Google has been found in violation of U.S. anti-trust laws, and now it’s time for ... “the punishment.” We walk through what the case means, what the Department of Justice is proposing for a penalty, and whether firms need to start changing their digital strategies in anticipation of the outcome.

Highlights

• The four prongs of the DOJ’s proposed punishment
• The timeline for the court’s decision and implementation
• Why the ultimate outcome shouldn’t drastically impact marketing
• The importance of creating a good user experience and search optimization regardless of platform
• Why a “marketing mix” is vital for business growth

Episode Resources:

• The Court’s decision in US v. Google

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Considering a new firm name? Historically, whether to change – and what to change to – was impacted by a limited number of factors. Now that we live in a digital age, and as trends have shifted away from using principal names for the firm name, there are more things to consider: Is the name you want available as a domain name? How easy is it for people to spell and say the name? Does the proposed name make your firm more or less discoverable? In this episode, we outline modern criteria for architecture firm names and explain their importance.

Highlights

• How a firm name can promote – or impede – firm growth
• The firm name as a tool for legitimizing the firm
• Avoiding confusion with competitors
• Helping your firm be more discoverable by ideal clients
• How to think about a URL
• What the increased use of vocal search means for firm names

Episode Resources:

• Firm naming checklist

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Marketing calendar tools: not super exciting, but super necessary. In the newest Tech Stack episode, we explain how these tools work, why you need them, and how to choose the best one for your firm.

Highlights:

• What marketing calendar tools do
• Why your firm needs one
• How to identify your firm’s calendaring needs
• How to choose the best marketing calendar tool for your firm

Episode Resources:
Marketing calendar resources
(These are not endorsements, just a few options to kick-start your research and evaluation process)

• Free templates from SmartSheet
• Free templates from HubSpot
• DivvyHQ
• Trello
• CoSchedule
• Planable

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Are all of your marketing efforts stuck in an eternal feedback loop? If you’re constantly revising based on new opinions and can’t get anything out the door, the answer is, “Yes.” Iterative processes have their place, but there comes a time when your marketing can’t do anything for you because nothing can get final approval. When your marketing flow starts to look like an M.C. Escher drawing, it’s time to break out of the eternal feedback loop.

Highlights:

• Why the pursuit of elusive perfection is your enemy
• How knowing something can be changed can keep it from being finalized
• The downside of creativity: nothing is ever “done”
• How to get out of the feedback loop and marketing efforts reflect priorities
• Remembering your marketing output is not your legacy

Episode Resources:

• Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones
• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Preparing RFP responses can feel like all you're doing is working off of someone else's checklist. In truth, RFP responses can be great opportunities for educating prospective clients about your firm's strengths. The key is to use details in every response to focus the readers on what's important. This turns RFPs into a marketing tool for the immediate project - as well as future projects from the same clients. Opportunities are in the details, and details create opportunities.

Highlights:

• The importance of closing the loop for RFP reviewers
• Focusing on what makes your firm uniquely qualified to do the project
• How architecture firms are like Moleskine notebooks
• Why you can't rely on people looking at your website
• Making the RFP a self-contained document
• How to ensure your RFP response is effective no matter the prescribed format

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://graphicmachine.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Does your firm have that One Great Image that gets used everywhere? In this episode, we unpack the limitations of relying solely on static images in architectural marketing. Learn why embracing video, diverse visuals, and storytelling can set your firm apart.

Highlights:

• How the way people consume information has changed
• The struggle for differentiation
• Why "perfection" is truly your enemy
• Where single images fall down
• The importance of telling the whole project story
• The need to prioritize image creation and collection

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

All of the marketing skills in the world won’t matter much if you don’t have the most important ingredient: curiosity. Being interested in how people think, behave, and make decisions is what helps you identify how, when, and where you need to present information. In this episode, we discuss what it looks like to be curious in your marketing and how to cultivate curiosity.

Highlights:

• What curiosity does for your marketing
• How to channel the curiosity already present in design work into marketing
• Cultivating curiosity as a firm differentiator
• How to go from not-at-all-curious to at least somewhat curious

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/

Do you find yourself discounting ideas or data because you don't believe something works, it's not how you use the internet, or you've just never "liked" a particular thing? This is how bias works, and it can harm your marketing and your firm growth. In this episode, we discuss how to be aware of these biases and make more informed decisions.

Highlights:

• Biases in data interpretation
• Clarifying the value of data points
• The importance of asking "so what"?
• Why it's important to identify goals before you identify tools

Episode Resources:

Connect with Brian Jones and Patience Jones

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-jones-graphicmachine/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/patiencejones/