You may have heard before about "Architects' Claims Stories" a podcast I've been producing for the last 3 years for ProDemnity insurance company. If you haven't, you should check it out here. These beloved stories, which were originally penned by David Croft, have been adapted and released as a podcast, which is now in it third season.
Some of you may know these stories in their written form, as they have existed as such in ProDemnity's world for 30+ years.
The move from the written word to a podcast format (initially these were planned as an audiobook), was primarily to make these stories more appealing to a younger audience and reflect how people increasingly consume information today.
This year, the podcast was slightly revamped and in that process, renamed "The Claims-Free Architect" to better reflect both the podcast's and the company's mission.
These cautionary tales of insurance claims made against architectural professionals are written for architects and adjacent professionals. They are entertaining, enlightening and sometimes subtly funny (pay attention to the names of the characters next time you listen).
More importantly, they contain nuggets of critical knowledge that the whole team behind this podcast believes every architect should know and internalize, as they will likely prevent many mistakes, saving architecture practitioners and their staff, time and money.
The lessons learned are summarized at the end of each episode, making it super easy to retain the critical information that will help you run your business more efficiently and avoid the most egregious practice-error. It's a great way to learn from other's mistakes.
The young practitioners of today are the practice leaders of tomorrow, so in appealing to a broader audience, we hope to recapture the aura of the written stories that older practitioners are familiar with.
It also reflects a broader trend in marketing, where time-based media is taking an increasingly larger role in how businesses market themselves and reach out to their audience. Information is now accessed and digested in all kinds of ways (via social media, video and podcasts for example) so it is critical for anyone in a marketing role to pay attention to those media. I see lots of promising younger architects try new ways of promoting themselves, from vlogs in cars on Youtube to podcasts, with the most dedicated ones seeing some real success in finding new ways to reach their intended audience.
Some are of-the-cuff reactions to an event or musings on a particular idea, while other are highly produced scripted videos (or podcasts, like The Claims-Free Architect) that look more like documentaries than a youtube video.
All have in common the idea to convey ideas in an easily-digestible, engaging format and a level of consistency that enables them to grow their audience slowly and steadily, which in turns fills up their marketing funnel and allows them to be more choosy in who they work with (don't forget that this is a marketing effort - so the goal is to produce results for your marketing efforts and help you find more work).
Going back to the podcast, here are brief decriptions in what you'll learn from season 3, currently being released:
In "Why It's Risky For An Architect To Ignore Existing Conditions" , you'll learn what happens when architects, who are making extensive renovations to a building with complicated mechanical systems, can’t —or simply don’t—fully examine existing conditions before they start out.
In "How a Fire Hydrant Upgrade Led to a Million-Dollar Lawsuit" , you’ll discover how a small, unnoticed alteration in a survey datum point can snowball into a major headache. This story illustrates the importance of obtaining accurate information, and keeping scrupulous records, especially for complex buildings
In "The High Price of Favouritism: A Story of Misguided Loyalty in Contract Bidding" you'll learn that being fair and transparent in the bidding process is crucial because choosing favourites or making changes at the last minute can lead to serious trouble.
In "Cold Dinners and Hot Tempers: Unraveling the Human Cost of Conflicts in Construction" you'll learn how interpersonal conflicts, misunderstandings, and professional missteps in a construction project lead to unforeseen consequences and legal battles.
In "The Million-Dollar Friendship: When Cutting Corners Costs More Than Just Money", you'll learn why architects should never compromise on essential design elements and quality materials to cut costs, even for friends or to achieve a specific aesthetic.
In the most recent episode "The Melting Mansion: A Tale of Miguided Materials", you'll learn that Agreeing to build a high-quality neoclassical masterpiece in the Ontario hinterlands, without the extravagant budget required can only result in a deteriorating client relationship, and a dilapidated building.
If you're interested in learning about new ways of marketing your services, but don't know where to start, or would like to brainstorm some ideas, or pick my brain about your particular situation, please reach out.
Also, if podcasts are your thing, be sure to subscribe to The Claims-Free Architect. It could very well help you remain claims-free.
This podcast wouldn't have been possible without ProDemnity of course, but there is also a whole team behind this effort that deserves credit and high praise for their creativity and flexibility.
They are:
Original stories - David Croft, adapted for audio by Gordon Grice.
Performance - Liam Gadsby (the man with the mellifluous voice).
Producer - yours truly (RVLTR).
Audio recording and Engineering - Audio Process.
Publisher and executive producer - ProDemnity Insurance Company