The challenge
The decision was made before procurement ever saw it
Architects and design consultants play a critical role in cement brand specification during project planning and design stages, directly influencing procurement decisions. By the time an order arrives, the choice has usually already been made, in a BOQ, on a drawing, at an early RIBA stage.
The manufacturer had no structured presence at that point. Its commercial relationships were with procurement, downstream of the moment that actually mattered, which meant it was competing on price for decisions that had been settled on preference.
Nor was there a way to retain the architects who did specify the brand consistently. Without tiered milestones or recognition, a consultant who had specified the product on ten projects looked identical to one on their first, and the BD team had no structured tool for engaging either.
- Build brand recall and preference - at the specification stage
- Reward architects for project-level influence - BOQs, drawings, RIBA stages
- Recognize and retain top contributors - with tiered milestones
- Create a platform - for learning, recognition and redemption
- Strengthen BD team engagement - with architects through structured campaigns
The solution
Reward the specification, not the purchase order
A web-based architect loyalty portal awards points for projects specifying the brand, with multipliers for government and public projects, early-stage mapping and focus products. The early-stage multiplier is the strategically important one: it pays most for influence recorded at the point where the decision is genuinely still open, rather than for confirming a choice already made.
Around it sits a relationship layer covering meeting participation, events, surveys, referrals and anniversaries, plus milestone rewards including welcome packs, high-value gifts, hampers, badges and leaderboard features. Tier recognition runs Silver, Gold, Platinum and an invite-only Ambassador level, so consistency is visible. The journey is BD-led throughout: onboarding via BD invites, specification validation, points credit, then redemption on a catalog of tools, lifestyle, professional services and experiences.
- Rule engine - points for projects specifying the brand, with multipliers for government and public projects, early-stage mapping and focus products
- Tiers - Silver, Gold and Platinum plus an invite-only Ambassador level with increasing privileges
- Campaigns and referrals - meeting participation, events, surveys, retailer referrals and anniversaries earning alongside specifications
- Gamification - welcome packs, high-value gifts, hampers, badges and leaderboard features on milestone achievement
- Claims management - BD-validated specification records, from BD invite through validation to points credit
- Rewards marketplace - catalog redemption across tools, lifestyle, professional services and experiences
- Real-time analytics dashboard - project mapping, tier tracking and leaderboards for the BD team
The results
Preference set upstream, measured downstream
Early-stage specification mapping rose 2.6x, and 48% of recorded specifications converted to procurement. Paying a multiplier for early-stage influence is what shifted the mix. Architects had an explicit reason to log a project while it was still being designed rather than after it was awarded.
That conversion figure is the number the program is really judged on, because it connects an upstream investment to downstream revenue. With BD validation workflows and tier tracking in place, the manufacturer can attribute procurement to the specification that preceded it, and can see which architects, regions and focus products carry the relationship. Recognition through Platinum and Ambassador tiers gave the BD team something to offer beyond commercial terms.
Takeaway: in cement the order is a lagging indicator. Reward the specification, and pay most for the ones logged while the decision is still open.
1,000
Key architects and consultants engaged
2.6x
Increase in early-stage specification mapping
48%
Of specifications converted to procurement