AEC CASE STORY
Positioning a small architecture firm for expansion
TBA Studio, 15-person Louisiana-based architecture firm with a reputation for bringing ambitious projects to fruition, had ambitions of its own. They wanted to double their revenue in five years and attract more of the larger, more profitable projects they enjoy working on. To do this, they needed to adopt a more modern approach to marketing and build visibility outside of their local area.
A turning point
When TBA Studio approached us, they relied primarily on traditional, face-to-face networking and had no dedicated marketing resource on staff. That put a lot of the burden on their CEO, Tim Brandon. A 22-year industry veteran, he was starting to think about his eventual transition out of the firm he founded. At the same time, the firm had set a goal of doubling in size in five years. Clearly, TBA needed a more systematic, long-term marketing strategy, one that could fuel their growth and wasn’t dependent on a single stakeholder.
“To achieve our goals, we had to bring our marketing and message into sharper focus. Hinge gave us everything we needed to grow in a marketplace full of competitors.”
Tim Brandon, CEO, TBA Studio
A more visible firm
Hinge’s Visible Firm® program offered TBA everything they were looking for: a proven, growth-oriented marketing program built for professional services firms like theirs, along with the expert support they needed to get it off the ground.
A focused message
To get a better understanding of the firm and its opportunities, we conducted a series of interviews with TBA’s clients. Using these insights we developed a set of differentiators, a positioning statement and an elevator pitch they could use to describe themselves. We focused their messaging around two markets in which they had special expertise: sports and educational facilities. We also noticed that they have exceptional levels of client satisfaction—far above the benchmark for their industry—so we wove that message into their narrative. At last, they had a clear and compelling story to tell.
What's your biggest marketing challenge?
Let's TalkAn expertise engine
To power their Visible Firm marketing program, we also designed and built a new website with all the features they would need to attract motivated, qualified prospects from around the nation, nurture them, and convert them into true opportunities. The website is not only a compelling platform to show off their work and promote their services, it is an expertise engine ready to attract new web visitors and convert them into leads once the content production phase of their marketing program reaches maturity.
An updated logo
In coordination with the launch of their new website, TBA asked Hinge to make some refinements to their logo to make it cleaner and more contemporary. Our design team responded with a simple but sophisticated evolution of their logotype. We also used the arch in the A as inspiration for elements on their website and elsewhere in their brand identity. We codified everything in a set of Brand Style Guidelines, a document designed to grow as their new identity expands and matures.
Just the beginning
Today, TBA is entering a new phase of the engagement. We are collaborating on the launch of the firm’s new blog, arranging guest blogging and podcast opportunities, negotiating speaking engagements and developing the kind of irresistible valuable content that turns web visitors into contacts and leads.
What we did
Visible Firm Program
- Brand Research
- Differentiators & Positioning
- Marketing Strategy
- Editorial Calendar
- Writing/Content Development
- Executive Guide Production
- Joint Speaking Engagement
- Social Media Training
- Guest Blogging and Speaking Outreach & Negotiation
- Marketing Implementation Support
- Monthly Analytics Reporting
- Ongoing Mentoring, Training & Consultation
High-Performance Website
- Design
- Automated Lead-Generation Strategy
- Offer Strategy
- Search Engine Optimization
- Website Development
- Writing
- Ongoing Performance Reporting
