how they perceive your strengths (or weaknesses), and why they chose you in the first place – you’ll gain the clarity needed to make smarter marketing and branding decisions that drive growth, build trust, and support long-term success.
Here’s how to make that happen.
Use Surveys & Interviews to Understand Your Clients & Industry Partners
Surveys and in-depth interviews are invaluable for uncovering honest, detailed feedback from clients and industry partners. To get the most candid responses, it’s often best to bring in a third party research consultant or agency – people are typically more open when speaking with someone outside the organization.
When we conduct research for clients, we typically organize our questions into three core categories:
- Experience – understanding what it’s like to work with your firm
- Brand – uncovering how your firm is perceived
- Marketing – identifying opportunities to improve visibility and engagement
While the specific questions vary based on a firm’s unique challenges and goals, the intent is always the same: to surface clear, actionable insights that inform smarter brand and marketing decisions.
Here is what this type of research can do for your firm:
Uncover how your firm is truly perceived. Do clients see you as a healthcare design specialist, or more of a generalist? Do you have a reputation of being the more affordable option, or the more expensive option? These perception questions help shape your positioning and highlight areas where you may need to communicate more clearly.
Answer branding questions with real data. Should you update your logo or rethink your visual identity? Research can tell you whether your brand reflects who you are today – or whether it’s time for a refresh.
Stress test your marketing materials. Are your proposals clear? Is your content memorable? Are clients finding you on Google or through word of mouth? Surveys and interviews help you pinpoint what’s working, what’s falling flat, and where to focus your efforts.
Build a strategy grounded in reality. The best brand strategies are rooted in insight – not gut feelings or guesswork. Too often, marketing decisions are made based on instinct: someone likes a particular tactic, a principal suggests an idea that everyone agrees with, or a consultant recommends something because it worked for another firm.
But what works elsewhere might not work for your audience. Research ensures your messaging, visuals, and content are aligned with how your specific clients think, what they care about, and how they make decisions.
Leverage Competitor Analysis to Find Your Onlyness
It’s not just about knowing yourself – it’s also about understanding who you’re up against.
Understand your competitors’ market focus. Are they heavily invested in education projects? Civic work? Healthcare? Knowing where your competitors are concentrated can help you either compete head-on or carve out a distinct niche.
Pro tip: A quick way to gauge a competitor’s focus is to count how many projects they showcase in each market on their website. If they highlight 30 healthcare clinics but only five municipal projects, it’s a clear indicator of where their experience – and likely their positioning – is strongest.
Evaluate how they present their work. Look closely at how competitors showcase their projects. Are they relying solely on images, with little context or explanation? If so, there's an opportunity to differentiate through rich, client-centered storytelling – think detailed project writeups, outcome-driven narratives, video walkthroughs, or client testimonials that bring the work to life.
Spot opportunities to stand out in your content. Beyond portfolios, examine what types of content your competitors share publicly. If their social media or blog presence is limited to polished final photos, you can stand out by sharing behind-the-scenes moments, team insights, process snapshots, or thought leadership that adds personality and depth to your brand.
Fill the gaps in content and insight. Many firms lack consistent thought leadership – or abandon it after a few posts. Checking a competitor’s website for a blog or insights section is a good start, but look closer: Is the content recent? Are they publishing regularly? What topics are they covering, and which markets do those topics speak to? This gives you valuable insight into where they’re focused – and where they’re silent.
Discover Why Clients Choose You
One of the most important (and often overlooked) questions in any research effort is simple:
“What made you choose us over another firm?”
The answers are rarely what you expect. Sometimes it’s your niche experience, a clear process, or a strong referral. Other times, it’s relevance – your firm was being talked about, your work was more visible.
These insights are gold – and they give you the clarity to amplify what’s already working across your marketing and brand strategy.
Use this insight to:
- Refine your brand messaging and brand onlyness
- Emphasize differentiators in proposals and interviews
- Highlight proof points (testimonials, stats, stories) that reflect what clients care about most
- Train your team to lean into the behaviors and touchpoints that build trust early
In a crowded market where firms often blur together, this clarity allows you to connect with the right clients – the ones who are already looking for exactly what you offer. When your messaging reflects what clients already appreciate about you, it doesn’t just attract – it reassures, affirms, and compels action.
Craft Messaging That Actually Connects
Strong brand messaging isn’t about sounding polished – it’s about being clear, relevant, and human. The best messaging speaks your clients’ language, addresses their pain points, and highlights what truly sets your firm apart. It reassures them that you understand their challenges and know how to solve them. And that kind of clarity doesn’t come from guesswork – it comes from research.
Customer interviews and surveys give you the insight needed to:
- Touch on key pain points appropriately
- Clarify your tone and voice based on how clients actually describe your strengths
- Refine your onlyness to highlight what sets your apart
This is especially important in the AEC industry, where firms often default to technical jargon, complex service descriptions, or generic claims about “collaboration” and “quality.” While those may be true, they rarely differentiate you in the eyes of a prospective client.
Great messaging bridges the gap between what you do and why it matters. It should show your understanding of client priorities, reinforce your value at every touchpoint, and reflect the personality of your team and culture.
Whether it’s your website, proposal boilerplate, email outreach, or social content, every piece of communication should consistently reinforce:
- Why you’re the right partner – based on your unique approach or expertise
- What makes your firm different – and why that difference matters to clients
- How you solve problems – not just what you deliver, but how you deliver it
Messaging grounded in research doesn’t just sound confident – it feels authentic, earns trust faster, and moves people to take the next step.
The Bottom Line
The AEC industry moves fast – and standing out is only getting harder. But customer research gives you the clarity and confidence to build a brand strategy that actually works.
By leveraging surveys, interviews, and competitor analysis, your firm can:
- Uncover what truly matters to your clients
- Differentiate in a crowded market
- Strengthen your messaging, identity, and marketing ROI
- Build deeper trust and long-term loyalty
In an industry built on relationships and reputation, a research-driven brand strategy isn’t just helpful – it’s a competitive advantage.
If you’re ready to turn insight into impact, we’re here to help. Explore our brand strategy services built specifically for AEC firms.
