The top 2025 Marketing Excellence Award winners share how strategy, authenticity, and collaboration drive real AEC marketing impact.
By Sara Parkman
Senior Editor
What does successful AEC marketing look like in 2025? For the top winners of Zweig Group’s Marketing Excellence Awards, it’s not just about polished proposals or social media metrics – it’s about connection. Whether through bold campaigns, smart investments, or cross-functional collaboration, this year’s No. 1 winners show that effective marketing starts with understanding who you are, what your audience values, and how to bring those two things together.
Their insights reveal what’s working right now – and how AEC firms can better leverage marketing to build trust, drive growth, and inspire loyalty.
Marketing with heart and humanity.
Great marketing doesn’t just promote – it connects. That connection begins by telling a firm’s story in a way that reflects its values and the people behind the work.
At Gilbert Architects, that meant building a brand rooted in authenticity and shared purpose. “We’ve worked to create a cohesive brand experience across every touchpoint,” says Sara Wolf, director of communication and marketing. “What began as a few small steps has evolved into an energetic, engaging presence that invites connection, fosters collaboration, and reflects the heart of who we are.”
Jason Roberts, marketing manager at Wood Rodgers, describes a similar shift: “We prioritized authenticity using social media to highlight the stories of the people, values, and culture that make Wood Rodgers unique. Our social media feels less like a feed and more like a backstage pass into the everyday moments that connect us.” That focus on internal storytelling and cross-office visibility has helped create a sense of unity across locations while supporting the firm’s growth.
At the core of both approaches is a shared belief: people want to do business with firms that feel human, relatable, and real.
Strategic investments drive impact.
Several winning firms attribute their marketing success to more than good storytelling – they’ve also rethought how marketing is resourced and structured.
“We’ve continued our commitment to strategically invest in marketing, scaling our team into a robust group that operates as an in-house agency,” says Abby Gram, vice president of marketing at ISG. “In an industry where overhead is often seen as nonessential, we prioritize specialized marketers over marketing generalists to support growth.” That structure, she adds, delivers autonomy, creates opportunity, and positions ISG as a high-performing national firm. “It supports technical teams and clients – keeping operations running and delivering ROI that sets ISG apart.”
P2S has taken a similarly bold approach to innovation and user experience. “We’ve centered our efforts around creating accessible, thoughtfully made work – and continually redefining what this can look like,” says marketing strategist Sophia Lin. “P2S+ Studio gave us a platform for more dynamic material, from melding technical topics with a livestream format to enriching campaigns with interviews of our wide-ranging team.” Their redesigned website – highly intuitive and visually driven – was built with the same mindset: to meet the needs of a fast-moving audience and deliver engagement through clarity and creativity.
Experience matters.
While many AEC firms are doubling down on digital, others are reimagining the power of in-person experiences.
“A standout tactic for us is creating an experience that delivers ROE – Return on Emotion,” says Doug Rentz, communication and marketing director at Garmann Miller. Their trade show presence includes custom branded socks, matching green Nike shoes, and a redesigned booth that invites interaction. “We’ve redefined how attendees engage with us. The branded team look delivers a fun, unified presence, while the booth’s energy builds lasting impressions that convert conversations into connections and connections into contracts.”
It’s a reminder that while tactics may evolve, relationships still drive results – and emotion is a powerful differentiator.
Collaboration as a catalyst. One of the most consistent themes among this year’s top winners is the importance of strong internal collaboration.
“At Calibre, we’ve worked intentionally to build trust between our marketing and technical teams – creating a foundation where collaboration isn’t just possible, it’s powerful,” says Wendy Smith, strategic communications manager. Their “Gateway to Adventure” proposal marked a turning point for the firm. “That collaboration sparked more than a standout deliverable – it built trust, broke silos, and lit a fire across the firm. Teams saw each other’s strengths in action, and a new culture of creativity and camaraderie took root.”
Kim Castillo, associate and director of marketing and business development at Bowers + Kubota, says that kind of collaboration has shaped some of their most meaningful work. “Marketing partners with leadership to elevate our brand and connect with clients through standout initiatives,” she says. A recent example: the B+K Women Engineers video, a project inspired by a construction manager’s vision and executed by the marketing team. “This impactful collaboration shared internally and externally with the Engineering Sector Partnership embodies our mission to inspire future generations in engineering.”
These stories reflect a larger trend: when marketing is empowered to lead – and integrated into firm strategy – everyone wins.
Where marketing is headed. The 2025 Marketing Excellence Award winners offer more than inspiration – they offer a roadmap. Their success wasn’t built on flashy campaigns or trendy tactics, but on clear values, smart investment, and a commitment to collaboration.
Great marketing tells a story rooted in authenticity and culture. These firms have invested in specialized talent and platforms to support long-term growth. They blend digital innovation with memorable in-person experiences to create meaningful connections. Marketing teams are no longer working in isolation – they’re collaborating closely with technical staff and leadership to tell unified, strategic stories. Above all, these award-winning efforts reflect a deeper understanding of evolving client needs, community expectations, and internal culture. When done well, marketing doesn’t just reflect what a firm is – it helps define what it becomes.
