One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Why Tailoring Your Marketing to
Individual Regions is Essential

Brands that compete and sell products globally focus their energies on developing a global identity. Consider the marketers for brands such as Pepsi, a renowned cola that, realistically, does not need to market its products uniquely to each region of the country.

But are there benefits to world-renowned brands taking a regional approach to marketing?

Certainly.

Look at Michelob ULTRA, the Official Beer of the NBA. The brand teamed up with four emerging artists to design 18 limited-edition cans for basketball fans in different regions across the country. The team-themed cans were a hit for parent company Anheuser-Busch with hoops fans, but this is a marketing “want,” not a “need.”

For building materials manufacturers, it is a different story.

Each region of the country has unique needs, codes and regulations, market conditions, and customer behaviors. This often necessitates a more tailored approach for marketing building materials.

For instance, a building materials brand would not try to sell exterior siding the same way to someone in dry, sunny Arizona as it would to a buyer in rainy Washington state. These are two different regions of the country with contrasting climates. While a single siding product might be perfect for both regions, the message and product features to be highlighted are different depending upon the target audience and geography.

For these reasons, for many building materials manufacturers, regional marketing strategies are critical for success in local markets.

Market Nuances + Local Connections

Building materials sales teams face unique challenges that are dependent on the area of the country they serve. Therefore, they must understand market nuances in terms of buyer behavior and preferences. This requires research and the gathering of market intelligence on the local level.

Much of this can be achieved by developing and tapping into relationships with customer and prospects. Building materials companies must engage with local stakeholders—contractors, builders, and architects—to gain valuable insights into emerging trends and preferences. Brands can also leverage local home builders’ associations and AIA chapters for support and presentation opportunities. By partnering with these influential organizations, they can establish a stronger presence in local markets nationwide. These stakeholders have a pulse on what is happening, how trends might be evolving, what is changing, and how that can impact a company’s brand. By fostering these connections, your brand’s marketing team can anticipate shifts in demand to proactively adjust product and service offerings as needed. If nothing else, it gives building material manufacturers a better pulse on regional preferences to adjust marketing strategies to be more effective.

In addition, regional differences in material availability, costs, freight, and supply chains can play a significant role in a local strategy. For brands dealing with heavy products such as concrete pavers, steel, or aluminum building products, high freight costs can make shipping to distant markets non-competitive. Brands that acknowledge these factors and effectively cater to regional differences can build stronger relationships with contractors, builders, dealers, and distributors. This approach demonstrates a deeper understanding of both current and potential customers, and it opens the door to solutions such as longer-term commitments to those markets or even local “pop-up" manufacturing, which can make products more accessible and cost-effective. The growth of manufacturing automation and portable manufacturing robots are enabling such pop-up manufacturing. This is a concept that building materials manufacturers can take advantage of to flourish in local markets, even if it is only temporary.

Partnerships + Community Engagement

Establishing strong partnerships with local distributors and suppliers is crucial for brands looking to penetrate regional markets effectively. Not only is this important for getting product into local markets, but it also allows your organization to have representation with consumers. By establishing connections with local building product dealers, you can get brick and mortar locations to carry your displays, brochures, samples, and other sales collateral.

Staying apprised of local trends also allows manufacturers to create custom solutions that cater to regional needs and further demonstrate a commitment to serving local markets. For example, providing moisture-resistant materials for humid climates or energy-efficient products for colder regions shows that a brand understands the unique challenges faced by local contractors and builders. This approach enhances product relevance and builds trust and loyalty among key stakeholders.

Community engagement is equally vital in strengthening these regional partnerships. Supporting regional events such as trade shows or expos allows brands to connect directly with local contractors, builders, and architects. In essence, it heightens awareness for the brand, and by participating in these events, companies can showcase their products, share expertise, and demonstrate a greater commitment to the community.

Additionally, grassroots marketing initiatives and charitable endeavors help build good will and foster strong relationships within the community. Habitat for Humanity and Building Homes for Heroes are great places to start, but there are many other philanthropic opportunities available. In turn, this creates opportunities from a public relations and social media perspective to showcase your brand and the humanitarian efforts spearheaded by your business.

By investing in initiatives that resonate with local needs, brands enhance their visibility and cultivate a positive reputation as a partner effecting real change in the community. This arm of the marketing engine can pay dividends with regard to brand image, growth, and overall market presence.

Taking a More Targeted Digital Marketing Approach

Establishing sales and marketing initiatives in local markets is step one, but there are additional digital marketing strategies that building materials brands can employ to have an even greater impact in local markets.

Geo-targeted campaigns are a powerful tool in digital marketing, allowing brands to direct their ads and content to specific localities. Through geo-targeted digital ads, email campaigns, and even paid social media advertising, companies can engage with audiences based on their location, ensuring that regional promotional efforts are reaching the intended consumer.

Brands can also use geo-targeted campaigns to align with seasonal trends. For example, during the summer season, companies can advertise fade-resistant exterior products to contractors in hot, sunny regions. Additionally, sales promotions and offers can be customized by individual location through a variety of digital marketing tactics, ensuring the message resonates with the specific needs of each region. The ability to personalize and target in this way allows for more relevant messaging, boosting the chances of converting leads into loyal customers.

In addition to targeted ad campaigns, localized SEO is another crucial element in digital marketing strategy for building material manufacturers. Those that optimize their websites and content for local search terms – "siding suppliers in Texas" or "hurricane-resistant window providers in Florida" – can capture regional business leads more effectively. By optimizing for location-specific keywords and phrases, businesses increase their visibility in local search results, making it easier for potential customers to find them when looking for products and services in a particular area.

Localized SEO also involves creating content that speaks to regional markets. Even if you are a national brand, creating regional-specific content on your site can boost your likelihood of showing up in search results for communities where you already have an established presence. And if your products are available to purchase in these areas, it helps connect the dots for buyers to find you. To do this, brands should create a content strategy for writing blogs and producing videos that address local building codes, climate-related challenges, or popular construction trends, all while subtly slotting their name or product into the content along the way.

Building materials marketers taking this approach can analyze data on digital efforts on an ongoing basis to gauge performance. Through the analysis of metrics such as click-through rates, conversions, and engagement levels by region, companies gain insights into what resonates most with their audience in specific areas, enabling them to further refine digital marketing strategies. This data-driven approach allows for continual optimization.

Paving the Way for Regional Wins

While it is critical for your brand to speak with one voice so it can establish awareness and credibility, more focused and nuanced efforts aimed at what you determine to be your most important local markets can lead to success in the regions that matter most.

If this is your goal, a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy can often fall short, particularly in the building materials industry where regional and climate differences have such an impact on buyer needs and preferences.

Building materials brands that prioritize localized, regional marketing address specific needs while also building stronger, long-term connections with the people who drive regional building materials markets forward. By understanding the distinct preferences, engaging in community partnerships, and leveraging data-driven strategies such as geo-targeted campaigns and localized SEO, building products companies can build business more rapidly.

Ultimately, the brands that invest in tailored approaches will cultivate deeper relationships, build trust, and achieve lasting success in any corner of the country.