Kendra deVries-Mulhern has spent her career helping organizations find clarity in complexity. From global design and engineering firms to steel and consumer goods conglomerates, she’s worked across sectors where business strategy and marketing must align to drive growth. Most recently, she led marketing and communications for Egis in Canada, and previously managed initiatives at WSP and Golder, helping unify marketing and business development across multiple regions and sectors.

Her experience bridging technical expertise and business strategy gives her a rare perspective on how structured planning works at scale — and how the same principles can be adapted for mid-sized and smaller design practices. In this conversation, Kendra shares lessons on building an actionable marketing plan, integrating business development, and aligning marketing with firmwide goals.

SETTING THE STAGE: LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Oomph: You’ve worked across industries ranging from design and engineering to industrial and consumer brands, so you’ve seen how structured, business-driven planning works at its best. In the AEC world, you’ve led marketing programs in firms where planning is tied directly to corporate growth targets and strategic goals — making your perspective especially valuable for practices that want to plan more intentionally for the year ahead.

Let’s start at the beginning. When you begin strategic marketing planning, what kind of preparation do you go through before you actually start building the plan? What early actions help set direction before any goals or tactics are written down?

Kendra de Vries-Mulhern: Whether I’m developing a plan for a region, a market, or a sector, there are five things I like to do before writing a single word.

·First, identify an executive champion. If you’re not already at the leadership table, you need someone who is — a senior person who believes in what marketing can deliver and is willing to open doors. The best executives I’ve worked with understood that our efforts were critical to achieving their goals and made sure I had a seat at every relevant discussion. That’s the single most important relationship you’ll have.
Second, map your stakeholders. I lay out who needs awareness, who should provide input, and who ultimately approves the plan. In a big organization this becomes a matrix; in a small one, it’s a list of names on a page. Either way, planning requires stakeholder collaboration – and they are just as essential to execution.
Third, confirm timelines and deliverables. In some firms, planning follows an established cycle with templates and reporting requirements. Knowing what’s expected up front — even something as simple as when budgets are due — prevents scrambling later.
Fourth, understand how your plan connects to others. Is your sector plan part of a regional plan? Are other departments producing parallel strategies? It’s about making sure you’re not working in isolation and knowing how the plans fit together.
And finally, gather whatever existing plans or objectives already exist. A marketing plan should always flow from the firm’s broader strategic plan — its three-to-five-year roadmap. If that doesn’t exist, start from the business objectives that firm leadership wants to achieve in the coming year. For many mid-sized firms, this step alone is a revelation: suddenly, marketing becomes a structured conversation about the firm’s direction, not just its next brochure.

Oomph: That’s such a good point. Those first two — finding the champion and mapping stakeholders — sound deceptively simple but are make-or-break in any size firm.

Kendra: Exactly. They determine whether your plan gets traction or sits in a folder.

PREPARING TO PLAN: COLLECTING THE DATA AND INSIGHTS THAT DRIVE DIRECTION

Oomph: Once you’ve set the foundation, you’re ready to start gathering data and information — and that can be a lot to manage. Do you have systems or templates for collecting it?

Kendra: I don’t rely on a single template, because every firm starts from a different place. Large firms might have incredible data analysists who can prepare sophisticated Power BI dashboards; smaller firms might have a few spreadsheets — and that’s perfectly fine. The important thing is to start with what you have and not let the absence of fancy software become a barrier.

Some of the most effective planning tools I’ve used are extremely simple: an Excel spreadsheet, a Word table, a shared folder. The key is that the data is accurate, consistent, and understood by everyone who needs to use it. When you’re small, work with your accounting team, BD leads, and project managers to gather the information. It’s amazing what you can assemble just by talking to people and putting it in one place.

THE FOUR BUCKETS OF INFORMATION

Oomph: Once that information is in hand, what do you actually look at? What are the categories you review before you begin shaping next year’s plan?

Kendra: I think of it in four buckets: the firm, the brand, the clients, and the market/competitors.

The firm. This is your internal picture — mission, vision, values, technical expertise, geographic presence, significant project experience, and current tactics. I gather debriefs on the past year’s initiatives, including campaigns: what worked, what didn’t, what was recommended for next time. It’s the baseline of how you’re telling your story today.
The brand. Brand health in the AEC industry is about visibility, trust, and delivery. A healthy brand is seen, believed, and consistent with what it promises. I like to create a simple “brand dashboard” — monthly data on reach and engagement in our target markets.
Then there’s trust. In our business, trust is everything. Are clients likely to recommend us? Do they think of us first when new opportunities come up? And are our employees proud to work here? If your internal culture doesn’t reflect your external message, if you’re not walking the talk, the disconnect will impact your firm growth.
The clients. Firms exist to help clients achieve their goals. You need to know who your key clients are, who’s emerging, and who’s winding down. Are existing clients still growth targets? What new needs are surfacing? The only way to know is to ask.
Best practices include: a project-closeout survey at the end of each job and an annual relationship conversation that steps back from day-to-day work. You can have your own staff do it, or hire someone external to make it easier for clients to be candid. Just make sure there’s a feedback loop; project teams can gain insights during projects that need to be shared!
The market and competitors. You can’t plan in a vacuum. Look at economic indicators, government funding, policy changes, and competitive positioning. This is where many smaller firms struggle — they’re aware of market news but don’t capture it systematically. Even a shared folder where people drop relevant articles helps. The point is to translate what’s happening “out there” into implications for your firm.

Oomph: You also mentioned how critical differentiation and brand positioning are — especially when everyone’s chasing the same work.

Kendra: Absolutely. In an industry where fifty firms may be bidding on the same project, differentiation becomes even more important — and it comes down to how clearly and consistently you express your value proposition. What makes you unique? What’s the proof? Is that story being told effectively and repeatedly in front of your target audiences? That’s the test.

DESIGNING THE STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN

Oomph: Once the data is gathered and analyzed, you can start shaping next year’s plan. You’ve said this stage is less about looking backward and more about looking forward — about where the firm wants to be. Can you expand on that?

Kendra: Yes — everything you’ve collected so far is context. It tells you where you stand. But planning isn’t about reporting the past; it’s about deciding what’s next. The question becomes, Where do we want to be a year from now?

Maybe the key insight from your analysis is simply “stay the course.” If clients are happy and the market is stable, repeating what worked may be the right call. But often, the data points to opportunity — maybe your presence in a key geography or emerging sector is low, or you need to strengthen digital outreach. That’s when marketing shifts from reactive to strategic.

My process moves through a logical sequence:

Synthesize insights. What did the information actually reveal?
Define objectives. These should ladder up to the firm’s business goals.
Set strategies. Connect those objectives to market realities and client needs.
Design initiatives. Identify the specific actions that will deliver those strategies.
Assign owners, resources, and milestones. Plans only work when people know what they’re accountable for.
Build the budget and timeline in parallel — so you’re realistic about what can actually be delivered.

Balancing Focus and Resources

Oomph: How do you decide where to focus time, people, and budget?

Kendra: I look for the intersection of business impact and firm strength. Where can marketing create the greatest leverage for growth, given our expertise and capacity? I’m a believer in bottom-up budgeting — you build the budget from the initiatives, not the other way around.

Then I look across all initiatives to make sure there’s a mix: short-term wins, mid-term initiatives, and long-term plays. Some things, like repositioning a sector or growing awareness in a new market, take longer to show results. You have to set expectations early and define milestones so you can demonstrate progress along the way.

Oomph: That’s something every firm struggles with — justifying long-term efforts that don’t yield immediate results.

Kendra: Exactly. The key is transparency. Establish milestones and show your leadership team what success looks like at each step — not just the final result. Report back regularly, celebrate progress, and if something’s not working, re-evaluate in collaboration with your executive champion – maybe they can help move something along that has been a roadblock. Look at the risk versus opportunity of staying the course versus redirecting. Sometimes the plan just needs refinement.

And remember to check whether the original goal is realistic. Maybe you overestimated what was possible in a year, or something has emerged to change the situation. Adjusting the goal shouldn’t always be perceived as a failure — it can be smart management.

Integration With Business Development and the Business Plan

Oomph: Let’s talk about integration — bringing together the business plan, business development, and client management. How do those fit into the strategic marketing plan?

Kendra: Ideally, the marketing plan starts with these inputs. It’s not a separate document — it’s part of how the business grows. Marketing should be developed in concert with client teams, not parallel to them.

Oomph: I think a great place to start is by gathering three categories of information:

From the business plan: growth targets by sector, service, and geography.
From business development: strategic pursuits, pipeline health, hit rates, and pursuit debriefs.
From client management: repeat work, feedback, and emerging opportunities.

For large firms, integrating all that data can be complex. But for mid-sized firms, it’s far more achievable — and it becomes a real competitive advantage. When everyone is aligned around a common set of goals and metrics, the plan becomes a shared tool, not a marketing exercise.

Differentiation and Brand Health

Oomph: Earlier you mentioned brand health — visibility, trust, and delivery. How do you measure that in practice?

Kendra: ask three questions:

Are we visible?
Are we trusted?
Do we deliver on what we promise?

For visibility, I maintain a simple monthly dashboard showing reach and engagement in target markets — website, PR, social, speaking engagements. For trust, I look at client feedback, likelihood to recommend, and the tone of informal conversations. Internally, I listen to how employees describe the firm. Do they feel proud? Do their words match our stated values?

A strong brand makes selling easier. It builds confidence before the first conversation. And in our industry — where credibility is everything — it’s the difference between being considered and being forgotten.

External Signals and Market Intelligence

Oomph: How do external factors like the economy or policy changes fit into the planning process, especially for smaller firms that might not track them systematically?

Kendra: Make it simple and continuous. You don’t need a research department. Have someone monitor policy changes, funding programs, and major project announcements. Capture competitor movements. Then share that intelligence internally so it becomes part of decision-making.

Markets shift fast. A few years ago, the big concern was avoiding “greenwashing” language. Now firms are re-evaluating how they talk about ESG or even their nationality when marketing in certain jurisdictions. The point is: pay attention. Context shapes communication.

BUDGETING AND TIMELINES

Oomph: What’s your overall approach to establishing budgets and timelines?

Kendra: I’m a fan of goal-based, bottom-up budgeting. Start with the outcome you’re trying to achieve, then calculate the people, hours, and resources required. Every dollar should map to an initiative with a clear deliverable and a timeline. Build in regular checkpoints — monthly or quarterly — so you can adjust if priorities shift or opportunities arise.

Capacity, Resourcing, and Hours

Oomph: One of the challenges I see constantly is firms budgeting dollars but not hours — and then the marketing team spends all their time on proposals. How do you handle capacity planning?

Kendra: That’s a huge issue. Budgets should reflect time as well as money.

Estimate hours for each initiative — PR, content, social, thought leadership — not just pursuits. That way, for firms who’s marketing teams include proposal development, non-proposal marketing doesn’t get squeezed out. Check whether the team actually has the skills and systems to deliver what’s planned. If not, you can adjust scope, phase initiatives, or bring in external support.

And make trade-offs visible. When leadership redirects effort, show what will drop — which activities, how many hours, and what impact that has on goals. It keeps the conversation grounded in facts instead of opinions.

Tracking, Learning and Recalibrating

Oomph: How do you track progress once the plan is underway? How do you know whether the strategy is working?

Kendra: I maintain a monthly KPI dashboard that’s visible to key stakeholders. It links goals, strategies, initiatives, and KPIs — everything ladders up logically.

It includes both quantitative and qualitative measures: content engagement, PR visibility. Every month we review what’s been achieved, what’s next, and any pinch points.

Oomph: Great transparency to keep everyone aligned. The dashboard should also include proposal hit rates and client feedback. Strong way to reinforce that marketing is part of how the business performs.

“SELLING” THE PLAN AND SECURING BUY-IN

Oomph: Once the plan is ready, how do you make it easier to get approval and alignment?

Kendra: Use your list of stakeholders during the process, to ensure their awareness, contribution, and approval. Start with your executive champion — that person who supports you at the leadership table. Share the plan early and connect it directly to the firm’s goals.

Oomph: Be transparent about trade-offs: if we prioritize these three initiatives, here’s what won’t happen. And make the plan tangible — name owners, set 90-day actions, and show how progress will be measured. When people see their role and the timeline, buy-in happens naturally.

LAST WORD

Oomph: If you could give one piece of advice to a firm doing strategic marketing planning for the first time, what would it be?

Kendra: Be realistic and deliberate. Set achievable goals, allocate the right resources, and commit to reviewing progress regularly.

And if your firm has never gone through this before — or you’re facing a market that looks very different from past years — don’t be afraid to bring in outside help. Strategic planning is one of those areas where a fresh perspective makes a real difference. An experienced facilitator can help leadership step back from day-to-day pressures, clarify direction, challenge assumptions, and connect the plan to real business goals. The right partner can turn planning from an internal exercise into a catalyst for growth — and ensure the plan you create actually moves the firm forward.

Oomph: That’s such valuable advice — and a roadmap any design practice could start using tomorrow. Thank you, Kendra, for sharing such a clear and practical view of your approach to marketing planning, and how it can be scaled from the largest to the smallest firms.

Planning with Purpose: Inside Kendra de Vries-Mulhern’s Strategic Approach to Marketing