7 Signs It’s Time to Hire a PR Agency With AEC Expertise
The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is more competitive than ever, with firms under constant pressure to win bids, deliver complex projects and build reputations that stand the test of time. Yet even the most skilled teams often find their expertise overlooked because their stories aren’t reaching the right audiences.
Without a clear strategy, milestones are lost in the noise, crises escalate and growth opportunities slip away. A public relations (PR) agency can help AEC firms gain visibility, protect their reputations and position themselves as trusted leaders in the field.
Sign 1: Your projects aren’t getting the recognition they deserve
You’ve delivered a project that transformed a community or solved a tough engineering challenge, yet the only people who know are those directly involved. In the AEC industry, visibility isn’t just about bragging rights. It builds credibility with decision makers, attracts new talent and strengthens your competitive edge.
Take Wold Architects and Engineers as an example. Despite a robust portfolio of education, government, healthcare and senior living projects, the firm’s expertise wasn’t reaching a national audience. Pierce PR partnered with Wold to develop and launch a strategic PR program aimed at raising the firm’s visibility across key stakeholders and decision makers.
Our approach included:
- Strategic media announcements around milestones such as groundbreakings, topping outs and ribbon cuttings to ensure Wold’s work was consistently featured in industry and local press.
- Executive visibility with firm leaders sharing the real-world impact of projects through carefully crafted announcement materials and interviews.
- Message refinement to transform technical project details into compelling narratives that highlighted community impact and user experience.
The result: Wold is now regularly featured in both local and national outlets like Environments for Aging, McKnights Long-Term Care News, Mile High CRE, Spaces4Learning, FranklinIs and The Tennessean. And this is just one part of a comprehensive PR strategy we developed to strengthen Wold’s visibility, credibility and leadership position across the AEC industry.
The lesson is clear. Without a PR strategy, even your most impactful work risks going unnoticed. With the right approach, you can ensure your projects become proof points that elevate your reputation and open doors to future opportunities.
Sign 2: Your firm is getting lost in the crowd
When every firm in the RFP process lists similar credentials, past projects and certifications, standing out becomes nearly impossible. Many AEC firms assume their technical expertise speaks for itself, but in reality, clients and stakeholders often struggle to see the difference between one firm and another. Without a clear brand narrative, firms risk being perceived as interchangeable, which can lead to fewer shortlisted bids, limited press interest and missed chances to highlight your expertise.
That’s why proactive PR is essential. Differentiation isn’t about flashy slogans. It’s about crafting a consistent, credible story that communicates what makes your firm unique. For example, Stevens & Wilkinson, a combined architecture, engineering and construction management firm, faced the challenge of celebrating its 100-year anniversary in a way that would resonate beyond an internal milestone.
Instead of a single press release, the firm’s PR team built a year-long integrated campaign that included media relations, executive speaking engagements, ribbon-cutting ceremonies and a social strategy to unify messaging across offices. The results spoke for themselves and featured a 96% increase in media coverage, a 70% lift in SEO and a 50% reduction in advertising costs.
For AEC firms, differentiation is more than a marketing exercise. It’s the foundation for securing higher-value contracts, earning industry recognition and building a reputation that keeps you top of mind when the next opportunity arises.
Sign 3: You need stronger relationships with industry stakeholders
In the AEC world, projects rarely succeed in isolation. Firms depend on city councils, transportation departments, neighborhood associations and industry groups like the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) or the American Institute of Architects (AIA). If your communications don’t actively build those relationships, stakeholders can feel left out of the loop, leading to delays, complaints or even reputational damage.
Take Reeves Young, the Construction Manager at Risk for Nashville’s Second Avenue rebuild after the 2020 Christmas bombing. With businesses, residents and city leaders all impacted by road closures and utility interruptions, Pierce PR developed and led proactive community relations efforts.
From traffic maps and business toolkits to milestone events and regular email updates to businesses and residents downtown,, the program reduced uncertainty and built goodwill during a highly disruptive project. By keeping stakeholders informed and involved, the firm didn’t just reduce uncertainty, it strengthened relationships with many who could have otherwise become frustrated critics.
Sign 4: You’re facing a reputation challenge
Reputation in the AEC industry is critical. Years of credibility can be shaken by a single safety incident, project delay or negative headline. Whether the issue is a construction accident, community frustration or budget overrun, the way you communicate determines whether you recover future opportunities. Without an established crisis communications plan, firms often scramble and leave room for speculation and distrust to spread.
Consider a U.S. general contractor that faced two fatal jobsite accidents in the same week. With over $1 billion in contracts at stake, the firm turned to crisis PR counsel to safeguard its reputation and reassure clients that safety reforms were underway. While no amount of messaging could erase the tragedy, the right strategy helped protect long-term business relationships and reinforced trust in the firm’s commitment to change.
AEC firms aren’t immune to reputational risks like these, and these moments cannot be handled quietly. Proactive PR ensures you have a playbook for crisis scenarios, clear messaging for employees and the public, and a strategy to restore confidence with clients and stakeholders.
Sign 5: Your firm has the expertise but isn’t getting recognized for it publicly
AEC firms are packed with specialists who handle complex challenges every day,whether it’s designing sustainable infrastructure, managing billion-dollar projects or solving safety issues. But if that knowledge never leaves internal meetings or project sites, it doesn’t strengthen the firm’s reputation.
Clients, partners and future hires look to trade journals, conferences and business press to see which firms are shaping the conversation. If you’re absent, competitors have the spotlight instead.
Thought leadership isn’t just about prestige –it directly affects growth. Research has shown that when executives speak publicly in a clear, credible way, external audiences (like investors) perceive them as more trustworthy and their opinions converge.That credibility can tip the balance in a competitive bid, attract top-tier recruits and strengthen relationships with decision makers.
Take Victaulic, a U.S. manufacturer of piping and flow control solutions used on major construction projects. Its subject-matter experts had deep technical knowledge, but their insights weren’t reaching a wider audience.
With PR support, Victaulic translated complex engineering stories into media-friendly content and secured placements in publications like the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Journal, Engineered Systems and Fire Protection Contractor. The company’s experts also gained exposure at top industry events like the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) and the UESI Pipelines Conference, transforming technical credibility into industry influence.
The AEC industry thrives on expertise, but if you’re not visible in the right channels, your firm’s voice will be missing from the conversations that matter most.
Sign 6: Your digital presence doesn’t reflect your expertise
First impressions aren’t made in conference rooms anymore. They’re made online. Prospective clients, partners and recruits almost always research your website, social media and press coverage before deciding to reach out. If your digital presence doesn’t match the quality of your work, you risk losing opportunities before you even know they exist.
It’s not uncommon for top-tier architecture and engineering firms to have decades of award-winning projects but little to show online. Outdated websites, empty news sections or minimal media coverage create a gap between your actual expertise and how the market perceives you. In a competitive industry, that gap can be the difference between getting shortlisted or overlooked.
A new construction company in Utah had almost no online branding, no website and minimal promotional content. A marketing and PR agency stepped in to build the company’s identity, including a logo, website, SEO-optimized content, social and PR outreach and branded templates to ensure consistency. Within months, the company’s website traffic rose substantially, engagement on social media improved and the small internal team was able to keep up the presence without burning out.
When your website, news and social media channels reflect your expertise, you open the door to more trust, more inquiries and more opportunities that align with your vision.
Sign 7: Your business is growing faster than your communications team can handle
Rapid growth is a great problem to have, but it often overwhelms in-house communications teams. Expanding into new markets, winning federal contracts or taking on multi-year megaprojects requires a steady flow of updates, media coordination and stakeholder messaging that a small communications department can’t always deliver. When growth outpaces capacity, gaps appear, announcements are missed, messaging is inconsistent, and there’s less time to nurture relationships.
That’s where a PR agency becomes an extension of your team. They take on the heavy lifting, which includes crafting media strategies, handling outreach and coordinating events – allowing your internal staff to focus on their highest priorities.
A Utah-based architectural systems manufacturer found its small marketing team stretched too thin. Media placements were inconsistent, and big moments like its 50th anniversary were at risk of falling flat. The company decided to partner with a PR firm and launched a strategic PR program that included proactive media outreach, branding and anniversary event coordination. Media coverage nearly doubled within a year, and the internal marketing manager could refocus on long-term initiatives rather than scrambling for coverage.
Bottom Line: 7 Signs It’s Time to Hire a PR Agency With AEC Expertise
From missed media opportunities to overwhelming growth, the warning signs are clear. Many businesses in the architecture, engineering and construction industry reach a point where handling their own PR and communications is no longer sustainable. A PR agency can help you showcase your projects, stand out from competitors, strengthen relationships with stakeholders, manage crises and scale your visibility as your business grows.
At the end of the day, effective PR is about building trust, amplifying your expertise and positioning your firm as a leader in an increasingly competitive industry. If you recognize any of these seven signs in your own firm, it may be the right time to bring in a partner who can take your communications to the next level.
