Winnipeg Construction: Why 2-3% of Gross Profit in Marketing Works

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.

Why this works right now

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.

Smaller pond, bigger signal

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.

What investing in marketing will allow you to do:

1. Own a niche (positioning + proof).
   Choose 2-3 areas where you win (delivery model, sector expertise, safety performance, self-perform capabilities), then package proof: short case blurbs, client quotes, photos, stats. Keep it repeatable so pursuit teams can plug-and-play.
2. Be findable where buyers look.
   Refresh your site to speak to owners/GCs and procurement. Publish service + sector pages for “Winnipeg + [service/sector]” and build a handful of short articles answering the questions you hear in pre-cons. Keep your WCA directory profile complete and consistent.
3. Pursuit marketing, not just proposals.
   For top pursuits, build micro-landing pages, one-page differentiator sheets, demo reels, and a proof library (safety, QA/QC, productivity). Align BD and marketing so each pursuit gets content support before the RFP lands.
4. Measure the right things.
   Track invite rates to qualified RFPs, shortlists, hit rates, average deal cycle, cost-per-applicant/hire, and content engagement on pursuit pages. If a tactic isn’t moving pipeline velocity or staffing reliability, reallocate.

“But we’ve always won on relationships…”

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.

If you do one thing next

• Tighten your positioning and build three proof-rich case briefs you can reuse in every pursuit.
• Fix the findability basics (service/sector pages, project highlights, WCA listing).
• Stand up a simple pursuit toolkit (one-pager, micro-landing template, proof library).
• Turn on always-on recruiting aimed at the roles you chronically need.

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.

References

• Gartner: 2025 CMO Spend Survey (cross-industry marketing budgets ~7–8% of revenue).
• The CMO Survey: Spring 2024 Highlights & Insights (Mining/Construction ~1% of revenue).
• Statistics Canada: Building permits, Table 3 (June 2025, CMA, seasonally adjusted) (Toronto/Calgary/Winnipeg values).
• Winnipeg Construction Association: Membership Directory (over 800 member firms).

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