Sarah Chase
How can manufacturer and specifier collaboration become as close as two coats of paint? For AkzoNobel Coil and Extrusion Coatings, the broad-stroke answer is: digitization. In this 8-minute read, Kyryl Lashun, Digital Marketing Manager at AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings, will dive into the details of their specifier-centric outreach strategy – and offering.
AkzoNobel is a big player in construction. How big? Well, let’s paint the picture: The company is an expert in the proud craft of making paints and coatings, setting the color and protection since 1792 (yes, 1792). Fast-forward 231 years, and AkzoNobel has expanded into a manufacturing juggernaut active in over 150 countries and employing over 35,000 professionals worldwide.
AkzoNobel’s level of growth isn’t effortless. It requires a trend-sensitive, focused, and innovative mindset – and a firm ear to the ground. One of the major trends in construction over the last decade has been, and is, digitalization – where Building Information Modeling (BIM) plays a central role. Kyryl Lashun, Digital Marketing Manager at AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings, comments:
"We aim to both inspire and support specifiers in their day-to-day work. Our expertise in digital color enables us to share industry-leading visualization of our products via multiple digital touchpoints to inspire architects and designers."
He adds:
"From our perspective, it’s important to not only be part of the digital shift, but to lead this transformation to a more digital, efficient, and connected way of working; one that fully aligns with our digital strategy and our sustainability objectives."
For AkzoNobel Coil and Extrusion Coatings, BIM and digitalization provides instant access to their technical and color information during the design phase, which saves time, reduces waste, and improves connectivity between key stakeholders in a building project.
10 Hudson Yards, Manhattan, New York, features AkzoNobel’s TRINAR coatings on all visible aluminum – exterior, and interior. Read all about the project on AkzoNobel TRINAR's North America brand page.
BIM builds greater connectivity and collaboration within the building industry. As a specifier-centric company, AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings didn’t shy away from investing in the digital building process by developing BIM objects. Kyryl comments:
"We recognize BIM as an excellent way to share information with architects and specifiers digitally. We know architects and designers can benefit from an efficient digital workflow, which improves the speed and quality of the specification process."
The Coil & Extrusion coatings manufacturer offers access to its color libraries in multiple formats, enabling smoother use during the design and implementation phases. Additionally, Kyryl explains that they’ve introduced the Specification Builder; a newly launched, user-friendly tool that provides architects and designers with all specification-related information needed to specify AkzoNobel Coil and Extrusion products.
Providing easily accessible high-quality BIM content is critical to offering stellar service to BIM-fluent architects and engineers. In 2019, AkzoNobel TRINAR published their BIM content on BIMobject’s marketplace to reach and engage with their target audience. Kyryl Lashun, Digital Marketing Manager at AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings, comments:
"Collaborating with BIMobject gives us an opportunity to reach a wider audience, improve the accessibility of our color libraries and enhance the user experience."
BIMobject’s marketplace holds products from over 2,000 building product brands and 3,000,000 active users and visitors. But how has bimobject.com benefitted AkzoNobel? According to Kyryl, it’s made it easier for specifiers to access technical information and download AkzoNobel TRINAR color libraries for use in major design platforms such as Autodesk Revit.
"BIMobject provides access to a wide audience of specifiers across the globe. As a result, we see a notable increase in the number of interactions with architects and other stakeholders in the specification process," says Kyryl Lashun.
Visit AkzoNobel TRINAR’s beautifully curated North American and North Asian brand pages today >
Marketers in manufacturing (and in general…) often struggle to find the perfect balance in their digital marketing mix. Paid, owned, or earned; BIMobject offers a wide range of marketing tools such as product ratings, email campaigns, paid promotions, and website integrations. For AkzoNobel Coil and Extrusion Coatings, BIMobject has become an important part of its omnichannel strategy.
"BIMobject is one of many platforms we use to reach a wider audience of specifiers and provide access to our product and color offerings in a format that works best for them. This approach underlines our focus on driving engagement with specifiers and implementing an omnichannel approach to make specification-related information available across different channels to ensure a seamless and unified experience," says Kyryl Lashun.
Their approach underlines their focus on driving engagement with specifiers and implementing an omnichannel approach to make specification-related information available across different channels to ensure a seamless and unified experience.
"In the future, we will continue to utilize BIM with a focus on driving visibility and engagement, improving user experience, and strengthening the quality of interactions," adds Kyryl Lashun.
Sustainability is moving from a nice-to-have to a must. AkzoNobel’s hardly standing on the sideline. The company is fully focused on ensuring that the pioneering paints and coatings supplied today can help safeguard our world far beyond tomorrow. But it’s not just sugarcoating – their claims are backed up with action. AkzoNobel’s considered a sustainability leader in the paints and coatings industry and holds AAA, Platinum, and low-risk ratings in various programs.
AkzoNobel TRINAR coatings used at World Trade Park, Jaipur, India.
"We’re continually reducing our carbon emissions and moving towards a circular economy by minimizing waste throughout our value chain and increasing the use of renewable and recycled materials, while also making them last longer," says Kyryl Lashun.
The industry’s increasingly green approach has accelerated the demand for third-party verified documentation, such as Life-Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). This signals a deeper, digital methodology for green building. Kyryl comments:
"Sustainability is one of the key drivers for both product selection by specifiers and for process improvement between suppliers and specifiers. Not only do specifiers select sustainable products for their projects, but we also see increased demand for receiving information digitally via different platforms and channels, including web, mobile, and BIM."
But let’s harp on the latter for a moment or two… How can manufacturers support sustainable specifiers in BIM projects? A whole lot, if you ask architects Negar Daneshpour and Riccardo Piazzai. In a nutshell, manufacturers who supply manufacturer-specific BIM objects provide professionals with the data they need to select the best products for the project.
Although an increasing number of architects and engineers explore products digitally and BIM is becoming mandatory in markets – many professionals feel that manufacturers are falling behind in offering BIM objects. But how urgent is it to adopt a digital way of working – and selling – building products? Kyryl offers the following advice for manufacturers contemplating investing in BIM (objects):
"Moving forward, adopting a digital approach will become a fundamental component of a specifier-centric strategy. It’s therefore vital to continue enhancing digital tools and processes to improve connectivity between all stakeholders in the building and construction community."
He concludes:
"It’s crucial to identify areas where traditional approaches to project management work better, as well as those areas where it makes sense to adopt more agile processes, where you can run multiple small experiments quickly, collect the data and make adjustments based on performance and user feedback. Shifting to BIM doesn’t have to take years. It is possible to start on a smaller scale, build up knowledge and strengthen your expertise as you go."
Want to build a specifier-centric experience like AkzoNobel? Get started by booking a demo with us today >
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