The role of advertising in marketing civil/structural engineering consultancy firms

This paper examines the results of an investigation into the role of advertising in civil/structural consulting engineering service firms in the UK. A questionnaire survey of clients and engineering consultants was undertaken to ascertain the current advertising practices and preferences in the methods and media used. From the survey, the results show that clients and consultants agree on the use of advertising consultants and media to achieve enhanced communication with clients. However, more advertising should be directed towards architects because the majority of clients approach architects first when launching a construction project. The results demonstrate that advertising is necessary, but is not a major factor in the selection mechanism of consulting firms by clients; further market research must be carried out to measure advertising effectiveness.