Description
Book SynopsisYou are a great designer, but no one knows you. Now what?
By directly confronting the burning question ‘How do you win work?’, this book addresses the key purpose of architects investing time and effort in public relations and marketing.
Written by one of the most influential and perceptive voices in business development, Jan Knikker, Partner for Strategy and Development at MVRDV, the narrative simultaneously informs and excites, making marketing accessible and compelling for all architects regardless of sector and practice size.
Knikker draws on over 20 years’ experience at the forefront of global practice at MVRDV and OMA, shaping their public images and business strategies. Bridging the distance between architects and marketing, he provides practical tips and best practice guidance, ranging from strategic business plans to the nuts and bolts of writing press releases and fee proposals.
Successful PR has to be more than skin deep. It needs to rest on strong and stable foundations. Knikker emphasises the importance of nurturing a creative and innovative practice culture, which also invests in core values, such as being a good employer and professional ethics.
The result of extensive research, Knikker draws on fresh insights and approaches from a wide range of architects in the UK and internationally:
• David Miller Architects
• Coffey Architects
• Studio MUTT
• MgMaStudio
• Feilden Fowles
• Powerhouse Company
• Shedkm.
Table of ContentsForeword
About the Author
1 How we are supposed to work for free
2 We can do better
3 To specialise or not to specialise
4 Marketing: a dirty word
5 Mission and vision
6 Branding and company culture
PUBLIC RELATIONS
7 “If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on PR”
7.1 Writing a marketing strategy
8 The office is your business card
9 Your website: your online shop window
10 Your work amidst a changing media landscape
10.1 Print
10.2 Online media
10.3 Social media
10.4 TV and Youtube
10.5 Vlogs and podcasts
10.6 Crisis communication and the outreach that might prevent it
10.7 Others
11 Lectures
12 Receiving or organising awards
13 Your product in the picture
13.1 The drawing
13.2 The render
13.3 Collages and hand-drawings
13.4 Talking to clients: the project text and press release
13.5 The model
14 The built project
15 The project book
16 Exhibitions
17 Prioritising
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
18 Business development, the direct way to win new work
19 Client relationships
20 Who are you as a person, and how do you approach selling?
21 Just do it
22 Going abroad
23 Fairs
24 How to calculate a fee
25 Contracts: managing risks and keeping promises
26 It’s not easy being green
27 The pitch
28 Broadening your portfolio
29 Planning
30 Collaborations
31 Learning from others
32 Styles
33 Ethics for architects
34 Suing your client
35 Spam and fraud
36 Crisis
CASE STUDIES
1 shedkm
2 MgMaStudio
3 Studio MUTT
4 Coffey Architects
5 David Millar Architects
6 Feilden Fowles
7 Turner Works
8 From 0 to 100 staff in 15 years
Acknowledgements
Image credits
Index
