The Shortlist

Let's dive into brand guidelines! While they are considered the foundational elements of any company's marketing toolkit, the specific components can vary greatly between firms. In episode 41 of The Shortlist, Becky Ellison and Lauren Jane Peterson, Senior Creative Strategists at Middle of Six, break down the essentials of brand guidelines. They even go beyond the basics and explore the nice-to-have and dreamworld scenarios. 

This episode explores everything from defining a brand's personality and voice, how logos should be used, and the need for consistent visual and writing standards across marketing platforms. Becky and Lauren Jane also share tips on how to audit your firm's brand assets, conduct a "search and destroy mission" for non-complaint logos and visuals, and how to rein in a brand without feeling overwhelmed. 

CPSM CEU Credits:  0.5 | Domain: 2

If you are a marketer in the AEC industry, you have undoubtedly supported a few proposal responses—if not dozens and dozens—throughout your career. And with that inevitably comes a personal list of RFP pet peeves, ranging from incorrect or missing information to excessively onerous, perplexing requirements.

In episode 40 of The Shortlist, Middle of Six Principals, Wendy Simmons and Melissa Richey, delve into some of the most confounding RFP requirements they've encountered, providing commentary (and catharsis!) from their experiences contributing to hundreds of RFP Responses. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 4

In the AEC industry, professional photography is one of the most valuable representations of your team's culture, technical expertise, and years of hard work delivering successful projects. As a rule, it is often recommended to budget for photos annually, not only for finished buildings but also for "in action" shots that highlight your team and collaboration. If budget is limited, perhaps it is time to tune up your in-house photography skills. 

In Episode 39 of The Shortlist, Digital Marketing Strategist, Fadi Asmar gets into the nitty gritty details of selecting the right equipment and honing your skills on the jobsite. From the basics of camera bodies, lenses, tripods, and lighting equipment to different tips for architectural photos versus candid team shots, Fadi shares decades of experience behind the camera as an in-house marketer who also wears the "photographer hat." 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 5

When it comes to first impressions of your brand, your digital marketing platforms are critical—including websites, social media channels, and overall digital marketing collateral. In today's digital world, these are arguably more influential than a company's physical location.  Low-quality, grainy, blurry, or dated visuals will probably reflect poorly on your brand and your business—and let's be real, that's not how most firms want to be seen. 

In Episode 38 of The Shortlist, Fadi Asmar and Kyle Davis of MOS's Digital Marketing Team, share their insights on the power of visuals in digital marketing, including the equipment and resources you need to create on-brand digital content. Listen in to the team's tips and lessons learned from countless projects and brand image shoots for AEC firms.

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 5

We all love a win, and recognition! Awards from professional associations are a fantastic way to celebrate your team's efforts and garner publicity for your firm. But it's no small effort to assemble an award submittal that checks all the boxes and resonates with jurists. Judging panels sometimes include professionals from outside the industry—for a fresh perspective—and always include a few sticklers that score "by the book." In Episode 37 of The Shortlist, Wendy Simmons and Melissa Richey, two past SMPS award program judges, share their experiences as judges and 10 helpful tips to make the award submittal process less daunting, targeted to the judging panel, and more likely to bring home a win! 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 5

In Episode 36 of The Shortlist, Pursuit Strategist Grace Takehara joins Wendy  to discuss how to infuse creativity into the proposal process. Grace shares suggestions to help rethink the typical approach to proposal responses by crafting an environment that is focused on the reader, experimenting with different storytelling mediums, teasing out which elements are "set" versus what you can control, and using simple, shorter responses to make more complex sections shine! 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 4

Have you ever considered working as a freelance marketer? Or been curious what it takes to launch and run a small business? Since every entrepreneur has their own unique origin story, we thought it would be fun to share some insights into the making of Middle of Six. Listen in as Senior Creative Strategist Becky Ellison takes over as host to interview Middle of Six's founder, Wendy Simmons. Find out what nudged Wendy into starting her own firm, who she was inspired by, and what advice she'd give to marketers or creatives who have been curious about going out on their own. With transparency and candor, Wendy shares the real truth of her journey as a woman business owner in the AEC industry. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 6

Whether you're a seasoned AEC marketer or just recently joined the industry, Senior Creative Strategist Becky Ellison and host Wendy Simmons are here to answer the question, 'If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself in the first year of your career?' Becky and Wendy share specific recommendations for marketers who are still learning about the industry, refining their voice, and finding value in their fresh perspective. The two cover everything from the importance of speaking up and asking questions to prioritizing selfcare–even when on a deadline. We couldn't have done this topic justice without valuable tips from the rest of the Middle of Six team, including Melissa Richey, Grace Takehara, and Allison Tivnon. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.75 | Domain: 6

Once you've determined which competitors to research, now the treasure hunt begins! In Part 2 of our discussion with Allison Tivnon, we outline how to efficiently assess the competition's online presence and what to look for related to brand personality, storytelling, and online engagement. With a clear understanding of your competition's online presence and performance, you can holistically create social media and website strategies that are 'right sized'—balancing finite marketing resources with the never-ending quest to have your firm genuinely stand out from the crowd. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.5 | Domain: 1

As a general rule, we don't recommend obsessing over the competition. It's much more productive to focus on what your firm does well. But on occasion—say at the start of a new year or as part of a larger strategic planning effort—it can be worthwhile to turn your attention to a handful of companies you most frequently compete against. What is their share of voice and how is it influencing their share of market? In Part 1 of this two-part series, Middle of Six's Senior Marketing Strategist, Allison Tivnon outlines why a competitor audit can be valuable, what characteristics to assess, and how to compile and quantify qualitative findings. In an increasingly competitive market, now might be just the right time to identify hidden windows of opportunity where your firm can stand out from the field. 

CPSM CEU Credits: 0.75 | Domain: 1