Brand storytelling is a powerful way to market your design, architectural, or construction business. Setting yourself apart through an established brand is crucial when competing against other firms. Once identified, these unique narratives tell a cohesive company story through various initiatives and platforms.

It’s no secret that video reigns for online content. The design industry leans on the power of photography to showcase projects, but video can often be a more immersive tool.

In the competitive interior design market, design editorial features help increase name recognition and brand awareness, boost website traffic, and establish you as an expert. With the increasingly mercurial landscape of print publications, editorial pitching requires strategic thinking. While digital media is equally as important as print media, the look and feel of magazines is more evocative. There are a lot of Do's and Don'ts when it comes to pitching, so we're giving you COUPAR'S guide to editorial pitching for the design industry below.

Dynamic and robust project photography is vital to successfully promoting your firm. While it can become one of the more daunting and expensive parts of the process, it is a worthwhile investment. Good photography not only showcases the design of a project, but it helps cultivate a cohesive brand presence and builds the foundation for a firm’s marketing efforts.

Storytelling is at the crux of marketing, especially in the design industry. Each firm possesses its unique narrative, and these narratives expand with each project they complete. There are various platforms to convey these stories, but one of the most impactful is through a company’s journal on their website.

As firms grow and begin to work with more high-profile clients, the likelihood of a client requesting the project be under NDA increases. These projects are often impressive and provide an excellent opportunity to showcase high-caliber work. However, it can be tricky when a company cannot publicize it. There are a few workarounds to discreetly promote these projects without violating a part of the agreement.

Pinterest is a widely used social media platform, especially within the design community. Designers use it for their projects, whether creating mood boards for clients or searching for general inspiration. Creatives have flocked to the platform since its inception in 2009. But it can also serve as a beneficial marketing tool.

It’s not news that social media is a critical marketing tool. The hierarchy of these platforms is often up for debate, but which are deemed the most beneficial varies across industries. For the design industry, Instagram prevails as the top platform for marketing purposes. However, there is another crucial platform often overlooked, LinkedIn.

Designers expect lead times when ordering custom, high-end products, but lately, the delay and estimations have been abnormally long. The design industry was affected along with every other industry in the early days of the pandemic. We expected delays. However, as we slowly emerge and recover from Lockdown, long lead times remain and, in some cases, worsened.

Email marketing has always been a beneficial tool, but recently it has become invaluable. Newsletters are one of the best ways to connect with your professional community, increase leads, and boost social media and website visitors.

Since COUPAR’s inception, developing a sound process has always been at the forefront of our business. The design industry focuses on the value of aesthetics, but process and practicality can often be absent. Firms have individuals with an innate sense of creativity, which is undeniably an integral part of the business, but systematically approaching these visions is crucial.

COUPAR has always found great worth in the San Francisco design community. Now its members show unwavering support and empathy for one another both online and off while we Shelter in Place.

Now, as we "Shelter in Place," your website is more than ever your virtual calling card.  How is yours looking? Does it reflect your brand, what you have accomplished, and where you want to take your company? COUPAR, as a design consultancy firm, creates websites that showcase your portfolio and succinctly narrate your story.

As we hunker down and begin to brave the COVID-19 storm, we are all adjusting to a new normal. The design industry is undoubtedly changing by the day, like many others, but it’s crucial not to panic. As a consulting agency, COUPAR is here to assist you in evaluating what your firm needs in this current climate and how to move forward.

California has enacted a new “Gig Worker Law,” AB5, designed to extend employee classification and regulate companies that hire gig workers in large numbers. What does this mean for freelancers and employers in the design industry?

What do designers get when they engage with COUPAR's Studio team? One of the most distinctive elements of our design team is that we are there when you need us and gone when you don't.

It’s no secret that the media landscape for interior design magazines is in the midst of a sea change. Regional magazines and franchisees with regional issues are a dark horse in the publication race.

Autumn is a season that provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on not only personal fruitfulness of the past months but professional as well. What does your marketing look like and what’s your plan for 2020?

There are a lot of Do’s and Dont’s when it comes to pitching so we’re giving you a complete guide to editorial pitching for the design industry.