Building for the Long Term
This article is part of a 3 part series: Part 3: Observations from Europe In my first article, I reflected on Europe’s healthier rhythm of […]
Insights
Winnipeg construction has a reputation for being a “relationships-first” market. That won’t change, but the way those relationships start, get validated, and scale is changing fast. Here’s the good news: because construction chronically underinvests in marketing, a modest 2-3% of gross profit can move the needle disproportionately here.
Across industries, companies devote about 7-8% of revenue to marketing (per Gartner). Historically, construction surveys benchmark low single-digit spend-often cited around one percent (per The CMO Survey). That’s a description of the baseline, not a recommendation. This represents an under-messaged category, which means every incremental dollar buys more share of voice than it would in a saturated space.
Yes, our pond is smaller, and although this sounds counterintuitive, it actually raises the value of distinct positioning and digital visibility. In June 2025, total building-permit values were Winnipeg $289.9M, Calgary $610.4M, Toronto $1,932.2M (seasonally adjusted; per Statistics Canada). Your buyers and talent pools are simply tighter here; strong brands get found faster, and for more scarce work.
It’s also a busy ecosystem. The Winnipeg Construction Association represents over 800 contractor and supplier member firms, plenty of competition for attention and trust.
Shortlists are built on perceived capacity and risk. Clear positioning, visible project proof, and a credible employer brand de-risk you. When your story is easy to verify, you get invited more, staff faster, and deliver cleaner.
Translation: if you can’t be found and can’t recruit, you can’t scale.
Keep them. Just scale them. Today’s relationship often starts with someone Googling you, scanning your projects, and quietly checking WCA/comparable directories and social proof before they call. A brand that’s clear, consistent, and visible makes warm intros warmer and creates new ones you’d never have seen.
All in, choosing the right partner and devoting 2-3% of gross profit to marketing investment will make a massive impact.
Bottom line: In a market where competitors are quiet, “small but smart” marketing isn’t overhead – it’s a capacity multiplier. Stop hiding the win.
This article is part of a 3 part series: Part 3: Observations from Europe In my first article, I reflected on Europe’s healthier rhythm of […]
This article is part of a 3 part series: Part 2: Observations from Europe In my previous article, I reflected on Europe’s different rhythm of […]
This article is part of a 3 part series: Part 1: Observations from Europe This summer (2025), I had the privilege of traveling across Europe, […]
