Too many AEC firm leaders still view marketing as a glorified proposal production shop— a reactive function that kicks into gear only when an RFP hits their inbox. “Marketing," to them, means only resumes, project descriptions, boilerplate copy, and the mad scramble to meet proposal deadlines. Our industry’s C-suite needs to stop looking at marketing as the last step in the sales process and start seeing it as the first step in business development. An effective marketing function creates demand — it doesn’t just respond to it 

In an April 2025 blog post, Robert Rose of the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) summed this up well: “Somewhere along the way, [marketing teams] traded strategy at some cost for efficiency at any cost. They’d optimized themselves into a corner.” AEC firms fall into this trap often. We know a 50-person firm with several open positions and a wealth of thought leadership content— a golden opportunity to shape reputation, attract clients, and better engage prospective employees. The audience is there. The ideas are strong. But leadership insists on keeping the marketing team focused on project sheets and proposals. It's a self-defeating loop — and one that is all too common.

FROM COLLATERAL CREATION TO MARKET CREATION

Proposal production, resumes, and project descriptions matter, but they’re reactive tools with limited shelf lives. They don’t build awareness or spark the interest that drives long-term relationships or unsolicited inquiries. If your marketing team only reacts to existing opportunities, you’re harvesting demand, not growing it. Solving this requires a shift in mindset. Firm leaders must allocate time and resources— even when the firm is swamped by proposal demands— so marketing professionals can do what they were hired to do: build visibility, shape perception, and spark curiosity. This might also mean rethinking go/no-go policies or pursuit practices (a topic for another time). Just know that visionary marketing talent won’t stick around to run a proposal factory. If you want to retain them and tap into their highest value, let them do true marketing.

MARKETING IS THE START OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Top AEC marketers understand the business. They know your strengths, client pain points, and how to communicate your value. When empowered, they publish insights, tell compelling stories, and create value before a prospect ever makes contact. Yet too often, leadership fails to let them lead. If your marketing team isn’t active on LinkedIn, attending conferences, or sharing your firm’s perspective, it’s rarely a lack of creativity or effort. It’s usually because they’re buried in internal tasks — or leaders won’t prioritize long-term growth over short-term deadlines.

Thought Leadership Isn’t Vanity — It’s Strategy

When your firm leads a conversation, it builds what Rose calls “audience gravity.” People associate your name with insight — not just a service. This gravity helps your firm:

• Attract better-fit clients

• Command higher fees

• Win invitations earlier in the project lifecycle

• Appeal to talent seeking purpose-driven firms

This takes time— and it doesn’t happen if marketing is just an internal service provider.

MEASURE WHAT MATTERS

Beyond win rates and proposal counts, ask:

• Who’s reading or sharing our content?

• Are we generating inbound interest?

• Are we present in the industry conversation? Lead generation is the outcome. Audience building is the engine.

LET THEM LEAD

Assuming your marketing team is talented (and if not, fix that), the best move firm leaders can make is to provide vision and support— then get out of the way. Encourage bold thinking beyond the seller-doer funnel. Give your team room to create, test new ideas, and communicate authentically. Support their efforts to shape demand instead of chasing it. If you’re restraining your marketing department, it’s time to let go. Build a thought leadership program. Show up at more events. Host client workshops. Let some RFPs go. When your marketers actually market, the results will far outweigh what some polished boilerplate ever could.

This is content from the PSMJ Newsletter, exclusive to PSMJ PRO Members. PSMJ PRO is the fastest-growing network of AEC firm leaders. Not a PRO Member? Try a 50-day trial (no credit card required). You can request a trial here: https://bit.ly/50dayLI