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ARCHITECTURE MARKETING 360: CASE STUDY #2
Architect and practice owner, Australia, 2024
An architect who completed Architecture Marketing 360 in early 2024 has generously provided feedback about what they found useful and valuable, what could be improved in future, and how their feelings about marketing their practice shifted as they took the course.
This architect chose to remain anonymous, and I’m grateful for the feedback they provided, which has been lightly edited here.
Overall, they rated the course 5 out of 5 stars, saying that it helped them to transform their feelings about marketing from “1 out of 10” before starting the course to “6 out of 10” after they’d finished it. They said: “I feel good about the challenge overall, as I see it as proof that I am on a path to a better place.”
You can find more details about their experience of completing the Architecture Marketing 360 CPD course below.
“I am really impressed with the quality of your material so far, congratulations!
I have mostly been happy with the amount and nature of business (and personal income) I have had for past decade, with active resistance to any form of marketing whatsoever.
However, not being able to articulate any goal at all has become very frustrating, and leaving me somewhat empty.
Having a plan to articulate positioning, and then execute a marketing system is both empowering to articulate business goals overall, and execute a plan to achieve them.
Talk soon, thanks again, this is excellent work.”
— Architect and practice owner, Australia, 2024
1. How were you feeling about your practice marketing before and after taking the AM360 course?
(Score out of 10, where 1 is worried, overwhelmed and anxious, and 10 is relaxed, informed and motivated.)
Before: 1 out of 10
After: 6 out of 10
2. Did you have any initial hesitations about committing to the AM360 course? If yes, please describe them.
Yes, I wondered whether it would be an irrelevant waste of money for a practice like mine?
3. What helped you to overcome those concerns and decide to enrol?
Desperation! I needed to do something.
4. How satisfied were you overall with the AM360 course?
5 out of 5 stars
5. In relation to the course delivery, how long did you take to complete the course materials in the self-guided program.
I worked through the entire course in less than 3 weeks
6. In relation to the course content, what were the main marketing topics or problems you wanted to learn more about in the course?
Step 1. Positioning
7. Did the course address those topics or concerns in sufficient detail for you?
Yes, it provided some great resources and links to help with a process for an overwhelming topic.
8. Did you find the suite of materials suited your learning needs? Please provide details, including any suggestions for improvements in future iterations.
Yes, everything was very easy to follow.
9. Did you find the Facebook group and live Zoom sessions useful to gain additional support?
I do not use Facebook, or have any desire to do so. A lot of architects younger than me see it as an irrelevance for old fogies. Keeping the chat/support group in this context I believe will limit access to the support group for some. I would encourage you to find another platform that is more inclusive to younger architects.
10. In relation to Rachael's presentation style, do you have any suggestions or recommendations for future improvements?
I really liked the style. (This may be intentional in your positioning, in which case ignore the following: your material seems targeted to award-seeking single residential architects. The idea of a waitlist does not suit architects with B2B positioning, our clients will not wait a year servicing interest payments on multi-million dollar land purchases until we are ready to provide our services for example).
11. Which of the 9 course topics did you find most beneficial?
Before we begin - set up your metrics
ICA (Ideal Client Avatar) and Marketing Budgets
USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Channel 1 - Referrals
Channel 2 - Email
Channel 3 - Social Media
Channel 4 - Publishing
Channel 5 - Awards
Channel 6 - Website
Implementation plan
12. Were the Website Review sessions helpful - including an overview of website metrics and performance, and reviews of participants' websites?
I have put the metrics in place even though my website and any other channels have been nonexistent. I am building from the ground up.
13. Which architecture marketing topics would you like to learn more about in future?
How to target business clients such as professional developers.
14. Have you already implemented - or do you plan to implement - some of the marketing ideas and concepts from AM360 in your practice?
Yes, I have already implemented some ideas and concepts
Yes, I plan to start implementation soon
Yes, I plan to implement, but not straight away
No, I need more time to digest the materials before I think about implementation
No, I didn't find any of the ideas useful, so I won't be implementing them
15. Do you have sufficient knowledge now to become more accessible and appealing to your target clients in your marketing and messaging, after completing the AM360 course?
Yes, I think mostly as this is a guide to ACTION.
16. Is your mindset (or set of internal beliefs) about what’s possible in your architecture practice different now, as a result of doing this course?
Hmm. Yes, my goal is not to necessarily grow a larger practice and start employing lots of architects. I have mostly been happy with the amount and nature of business (and personal income) I have had for past decade, with active resistance to any form of marketing whatsoever. However, not being able to articulate any goal at all has become very frustrating, and leaving me somewhat empty. Having a plan to articulate positioning, and then execute a marketing system is both empowering to articulate business goals overall, and execute a plan to achieve them.
17. Would you recommend the AM360 course to other architects and designers? Why or why not?
Yes
18. Did you think the course was good value for money?
Yes.
19. Do you think the allocation of 6 Formal CPD points is commensurate with the training? If not, should the course be worth more or fewer CPD points?
I think it should be closer to 10 formal points, and at least another 5 informal. I spent well over 20 hours doing the course, and the linked readings and learnings that in my view are essential to gain the full value from the course.
20. Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience, the course delivery, materials, the presenter, or suggestions for future iterations?
Consider either as a topic in this course, or another course, the specific application of marketing to architects seeking, or growing business clients. Also a topic for architects without a large portfolio of completed work (and photography) may be useful. I may be unusual, but I see myself fundamentally as a service provider, or business consultant with expert knowledge.
Providing these services professionally to add very significant value to my client's business (or personal) goals is my goal. Getting awards, publications, or even photographs of the work has been of minimal to zero interest to my business objectives, or seemingly my client's concerns, as proven by 20-year history of mostly successful practice achieving significantly more income than I understand, similar-sized businesses that seek those things have done.
Possibly, I have been wrong, and if I pursued those things more aggressively I would have a much more substantial and successful business. Who knows?!
“I feel good about the challenge overall, as I see it as proof that I am on a path to a better place.
I am a long way from having positioning worked out, so I have decided to just push on.
At minimum, I learn some things - ideally the process and ACTION - which motivates me and helps me consolidate and articulate what I wish to pursue.”
— Architect and practice owner, Australia, 2024