Case Study: 

Wold Architects and Engineers

Industry: Architecture, Engineering and Construction
Partnership: Multi-year, ongoing strategic PR and marketing support

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Building a national voice: How Wold scaled visibility, credibility and growth through strategic PR

The impact over time

Over five years and counting, Pierce PR has supported Wold’s efforts to strengthen national visibility, elevate thought leadership and build a scalable communications engine: 

  • 200+ earned media placements across local, regional and national outlets
  • 250+ email campaigns driving consistent engagement with key audiences
  • 100+ pieces of thought leadership and content developed
  • Website traffic increased by 28-34% year-over-year
  • Expanded presence across 40+ publications nationwide

What began as PR support evolved into a fully integrated visibility strategy tied directly to growth. 

The Challenge

Wold had the expertise, portfolio and momentum to compete nationally, but its communications strategy hadn't evolved at the same pace as the firm itself. As the organization expanded across markets and sectors, maintaining a clear, consistent voice became increasingly important. When our partnership began, the firm had:
  • Strong regional reputation, but limited national presence
  • Deep expertise across sectors, but no unified narrative
  • Limited leadership representation in media and industry conversations
  • Disconnected marketing efforts across sectors and geographic markets
  • Growth outpacing storytelling
Without a proactive PR and communications strategy, Wold’s growth would outpace its brand – and competitors 
would fill the gap.

Our Strategic Approach

Pierce PR became a true extension of Wold’s team and built a long-term strategy that continues to connect visibility to business growth. 

Building a foundation
We worked closely with Wold’s leadership and 3 distinct sectors of education, healthcare + senior living and government across numerous offices and states to understand growth priorities, market dynamics and internal challenges, then translated those insights into a proactive PR and communications strategy. Rather than reacting to opportunities, we built a roadmap that ensured every effort supported where the firm was going next. 

Creating a unified voice across a growing firm
As Wold expanded across geographic markets and new sectors, consistency became critical. We helped shape a cohesive narrative that connected under one clear identity. This allowed Wold to show up not as separate offices or teams, but as a unified, national firm with a distinct point of view, rooted in a community-driven, people-first approach to design. 

Elevating leadership into industry voices
Wold’s expertise has always been deep and expansive. Our role was to bring it forward in a way that felt both strategic and scalable. We identified key leaders across the firm and positioned them as subject matter experts, aligning their perspectives with timely industry trends. From there, we developed content, from blogs and guest articles to Q&As and case studies, and amplified those insights through targeted placements, interviews and speaking opportunities in high-impact publications that turned internal knowledge into external influence. 

Implementing a multi-channel visibility strategy
Instead of relying on one-off wins, we created a layered system that worked together over time. Media relations, content development, email campaigns, awards and strategic announcements reinforced each other and kept Wold consistently visible, relevant and top of mind across its key audiences. 

Embedding as an extension of the team
As the partnership evolved, so did our role. We became deeply integrated into Wold’s day-to-day operations, collaborating across 8+ teams and markets, engaging directly with clients and helping guide messaging at every level. This allowed us to move faster, think bigger and ensure every opportunity was fully maximized. 

The Results

  • Over 70 earned media placements annually across 40+ publications (and counting)
  • Coverage in top-tier outlets, including Healthcare Design Magazine, Forbes, Axios and Building Design + Construction
  • Increased cross-office storytelling that reinforces a unified national brand 

Consistent national media visibility:


A fully built thought leadership engine:

  • Nearly 100 campaigns annually across newsletters, conferences and targeted outreach
  • Consistent communication with key audiences across geographic markets and sectors
  • Targeted email campaigns supporting business development efforts by elevating relevant expertise ahead of major RFP responses 

A high-performing email and engagement strategy:

  • Website has traffic increased by 28+% year-over-year 
  • Growth was sustained over multiple years through a coordinated strategy that combined earned media, thought leadership, email marketing and content development 

Measurable digital growth:

  • Increased engagement from leaders across sectors and states 
  • Greater visibility and connection to goals and strategies across offices
  • Shift from siloed efforts to a cohesive, firmwide communications approach

Stronger internal alignment and adoption:

Designing for Holistic Well-being:
Integrating Mental Health and Wellness into School Facility Design

essentials

Designing Dignity: Elevating the Standard for Behavioral Health SpacesIntegrating Mental Health and Wellness into School Facility Design

Medical Construction & Design

How to Improve Safety, Efficiency, and Staff Well-being in Public Works FacilitiesIntegrating Mental Health and Wellness into School Facility Design

American Public Works Association 

media highlights 

Signature moments

  • National media positioning alongside major AEC firms in outlets like Axios & Forbes

  • Launch of firmwide surveys to deepen media coverage and thought leadership 

  • First-time thought leadership placements for emerging leaders

  • Major project campaigns generating local, regional and trade media coverage

  • Increased cross-office storytelling that reinforces Wold’s national presence & expertise

Connecting PR to growth

This work went beyond visibility to directly support Wold’s business objectives:
  • Strengthened positioning in competitive RFPs
  • Increased awareness across all priority markets
  • Elevated credibility with public-sector and institutional clients
  • Supported recruitment of high-level talent
  • Built momentum during major milestones, including rebrands, acquisitions and new offices

While most PR firms focus on outputs, Pierce PR focuses on outcomes. What makes this partnership different:
  • Proactive strategy: Bringing ideas before they’re asked for
  • Business-first thinking: Aligning PR with growth goals
  • Seamless partnership: Operating as an extension of the team
  • Industry expertise: Deep understanding of AEC audiences
  • Consistency over time: Building momentum, not chasing moments

What this means for you

If you're an AEC firm looking to grow, then what matters most is creating visibility that drives credibility so that credibility can win work. Thought leadership builds trust before conversations even begin, while consistent communication keeps your firm top of mind throughout long sales cycles. Over time, those efforts create the familiarity and trust that influence decisions long before a proposal is submitted. 





Let’s build a strategy that positions your firm for where you’re going – not where you’ve been.



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