Mobile media is a phenomenon within the web phenomenon. At the start of 2012, there were 5 billion mobile devices in use, the equivalent of 70% of the world’s population, which means there are over three times as many mobile devices as personal computers in the world. More than 104 Million people in the U.S. alone own a smartphone according to comScore.

The average smartphone user looks at his/her phone as many as 200 times per day, and spends 667 minutes per month using mobile apps. That’s about a half a day, or roughly 12 hours per month. The number of apps downloaded in 2011 was 25 billion. And, especially interesting for marketers, 79% of smartphone users use their phones for shopping-related activities, and 74% of total users made a purchase as a result.

More mobile devices means more mobile customers.  And since there are too many inputs coming at today’s customer, and evaluating them all takes too much time, it’s no wonder that customers are increasingly more dependent on their mobile devices to help them screen out what is not relevant.

No doubt about it, Americans are busy people. And during the leisure time that they do have, they have mastered the art of multi-tasking: they are watching TV while checking email. Surfing the internet while riding the train to work. Reading a document while sitting in a doctor’s office. So the “free” time that customers have is actually contracting because the demands of — and ability to respond to — work and leisure are co-mingling.

What’s more, the time people spend with devices online is increasingly spent on social networking. Almost one-fourth of American’s online time is spent on a social networking site, particularly Facebook, the most popular social network. Another large block of online time is spent on Twitter, with 500,000 new Twitter accounts created daily. And, a more recent emergence is Pinterest, rounding out the number three spot for the most popular social media site.

So, even though the mobile environment presents a growing marketplace, the amount of time available for customers to interact with marketers like you in that marketplace is preciously small – and dwindling every day.

To learn more about how you can get more consideration from your customers, download our free whitepaper – The Pinhole Economy®.

Image courtesy of geograph.org.uk.

In a recent post about The Pinhole Economy, we introduced the concept of the Pinhole, a metaphorical aperture that customers use to draw in the things—products, brands, information, influence—that are most relevant to them.

The Pinhole is so small and is controlled by the customer, so as a marketer, it is no longer effective to “push” information about your company, your product, your advantages, at customers. As a modern marketer, you want to be “pulled through” the Pinhole, to get on the other side — the customer’s side. You want to be selected from among the multitude of choices out there, and pulled through as “the one” the customer tries, buys and trusts.

In a world where there are a vast number of choices and vast processing power, the amount of time a customer can allocate to any one choice is limited. So, to preserve what time they have, they essentially choose not to choose, instantly screening out everything that is not relevant to them.

So where the marketer’s quest in the past was eyeballs, awareness or exposure, today’s marketers should strive to be relevant, trusted, and respectful of customers’ time. With these principles as a guide, and a little paradigm shift in your own (and your organization’s) mind, you can evolve from the marketer wielding a fire hose into one who’s pulled nimbly through the Pinhole.

To read more on how you can be pulled through a customer’s Pinhole, download our free whitepaper – The Pinhole Economy.

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The method of design-build construction has been steadily increasing in the U.S. public building sector for more than 10 years. According to George Middleton, President of George Middleton & Associates, over half of all commercial construction taking place today is design-build. This mentality of “quicker, faster, cheaper” has been the product of the recession and will continue to squeeze building product manufacturers to respond accordingly. With an expected $412 billion in new construction starts in 2012, manufacturers have their work cut out for them.

As we explored in Shoot And Score…Fundamentals To Get Your Product Specified, information about your product is as important as the product itself when it comes to getting specified.  According to George Middleton, consider the following points to help empower architects and specifiers to hold the product specification throughout the build.

UNDERSTAND the methods of specifying: From performance and prescriptive specs to reference standards, descriptive and proprietary specs, manufacturers should thoroughly understand the most acceptable methods of specification in order to maintain the strongest possibility of product selection.

PUBLISH all product information EVERYWHERE: From paid placements on websites like Arcat and 4Specs to maintaining a clear concise section on your own website, architects/designers require detailed product information in order to make an informed, decisive product selection. It’s important to make it easy for them to find it, save it and use it.

DISTRIBUTE good guide specs: While not always recognized as an acceptable spec, distributing good manufacturers guide specs is an important element to build product creditability amongst architects/specifiers.

UNDERSTAND and EDUCATE the key influencers: Building owners, architects/specifiers, supplier/distributors, builders…each party has their own motivations, desires and challenges. Understanding these motivations and the relationships between the key influencers is paramount to making sure your product is addressing their concerns and accomplishing the desired outcome.

With the increasing value of time, product information needs to be readily available and delivered in a manner that suits the end user. We can help you organize your product content and deliver relevant messages through the most effective channels.

Contact us for more information.

Flickr image courtesy of pinprick.

As we explored in a recent blog post, usage of mobile apps and smartphones amongst the A&D segment is on the rise.

According to a recent study, 55% of architects use smartphones to download apps (just a few years ago, 69.2% of architects said they did not want to receive industry news on their smartphones). And a whopping one-third of architects use mobile apps developed by building product manufacturers. The usage rate is increasing by the minute.

So what types of apps are architects and designers looking for? When they download an app, their primary motivation is to have tools that they need at their fingertips, making their work more efficient and convenient. From a manufacturer’s perspective, this means building apps with concise yet comprehensive product details and user-friendly design.

Another way to deliver apps with value is to provide inspiration to architects at one of their most vital stages in the entire design process: design inspiration.

We’ve compiled a list of six apps that offer just that – design inspiration.

1) myPANTONE 2.0

Gives designers access to over 13,000 PANTONE colors, plus the ability to create color palettes, reference on the go, and share via email and social media.

2) Buildings

Created by architects, “Buildings” is an encyclopedia of more than 40,000 buildings across the globe, complete with expert commentary and insight.

Also uses standard GPS to identify location and serve up buildings near you.

3) BuildCalc – Advanced

An app that exceeds the capabilities of the construction master pro trig model with updates to the functionality frequently and based on feedback. In some cases, people have replaced the Construction Master Calculator.

4) SketchBook Mobile

Autodesk SketchBook® mobile is a professional grade painting and drawing application. It offers a full set of sketching tools and delivers them through a streamlined and intuitive interface. Use it to digitally capture your ideas as napkin sketches or produce artwork on-the-go. With the same paint engine as the renowned SketchBook® Pro software, it delivers sophisticated brushes and fluid pencils.

5) DWELL Mobile app

Dwell delivers photos, videos and more of modern architecture and design with dynamic updates to keep content fresh and commentary by industry experts. Complete with social media sharing capability

6) AutoCAD WS

Take your designs with you wherever you go so you have them whenever you have inspiration.  AutoCAD® WS is a free mobile CAD Application that allows you to view, edit and share your DWG™ files on your smartphone or tablet. Open drawings from email attachments, sync your files from the web, or upload drawings directly from AutoCAD software. Also has the ability to save locally so you can design on the go, with or without an internet connection.

These are just a sampling of the mobile apps that we found do a great job of leveraging the needs and desires of the A&D audience. Building Products Manufacturers need to understand the motivations and behaviors of Architects and Designers and how they use their products. By first understanding the audience, it opens up a greater likelihood of successfully developing a mobile app for A&D.

Read our latest white paper, Connecting to A&D to discover the insights we uncovered and how to connect and engage this important audience.

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In the not-to-distant past, producers (and their intermediaries) controlled the entire production chain. They decided what would be produced, where it would be available, and when, where and how customers would find out about it. The result, over time, was  a fire hose of brands, products and information.

In today’s world, there are endless customer choices, endless opportunities to find nearly real-time information (think Facebook, Pinterest, mobile ads and apps), and endless technologies to process it all (think smartphones and tablets). This convergence of massive amounts of media data and massive personal computing capacity  helps customers research, evaluate and make buying decisions. But it also makes them more cautious than ever before and more distrustful of the information and its sources.

All of which has encouraged customers to gradually take more and more control of the production and distribution chain.  The result? Intermediaries are being eliminated altogether. Producers who don’t respond to the needs and desires of customers are failing.

Customers select what they want, where they want to buy it, when, where and how they learn about it, and even how much they want to pay for it. They’ve become highly selective because they have so many choices, and so much ability to process them.

They’ve turned the fire hose into a Pinhole, through which they carefully draw only what is relevant to them.

Download our free whitepaper – The Pinhole Economy – to learn more about how to navigate a Pinhole with your marketing.

Image courtesy of geograph.org.uk

Contractors are an aging work force. With an average age in the 40s/50s, this is a breed that is aging out, retiring and will soon be unable to service the construction market and infrastructure development needs. This is particularly concerning as there is a shortage of younger people coming into the trades, leaving a large gap in the workforce. And with an aging infrastructure that desperately needs to be fixed or in some cases, rebuilt, and a construction market that is trending upward,  we are about to face a critical crossroads.

One way that the industry is dealing with this problem is by increasing the amount of prework being done for a job. The use of prework in the industrial sector almost doubled in 15 years during the 80s and 90s (prefabrication and preassembly increased by approximately 86% from 1984 to 1999), and is now seeing another surge.

In order to see how this is significant, we need to get a better understanding of what goes into the term “prework” before we can see how it affects the industry. Forms of prework include prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and on-site fabrication. Prework refers to construction that is done away from the job site (meaning, the final destination or location of what is being constructed). This allows for better control because on-site you have fewer pieces to actually put together, leaving less need for a specialized contractor and reducing labor needs. We see this trend as being particularly strong in the electrical industry, but overall, the trend toward prework, and specifically how it can reduce labor needs, is helping to ease the pressure created by an aging workforce in the trades.

And as a marketer trying to reach contractors, understanding this landscape is key to opening the door to potential opportunities and staying relevant with a younger audience.

For instance, if you are a manufacturer you can offer online training so the contractors that are coming into the trades don’t lose the art of utilizing your product within a project without the aid of prefabrication. Meaning, as this trend continues, the workforce’s skill set is slowly going to erode, and if you are a manufacturer whose products might not be included in the prefab environment, you want to ensure contractors know how to install and maintain your product and even integrate them into the prework.

Another idea to tap into a younger market is get in front of them while they are still in school. Programs directed at high schools students, students in trade or vocational schools and community colleges can get your brand in front of this audience early on to begin a brand experience. Studies show that tradesmen tend to favor the brands that they learned on, so getting your product in their hands while they are learning is key.

Or give away a scholarship for tuition for school or training that encourages the younger generation to consider a career in the trades and aligns your brand with the support of recruiting for the trades.

While there are several different trends emerging in the world of contractors right now, probably the most significant is the fragmentation of the market, including the divide between the younger and older tradesmen. But with the right insights into the market, you can create a highly-targeted communications program that resonates with your audience.

Contact Point to Point to help build a targeted marketing program.

To learn more, download our whitepaper about the fragmentation of the contractor audience.

Image courtesy of  Official U.S. Navy Imagery on Flickr

Contractors often use multiple building products on a daily basis and come to trust certain brands. Often times, they stick with the brand on which they originally learned to work. Additionally, you have an older generation that is aging out (the average age of a contractor is late 40’s/early 50’s) and have a new, younger generation coming in who are more apt for trial. However, once a contractor has become comfortable with a specific brand or product, he is understandably hesitant to switch.

Research has shown that 44% of contractors tend to reuse products they like and only 6% of contractors like to try different brands of products. However, A recent study found that 55% of contractors would be willing to change brands if they had the opportunity to try a new product before purchasing.

In order to convince contractors to become your loyal customers, here are a few steps you can take:

Trial Offers and Guarantees

If contractors have the opportunity to try your product – touch it, feel it, use it and see how well it performs, they will be more likely to trust your brand and welcome the changes or improvements your product can provide. Additionally, if they know that a product is backed by a guarantee, it means that it is a lower risk for them to try the product, thus incentivizing trial.

Distributor Support

A recent study of contractors found that the biggest factor contractors consider when purchasing building products, after cost, is service. Manufacturers who recognize the anxiety produced and risks faced when contractors switch products have an opportunity to demonstrate a deep understanding of their customers through their distribution network, and thus earn enough trust to make them open to trial.

Peer Recommendations (aka word of mouth)

This is a community that relies very heavily on peer recommendations as contractors know that if it works for their peers who are used to professional-grade equipment and products, it will likely work for them. Getting your foot in this network, listening to what they are saying to one another, and being able to have valued discussions with them on their level will not only help to have contractors recommend your products to other contractors, but also ease the path to trial.

Once you have trial, if your products are made well, you will likely see repeat purchases and eventually, the golden goose, brand loyalty. Now more than ever is this important with an audience segment that is younger and more impressionable.

To learn more insights about contractors, download our white paper Connecting to Contractors.

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Its no news that the economy has put a damper on new construction the last few years. Despite a slow down on the construction front, contractors still command significant control in terms of spending.

Residential contractors spent an estimated $25 billion on building products last year and are expected to spend $4.6 trillion by 2015, but marketers who want to capitalize on that growth will have to navigate an increasingly complex and fragmented customer base,  according to a new study recently conducted by Point to Point. Also during the downturn, we’ve seen a shift in demographics among contractors.

“With the profound shift the industry has encountered over the past few years came a division of the contractor audience,” said Aylie Fifer, V.P., account director for Point to Point. “insights into how these segments have emerged, how they are absorbing media, and the technology they are using is critical to the success of manufacturers who want to market to contractors. You can’t talk to them the same way you did 5 years ago because the landscape has changed.”

Read the news story and learn more about this shift in our latest white paper Best Practices for Selling Building Products Through Contractors.

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Ice hockey hall of famer Wayne Gretzky once said…

“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

U.S. homeownership rates continued to fall through fourth quarter of last year. However the multi-housing industry is fairing much better. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), a leading indicator for the multi-housing market, showed continued improvement for the fifth consecutive quarter, commanding the ONLY slow-but-steady rise in real estate market thus far. Multi-housing building starts and permits are increasing to keep up with the steady rise in demand for rentals.

For building product manufacturers, the puck is moving. Multi-housing is the sole bright spot in the real estate market right now. And building product manufacturers looking to target this segment need to understand the dynamics of how to get specified when it comes to new construction in order to compete successfully and garner a high degree of influence. Consider the following three elements towards getting in front of the puck.

Awareness/Relevancy: The starting point with any building product is to generate awareness of the product and make it known to the target audience why it’s relevant to them. Building owners are huge purchase influencers while designers/specifiers are true problem solvers. Your product is only as relevant as the design problem it solves.

Engagement: The next step is to create engagement with the target audience. Always preceded by awareness and relevance, engagement can come in many forms and mediums. The key is audience interactions with the product in order to stay top of mind. A designer/specifier or builder can’t move to engagement if they are not aware of your product or why it is relevant to them or their project.

Specification: The Stanley Cup for building product manufacturers. While getting your product specified does not guarantee it will be used in final construction, getting specified is half the battle. The most important step with specification is empowering and describing WHY the designer/specifier should hold your specification, versus treating it as an “or equal product.”

Getting your product specified is so much more than selling. Knowledge is power, and educating these audiences about your product is way more effective than trying to “sell” these audiences. Let us show you how to grow your product influence and build towards specification. The puck is moving and we can help get you there.

Contact us for more information on how to target this industry.

Flickr image courtesy of Tom Patterson.

This week, researchers at the University of Notre Dame, University of Memphis, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology unveiled a new emotion-sensing software that “responds to students’ cognitive and emotional states, including frustration and boredom.” With this, a giant move has been made in the world of the Pinhole.

Because this software, according to one of the researchers, does nothing short of redefining human-computer interaction. “Most of the 20th-century systems required humans to communicate with computers through windows, icons, menus, and pointing devices,” says University of Notre Dame assistant professor of psychology Sidney D’Mello. “But humans have always communicated with each other through speech and a host of nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, eye contact, posture, and gesture. In addition to enhancing the content of the message, the new technology provides information regarding the cognitive states, motivation levels, and social dynamics of the students.” The software, called Autotutor, “responds to the student’s own questions, gripes, and comments and even senses a student’s frustration or boredom through facial expressions and body posture. It then changes its strategies to help the student conquer those negative emotions” according to the researchers.

For marketers, the possibilities make the mind boggle. Imagine the marketing opportunities if your site can read not only the IP address of the visitor, but their emotional state, their level of engagement, what content stimulates them and what content bores them. Imagine how much more engagement your brand could create if you were able to tailor content not just to user data, actions and IP addresses but to emotional cues — in real time.

You would then have the Holy Grail of marketing platforms — one that would truly be able to carry on a responsive, one-to-one conversation with a customer. Over the last twenty years, customers have increasingly used technology to take more control of the marketing conversation, creating what we refer to as the Pinhole Economy as they become more and more selective about what, where and when they engage. Imagine how much more likely someone would be to buy from Amazon if the site could sense frustration from a shopper and adjust the product offerings accordingly. Or if it could read doubt and use that as a cue to serve up reviews focused on product performance. Or if it could sense confusion and in response offer a pop-up navigator to provide assistance. We’ve already seen one path through that Pinhole with Siri, the virtual assistant that responds to requests and even has a little personality. Responsive platforms like Siri, which deliver what I’m looking for when and where I’m looking for it, engender both affection and trust. And with the even higher levels of personal trust that occur when someone — or something — is able to read your emotional cues and respond accordingly, technology such as Autotutor offers us a glimpse of an even more streamlined path through the Pinhole.

Flickr image courtesy of O Caritas.