4 Ways Architects Can Elevate Their Communications

Every building is a tiny miracle.

It’s basically a flashmob, a concert, a herculean effort of sheer humanity and creativity coupled with the well-timed and swift movement of Earth and materials: a gravity-defying endeavor.

A big issue that many architecture firms and designers face is trying to get media attention for their hard-fought design work. The genuine sweat, love and care that went into the project or building for months or maybe even years brings about pride in the heart of a designer. And that effort, problem solving and too-many-to-count late nights deserves some acknowledgement at the end of the day, don’t you think?  

If you’re looking for more ways to connect with audiences through media, here are a few key principles to media relations that guide Bramble Creative’s process, which may help you improve your own communications.

• Read the news – It sounds basic but if you want to be in the news, you have to read a ton of it. You have to consume it from many different sources and it must be all the time. This is the only way to get a good understanding of the media landscape, what reporters are looking for and how your work and story fits in with the overall context of the world. We recommend reading not only the greatest hits like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, but take stock of your local newspapers, magazines and trades. These are where you will find most of the reporters who would be interested in writing in-depth pieces about your work. The big dogs are important but hyperlocal is where news happens.
  
• Relinquish a bit of control – In the design industry, you’ll find many self-proclaimed “control freaks” – people who feel like they need to have a handle on almost anything that could be within the scope of their design work. Totally understandable and especially when there’s so much at stake. However, this way of being could be a recipe for a lot of frustration in the world of media.
  As a general rule, you must adopt this mindset– you cannot control the media. Period. All publications fall back on their First Amendment rights (Freedom of the Press) and most will not send articles for editing or approval.
  Instead of worrying about what they will publish, try to focus your attention on what’s within your zone of control – your story, the materials you send, ensuring that the facts and information are accurate and up-to-date. You can control speaking clearly and concisely on your project work – either through written statements or being well-versed and practiced in your interview. Remember to always be available and flexible but check your expectations for a certain outcome at the door.
• Speak with clarity and purpose – Imagine for a moment that you’ve made headway with a reporter, brought them into an interview with you – you get all the way to the end and realize that you didn’t really discuss what you thought you would. You look back and realize you were too excited/nervous/energetic and were weaving all over the map with different ideas.
  The way to avoid pitfalls is to go into the interview prepared with an understanding of the points you’d like to get across. Develop and practice your talking points thoroughly and ensure that you are speaking in a clear and organized way. Let the reporter ask questions throughout the interview and don’t be afraid to leave them wanting more.
• Envision your headline – Another great trick that helps people in interviews is to go into the discussion with a clear idea of what the headline of the article could be. Develop an understanding of your main idea and write it out on a piece of paper or say it out loud in a mirror if it helps you. This can be a great North Star that will guide you along in your interaction with the reporter and will help you stay on message.

If you are looking for a place to start with your architecture firm’s PR and need a specialized agency to help with thought leadership, media relations and writing efforts, please reach out to us at hello@bramblecreative.com – we’d love to help!