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Activity Isn't Advantage: How Material Manufacturers Build Competitive Advantage.

Everybody's busy. That's no longer the advantage. The companies pulling away are making every trade show, sample, launch and conversation build something that lasts.

6 min read

Immersive material installation featuring architectural surfaces and a large pink sculptural material experience at a design exhibition

Getting Specified Isn't The Goal. Getting Preferred Is.

The materials industry is obsessed with getting specified. But specification is the finish line, not the starting point. The brands that win build preference long before the spec gets written.

4 min read

Preference Doesn't Happen. It's Engineered.

The Wrong Question The material industry has been looking for the cause in the wrong place. For decades, we've measured success by asking a familiar question: How do we win more specifications? It's a logical question because specifications are visible. They're measurable. They represent the moment one manufacturer is chosen over another, and they often feel like the finish line every material company is chasing. The problem is that we're asking a question about the outcome w

8 min read

Stop Acting Like a Material Manufacturer.

Most material brands don't have a material problem. They have a brand problem. And most don't realize it. For 25+ years I've worked in the material industry. I've built products. Sold products. Marketed products. Developed products. Built brands. And after all these years I've come to one conclusion: Most material manufacturers don't have a material problem. They have a brand problem. Not because their products aren't good. Most are. Not because their quality isn't good. Most

3 min read