This goes beyond just using buzz words and instead
identifies the benefits of sustainability and promotes a
culture of sustainability.

Second, we need to promote connectedness and
community instead of elitism and isolation. Anyone who
has ever lived near train tracks can tell you about what the
phrase “the other side of the tracks” means. This idea is
equally important when designing roads as it is when
designing mixed-use developments; in both cases
connectivity can be used to spur a sense of community that
brings us together. This is also important when
opportunities exist to promote open community spaces
such as parks. As marketers, we can promote the benefits
of these ideas to facility owners and clients by appealing
to their goals for a specific project. An example would be
showing how increased pedestrian flow to a local park
would increase revenues to businesses along the route.

Finally, we can promote projects that possess flexibility
for the future. Just as during the industrial revolution, the
built environment continues to struggle with meeting the
needs of our changing world. Collectively we need to focus
on creating buildings, infrastructure, and spaces that can
adapt to the future. The key to accomplishing this is to
ensure that teams of various design professionals are
included as early as possible in the process. This
collaboration is a key to developing the most effective
solutions for creating spaces that meet the needs of both
this generation and the next.

These are just a handful of ways that we can to provide
true marketing leadership, but they are each important.

Collectively we have a great opportunity, as professional
services marketers, to help shape the face of the earth for
the next hundred years. It is true that we will most probably
not replace the diamond engagement ring, change the
colour of Santa’s suit, or invent the next sliced bread; but I
am confident that what we will accomplish will be much
more important.

Tim Klabunde is
principal and director of
marketing for Timmons
Group, an ENR Top 500
design firm. In his role at
Timmons Group the firm
has seen unprecedented
growth, landing the firm
on the INC. 5000 list of
America’s Fastest-Growing
Companies. He is a fellow
from Johns Hopkins
University and an Amazon
best selling author.

The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Summer 2017 – 9