Building Products Marketing That Gets Used
Marketing for a building products company is different. Your buyers are dealers, lumberyards, builders, contractors and the reps who call on them. They don’t read glossy brochures for fun, and they can tell in about five seconds whether the person who made something understands the product.
Gott Marketing specializes in building products and construction. Daniel Gottlieb started the company after more than 15 years in building materials marketing, with a design background and an MBA. Most of what we do today is branded gear: the hats, polos, jackets and giveaways your crews, dealers and customers actually wear. We also design the sales tools and trade show pieces that go with them, because knowing the products is what makes both work.
The short answer
- Branded gear is where most of the work happens. Logo apparel, hats and giveaways for your team, your dealers and your customers, with no minimums on most items.
- Trade shows, printing and sales tools come from the same place. Booth displays, sell sheets, line cards and catalogs, designed by people who know your channel.
- One partner for all of it means your logo, colors and message match from the booth to the polo to the leave-behind.
| What you need | What we do | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Gear for your own team | Polos, hats, jackets and hi-vis for office staff, reps, drivers and crews | Employee gear programs |
| Gifts and programs for dealers and customers | Appreciation gifts, contractor nights, builder gifts and dealer programs | Dealer and customer programs |
| Manufacturer and dealer co-branding | Gear with your logo and your dealer’s, often paid with co-op funds | Co-branded apparel programs |
| Using vendor co-op money | Turning use-it-or-lose-it co-op dollars into gear people keep | Co-op funds for branded gear |
| Trade shows | Booth displays, table throws, banners, booth apparel and giveaways | Trade show displays |
| Sales tools | Catalogs, stocking guides, sell sheets, line cards, posters and CAD images | Sales tools |
| Everyday printing | Business cards, postcards, flyers, folders and signs | Printing |
| Letting people order on their own | Free company stores with no minimums | Company stores |
Why industry knowledge matters
A general agency has to learn what a stocking guide is, why a millwork catalog is organized by profile number, or why a co-branded jacket puts the manufacturer’s logo on the sleeve. We already know. That saves you time on every project, and it shows up in the work: the right product in front of the right buyer, in the words they use.
It matters on gear too. A yard crew in July, a rep walking a jobsite and an owner at a dealer meeting need different things. We pick products for the people wearing them, not just the logo.
Where the budget goes furthest
In our experience, the marketing that gets used the most is the stuff people wear and carry. A good hat gets worn for years and shows your logo on every jobsite it visits. A sell sheet earns its keep at the counter. A catalog matters when your dealers actually stock from it. We will tell you honestly which of those fits what you are trying to do, even when it is the smaller order.
How it works
- Tell us who it is for and what it needs to do: a dealer event, a product launch, a show, a crew that needs gear.
- We come back with ideas, a quote and a schedule. For gear, you get a free mockup with your logo before anything is ordered.
- You approve the proof. Nothing is made, and nothing is paid, until you do.
- We produce it and ship it to you, your dealers, your booth or straight to each person.
See recent work for James Hardie, Boise Cascade, Huttig and others in our work.
Common questions
Do you work outside building products?
Rarely. Building products is our specialty and where nearly all of our work is: manufacturers, distributors, dealers and lumberyards, contractors, builders and the people who sell for them.
Do you do digital marketing like SEO or ads?
That is not our focus. We stick to what we know best: branded gear, trade show materials, printing and sales tools.
Is there a minimum order?
Most branded gear has no minimum. A few items, like golf balls and some specialty hat decorations, do. We will tell you up front.
Where are you located?
We are based in Dallas–Fort Worth and serve building products companies nationwide.
How long does it take?
Most gear orders take 2 to 3 weeks after you approve the proof, and rush is available. Design projects get a schedule with the quote.
Building a plan for the year? Read our practical building materials marketing strategy.
Have something coming up? Tell us what you are working on and we will come back with ideas and a quote. Or browse our branded gear guides.