Architecture marketer spotlight: Insights into strengthening a firm’s identity and positioning

Jill Davis leads the marketing department at Cline Design, an interdisciplinary architecture, planning and interior design firm in North Carolina. She recently guided the 35-year-old firm through a successful rebrand and website redesign and is constantly re-examining Cline’s marketing strategy to meet evolving client needs.

In this episode, Jill and host Michelle Calcote King discuss Cline’s marketing strategy through the years, including its 2023 rebrand. They also cover how to encourage architects, designers and other subject-matter experts to contribute to marketing initiatives that showcase the firm’s expertise and culture, such as thought leadership and social media.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn

• Who Jill Davis is

• About Cline Design

• Why Cline decided to do a rebrand and how the marketing team approached the project 

• Which marketing tools are the most impactful to Cline’s strategy and why

• Why invest in thought leadership and examples of common challenges

• Tactics for engaging busy subject-matter experts in content creation and marketing initiatives, including thought leadership and social media

• When to use your internal team to produce video content versus hiring a videographer

• How to integrate a public relations strategy into your communications plan

• The benefits of professional organizations like the Society for Marketing Professional Services

About our featured guest

Jill Davis has over two decades of expertise in marketing, including over 10 years of specializing in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Her journey in this sector began in 2013 with HOK in St. Louis, where she played a pivotal role in securing high-profile projects nationwide thanks to her innovative strategies and collaboration with both regional and senior leaders.

As a Principal and Marketing Director at Cline, Jill spearheads marketing initiatives and strategic planning. Her focus is on nurturing growth and exploring new opportunities that promise a bright future for the firm. At Cline, she finds daily inspiration in the creativity and insight of her colleagues, a talented team of marketers, architects, designers and branding professionals.

Jill's commitment extends beyond her professional sphere. In St. Louis, she actively participated in the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), taking on various leadership roles. Her dedication to SMPS continued through her moves to Raleigh and Charlotte, where she serves as the 2024 President-Elect of the Charlotte chapter. Additionally, her alma mater, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, benefited from her contributions as a member of the marketing advisory board, where she mentored students and engaged in the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC) scholarship committee.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Check out Cline Design Associates

• Follow Cline Design on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

• Connect with Jill Davis on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on Twitter and LinkedIn

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a public relations and content marketing agency that serves professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. 

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at [email protected] today.