Smarter Building Materials Marketing

On this episode, Beth PopNikolov sits down with the mother-daughter duo behind Concretti Designs to explore how a manufacturing-forward mindset and radical transparency turn handmade concrete into a beloved brand. They dive into the power of showcasing people, process, and imperfections to build trust and loyalty in today’s design-driven market.

How does a brand-first mindset drive real growth in a traditionally sales-led industry? In this episode, Beth and Zach talk with Dani Zizak, Chief Marketing Officer at National Nail, about why putting brand at the center of everything has been their winning strategy. Dani shares how National Nail's teams work together to shape messaging, build trust with pros and dealers, and navigate the constant evolution of the building materials market.

What if community connections and authentic digital engagement were the secret weapons for building materials growth in a sea of commodity products? On this episode, we talk to the head of marketing for a multi-location dealer in the South East and hear how they are leveraging the power of personal stories and local relationships to drive sales and create deeper customer loyalty.

The building materials industry is evolving, and so are its customers. With younger generations like Gen Z and Millennials becoming key buyers, brands must rethink their marketing strategies to stay relevant. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Zach Williams sits down with Michael Gabbert, Director of Marketing at Tricam and Gorilla, to discuss how brands can evolve their strategies to meet the expectations of modern buyers. Drawing from his experience at Amazon and Target, Mike shares actionable insights on leveraging social media, video content, influencer partnerships, and data-driven marketing to capture attention, build trust, and drive sales in today’s market.

Thermory USA has redefined what’s possible in the wood industry. In this episode of the Smarter Building Materials Marketing podcast, Zach Williams and Beth PopNikolov are joined by Kevin DeMars, CEO of Thermory USA, to explore how the company’s innovative approach to marketing, transparency, and quality is reshaping the thermally modified wood industry. Kevin shares his perspective on associations, the importance of differentiation, and how down markets can offer unique growth opportunities for manufacturers.

As the building industry faces growing pressure to adopt sustainable practices, Gensler is leading the charge with innovative approaches that address material sourcing, collaboration, and transparency. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Zach Williams and Beth PopNikolov sit down with Erik Barth, Senior Associate Architect and Regional Design Resilience Leader at Gensler, to explore how sustainability has evolved over the past decade. From tackling greenwashing to creating standardized sustainability frameworks, the conversation dives deep into the challenges and opportunities facing architects, manufacturers, and contractors.

As 2025 approaches, building product companies face a year of uncertainty and opportunity, from shifts in the commercial market to heightened competition. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Zach Williams and Beth PopNikolov sit down with Jim Wueste, VP of Carlisle Waterproofing, to offer their insights into what the future holds for the industry. The conversation delves into market trends, the impact of tariffs and interest rates, and what companies must do to thrive in the competitive year ahead.

In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Zach Williams and Beth PopNikolov sit down with Jim Wueste, VP of Carlisle Waterproofing, to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and critical shifts shaping the building materials industry. Discover why focusing on execution over market fluctuations matters, the untapped potential of platforms like Reddit, how generational shifts are reshaping consumer trust, the underutilized power of influencer marketing in our industry, and how companies like Sherwin-Williams and BFS are setting the bar in their respective spaces.

In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth and Zach explore some key insights into giving customers and clients the kind of experience that will not only bring them to the table, but will build loyalty that will keep them there. Director of B2B Marketing for Techo-Bloc, Alex Cadieux, talks about how they moved from just building great products, to the next level of supporting their customers through education on the way to build things properly. Entering a new phase, they have now been able to go even one step further by helping them learn how to market their business to acquire and retain clients. He talks about a new event Techo-Bloc is hosting as an example of how they are helping their dealers grow their businesses. Zach and Beth will be bringing their digital marketing expertise to the event as featured speakers. 

In this episode Zach talks with Matt Nichols, the founder and owner of Digiwise, about digital transformation. Matt breaks the process down into how to achieve and sell the strategies to digitally transform as a manufacturer as well as how to implement those strategies and hold to the milestones. Zach asks Matt to give the listeners some ideas about how organizations go wrong in this area. They end the episode with talking about what can happen after you achieve the basic steps.