Watch the School of Specification webinar exploring what architects and specifiers really need from construction product manufacturers, from reliable technical information and project-specific advice to useful education and long-term collaboration.
Architects and technologists are making product decisions in an increasingly demanding environment. Greater regulatory scrutiny, growing sustainability expectations, compressed design programmes and the rapid expansion of AI-assisted research are changing how products are discovered, assessed and specified. Manufacturers may have more ways than ever to reach design teams, but gaining their attention and trust remains difficult.
Collaboration, early engagement and education are frequently presented as the answer. Yet these familiar phrases reveal little about what specifiers need in practice, the information they value at different stages of a project or why some manufacturers become trusted technical partners while others struggle to gain traction.
These questions formed the basis of Beyond the buzzwords: what does it really take to engage specifiers?, a free webinar hosted by the School of Specification. Offering construction marketers the opportunity to hear directly from those involved in product decisions, the session examined how specifiers discover, assess and shortlist products, where manufacturers commonly fall short, and how better support can improve engagement throughout the design and specification process.
Chaired by Kate Perrin, Marketing Director at Barbour ABI, the webinar brought together John Ramshaw, Technical Editor at Architecture Today; Mark Schumann, Regional Director at Matthews Real Estate; Paola Boffo, Head of Specification at Wilkinson Eyre; and Scott Farrar MCIAT, Associate Technologist at Scott Brownrigg.
Specifiers need confidence, not more information
The panel began by setting out the pressures facing specifiers. Project teams are managing growing technical and regulatory complexity while making decisions earlier, working to shorter programmes and responding to greater scrutiny. The central challenge is no longer simply finding information, but establishing whether it is accurate, relevant and applicable to a particular project.
“While AI is making information easier for us all to find, it’s not necessarily easier to verify and trust,” said Mark Schumann. “The challenge is no longer finding information. It’s about having confidence in its accuracy and the relevance to your specific project.”
For Paola Boffo, whose work encompasses international projects, information must also be transparent, traceable and appropriate to the country in which a product will be used. Product availability, certification and regulatory acceptance cannot be assumed to transfer from one market to another.
Scott Farrar highlighted a further information gap around retrofit. Manufacturer data is frequently produced for new-build applications, whereas existing buildings present unknown substrates, legacy façades and interfaces that standard testing may not cover. He also called for manufacturers to address fire safety and embodied carbon together, particularly where the case for retaining existing fabric conflicts with the need for safety-led intervention.
AI can support research, but relationships remain human
AI is already being used to summarise standards, compare products and accelerate initial research. However, the panel was clear that its findings must be verified and that it cannot replace project-specific technical judgement.
“Every project is different. Every detail is different,” said Paola Boffo. A product may have been used successfully before, but its interfaces, installation and construction context will change from one scheme to another. AI may provide a starting point, but architects still need access to competent people who understand both the product and the design challenge.
This makes the technical team particularly important. Specifiers are more likely to trust manufacturers that can move a conversation beyond sales information and bring in people able to discuss testing, detailing, limitations and appropriate applications.
Lead with the problem, not the product
Asked what marketing cuts through, the panel consistently favoured useful technical insight over promotional claims.
John Ramshaw described architects as a sophisticated audience that responds to demonstrated expertise and thought leadership. Case studies, technical Q&As, webinars and other educational formats allow manufacturers to share knowledge while showing how their products contribute to real design and construction outcomes.
He cited an Architecture Today technical Q&A on best practice for flat-roof upstands as an example. The subject may appear highly specialised, but it attracted strong interest because it addressed a recurring issue that architects encounter in practice.
Scott Farrar agreed that manufacturers should “lead with a problem first, not product first”. He wanted to see case studies explaining how a product resolved a specific technical challenge, as well as honest discussion of lessons learned, system failures and the steps needed to avoid them. Generic brochures, cold calls and presentations centred on product ranges and finishes were far less likely to engage him.
Mark Schumann offered a similarly direct test for any initial approach: “Don’t tell me what you’re selling. Tell me why it matters to my project.”
To do that effectively, a manufacturer must understand the project’s location, procurement route, design stage and immediate challenges. The information required for an early outline specification differs significantly from the detailed fire, acoustic, finish and interface data needed at tender stage.
Useful education builds trust
CPDs and technical seminars were identified as important opportunities to introduce new materials and systems, demonstrate expertise and begin a relationship with a practice. Their value depends, however, on education taking precedence over promotion.
Paola Boffo said architects use CPDs to develop knowledge they may not otherwise have access to and to demonstrate professional competence. The quality of the technical content, the presenter’s knowledge and the way questions are answered all shape perceptions of the manufacturer behind the presentation.
Real-world case studies are particularly valuable because they show how a product or system has responded to an identifiable problem. Where the neutrality requirements of formal CPD schemes limit product-specific discussion, webinars and podcasts can provide complementary platforms for examining practical solutions in greater depth.
Collaboration must continue beyond the specification
Product awareness alone does not lead automatically to specification, and being named in a specification does not guarantee that a product will reach site. Evidence must be checked, clients and contractors may need to be brought on board, and the proposed solution must remain appropriate as the design develops.
Paola Boffo emphasised that this can be a long journey. Manufacturers that remain responsive from initial research through technical design, procurement and construction give specifiers a stronger basis for justifying and retaining their products.
The most productive relationships are also two-way. Architects gain specialist knowledge from manufacturers, while manufacturers learn more about design intent, project constraints and areas where products or services need to evolve.
For construction marketers, the webinar’s conclusion was straightforward. Visibility matters, whether it is achieved through LinkedIn, trade media, CPDs, webinars, podcasts or events. But attention is converted into trust through relevant evidence, technical competence and a willingness to understand and help solve the specifier’s problem.