David Pead, CBE Marketing Network
As regulation tightens and procurement processes become more demanding, the pressure on organisations to communicate clearly, accurately and transparently is increasing.
The third session curated by the CBE Marketing Network at UK Construction Week looks at what this means for marketing teams working increasingly closely with product, compliance and sustainability specialists across the built environment.
This session asks a simple but increasingly important question: how do marketing teams balance commercial ambition with the need for evidence, accountability and trust?
Trust under scrutiny: maintaining credibility in a regulated industry
Wednesday 13 May | 13:45–14:25
Marketing & Procurement Stage
Chaired by Anna Hern, Joint Managing Director at Ridgemount, the discussion will explore how marketing is working more closely with technical, compliance and specification teams in practice.
“The role of marketing has changed significantly over the past few years,” said Anna. “Teams are now much closer to conversations around compliance, sustainability and technical performance. That creates new responsibilities as well as new pressures.”
The discussion takes place against the backdrop of continuing post-Grenfell reform, increasing ESG scrutiny and wider industry efforts to improve trust in construction product information.
Initiatives such as the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), alongside growing concern around greenwash and misleading environmental claims, are changing how organisations approach communication.
“There is now much less tolerance for vague or unsupported claims,” said Anna. “Whether you are talking about sustainability, compliance or performance, organisations increasingly need to demonstrate where information comes from and how it can be evidenced.”
To explore those challenges, Anna Hern is joined by a panel bringing together perspectives from manufacturing, sustainability, compliance and industry reform.
Duncan Grover, Technical Director at Schüco UK, will discuss how technical and marketing teams work together to ensure product messaging remains accurate and defensible.
Steve Marr, Chief Operating Officer at CCPi, brings a wider industry perspective on the push for clearer and more responsible construction product information, and the cultural change required across the sector.
Charlie Martin, CEO of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, will explore how environmental claims are coming under greater scrutiny, and where organisations remain most vulnerable to accusations of greenwash or misleading communication.
Louis Weir, Sustainability Manager at IKO, adds the perspective of a manufacturer navigating increasingly complex ESG expectations, sustainability reporting and regulatory change.
Together, the panel will examine how organisations are managing risk, supporting transparency and protecting trust in a more regulated environment.
The discussion will also look at where responsibility sits internally. As marketing becomes more closely aligned with commercial strategy, the expectations placed on teams are increasing. But so too is the level of accountability attached to public claims.
“The challenge is not simply to communicate more cautiously,” said Hern. “It is about communicating more clearly, more consistently and with stronger evidence behind what is being said.”
For marketers, manufacturers and business leaders alike, this is becoming one of the most important conversations shaping the built environment sector.
As with the wider UK Construction Week programme curated by the CBE Marketing Network, the aim is not to present polished answers, but to open up a more honest discussion about the realities facing marketing teams today.
To hear directly from those shaping marketing across the built environment, you can register to attend UK Construction Week here.
Part of a wider programme
This session is one of four curated by the CBE Marketing Network at UK Construction Week:
From brand to pipeline: how marketing is driving revenue and growth in construction
Exploring how marketing is aligning with commercial teams to influence pipeline and performance
Building marketing capability in construction
Examining how client and agency relationships are evolving in a changing market
AI, search and zero click: what is keeping marketers awake at night?
Looking at how changing digital behaviour is reshaping visibility, search and engagement