David Pead, CBE Marketing Network
As marketing activity in construction becomes more data-led and buyer-aware, pressure is growing on the rest of the organisation to keep pace. Many marketing teams are delivering stronger visibility, engagement and leads, while internal sales processes and commercial models remain largely unchanged.
This tension formed a key part of the Construction marketing Roundtable discussion. Participants reflected on how marketing is increasingly asked to support longer decision cycles, qualify demand and protect credibility, even when sales structures are still geared towards faster, simpler conversion.
From there, the conversation widened to the commercial environment marketing is operating within. Procurement expectations are shifting, social value is carrying greater weight in bids, and uncertainty around investment timelines is making pipeline planning more difficult. Together, these pressures are pushing marketing closer to the centre of commercial decision-making than ever before.
Social value as a commercial driver
Procurement was repeatedly cited as an area where expectations have shifted fastest, with social value now carrying direct commercial weight rather than reputational goodwill. Social value is now embedded into tender frameworks, often accounting for five to ten per cent of bid evaluation, and reshaping how organisations prepare, present and justify their work.
This has led to the emergence of new roles, including dedicated social value managers, and has brought marketing into closer collaboration with bid teams, compliance functions and operational delivery.
“And every time we go for a tender, it will want five to ten per cent back in social value. So then we have to work backwards. It must be local, it must be tangible, and it must be evidenced.”
“We’re now seeing social value managers appear on bids in the same way health and safety did years ago. They’re becoming a standard part of the process.”
“The difficulty is proving impact. Everyone wants social value, but the frameworks and the data aren’t always there to support it.”
“Marketing ends up having to evidence what’s happening across the business and turn it into something credible. It’s not just about saying we do good things. It has to stand up in a bid.”
Several participants at the roundtable stressed that social value is no longer a peripheral or reputational add-on. Instead, it is a core commercial consideration that directly affects bid competitiveness, client perception and long-term positioning.
Marketing and sales: evolving at different speeds
As marketing activity becomes more data-led and buyer-aware, several participants questioned whether internal sales models are adapting at the same pace. Marketing teams are delivering stronger visibility, higher engagement and increased lead volumes, while sales structures, capacity and incentives often remained unchanged
“We’ve massively increased the number of leads coming in, but sales simply can’t get around to them all.”
“There’s still this assumption that more leads equals better outcomes, without really looking at whether the organisation is actually set up to respond properly.”
“We’ve realised that if we give things to sales too early, they just get lost. So now we’re effectively qualifying leads in marketing before they ever go across.”
This disconnect was seen as symptomatic of a wider challenge: marketing is adapting to longer decision cycles, greater scrutiny and more complex buying processes, while some sales models still assume faster, simpler conversion.
Investment confidence and the flow of money
Uncertainty around the flow of investment into construction also emerged as a significant concern. While funding announcements and long-term commitments are regularly made by Government, the roundtable discussed the growing gap between policy signals and money reaching live projects.
Delays caused by regulatory gateways, political uncertainty and market volatility have a direct impact on confidence, pipeline planning and commercial decision-making.
“What’s on my mind is higher up the chain, the trickle down. If you think about the flow of investment in construction, that’s what concerns me.”
“From an investor point of view, if I’ve got ten million, I’m thinking, where can I put my money? I don’t want to put it into a building if it’s going to take too long to get through gateways and come to fruition.”
“We hear about government investment all the time, defence, justice, education, culture, heritage. But when will that actually get released? The press release and the money hitting our businesses are two very different things.”
Several participants noted that this uncertainty makes planning difficult, particularly for organisations expected to maintain growth, staffing and marketing activity despite unclear timelines.
“You could easily have a change of government in between those announcements and the money actually coming through.”
“There’s pressure from boards for short-term results, while grants or investment might not land for a year or more.”
From a marketing perspective, this creates a challenging environment. Teams are asked to support pipelines and maintain confidence in a market where visibility is limited, decision cycles are extended and investment signals remain fragile.
Roundtable participants
Liam Bateman (Chair), Managing Director, The Think Tank
Helen Cooper, Head of Marketing, Altecnic
Emma Cox, Head of Marketing, Watts Group Limited
Charmaine Dean, Marketing Manager, Catnic
Stuart Devoil, Group Head of Marketing, James Latham
Catherine Fyfe, Group Marketing Director, Genuit Group
James Hulme, Group Global Director of Communications, Broadway Malyan
Amy Law, Senior Marketing Manager, Eleco
Stacey Lucas, Commercial and Marketing Director, Sontay, & President of the BCIA
Gareth Osborne, Associate Marketing Director, Pick Everard
This is the third of four reports from the Construction Marketing Roundtable. The final article explores technology, data and the gap between investment and adoption.