Rick Hollister, CBE Marketing Network
Workhouse Creative Agency launched its new Built for the Trade report at a roundtable during InstallerSHOW 2026. The research highlights a clear content/audience disconnect: while 86% of tradespeople say brand content can influence their purchasing decisions, only half believe brands are producing content that does it well.
Content can cut through. Nearly half (46%) of tradespeople say they have tried a product for the first time because of brand-led content, while more than a third (35%) have gone on to recommend a product to another tradesperson after engaging with it. Content is not simply building awareness. It is driving action, influencing peer recommendations and shaping purchasing decisions.
Much of today’s trade marketing still relies on familiar formulas, with most brands failing to break the mold. Product specifications, promotional mechanics and site humour continue to dominate despite ranking among the least valuable types of content for this audience. At the same time, tradespeople are spending up to an hour each day consuming work-related content, presenting a significant opportunity for brands prepared to offer something genuinely useful.
The report suggests that authenticity remains one of the biggest differentiators. More than half (57%) of respondents prefer content featuring real tradespeople over celebrities or professional influencers, reinforcing that credibility comes from lived experience rather than polished endorsement.
What audiences value most is content that helps them do their job more effectively. Practical advice, demonstrations in real working environments and information that saves time consistently outperform entertainment-led approaches. Creativity still matters, but it works hardest when it solves problems rather than simply attracting attention. Content for content’s sake is becoming less effective.
The findings also highlight the wider ecosystem influencing purchasing decisions. Recommendations between tradespeople remain highly influential, while merchant counter teams continue to play an important role in product selection. Brands that support these trusted networks with relevant, credible content are likely to see greater long-term advocacy than those focused solely on direct promotion.
There is also a growing B2B2C dynamic at play. Increasingly, tradespeople arrive on site with customers who have already researched products and formed opinions before work begins. For marketers, this creates the challenge of building demand with end users without undermining the trust they have established with the trade. However, different audiences need different messages delivered via different channels.
Perhaps the most important question raised by the report is how success is measured. Too much trade content risks becoming background noise, with brands often prioritising reach and engagement over commercial impact. As marketing budgets come under greater scrutiny, demonstrating influence on behaviour and purchasing decisions will become far more meaningful than measuring visibility alone. B2B brands can learn from B2C counterparts who have well-tested attribution and reward schemes for effective influencer content.
The report presents a compelling case for raising the standard of construction marketing. Tradespeople are engaged, open to influence and actively looking for content that helps them work smarter. It’s now time for brands and their marketing teams to act.
The opportunity is not producing more content but instead creating work that is practical, credible and distinctive enough to make a measurable difference where it matters most. Workhouse has uncovered how built environment brands can break through on site, at the merchant counter and ultimately at the point of purchase for B2B and B2C customers.
To read the full findings from Workhouse and better understand the role of creativity in construction marketing content, download the report.