Seasoned Marketer: Grassi’s Strategic Thought Leadership: Driving Impact Through Industry Insights

In June 2024, Grassi, a leading advisory and accounting firm headquartered in New York City, launched a standout thought leadership initiative centered on its 2024 Construction and Architecture & Engineering (A&E) Industry Conditions and Outlook survey report. This comprehensive report focused on Grassi’s largest niche industries. Serving as the cornerstone of a multi-layered campaign, the report positioned Grassi and its advisors as trusted experts and delivered a measurable return on investment.

The Vision Behind the Report

Lauren Armendinger, marketing manager at Grassi, says the report stemmed from a desire to take the pulse of the construction industry in 2024 and provide leaders with clear data-driven guidance based on what firms were encountering with labor, costs, technology and day-to-day performance.

“We wanted a snapshot of the industry’s current state—a look back at the past 12 months and a forward view of the next 12,” says Armendinger.

The goal was clear: highlight emerging opportunities and challenges for construction firms while showcasing Grassi’s advisory solutions.

Building the Foundation

Armendinger collaborated with her marketing colleagues to design a survey that would inform the report. With insights from internal advisors and external industry leaders, the team identified key trends and pain points. Grassi collected responses over several weeks through its third-party independent research firm, which tabulated the data to ensure credibility and protect respondent confidentiality. Then, Grassi produced the report in-house, leveraging its design resources for a polished final product.

Launching the Campaign

To unveil the report, Grassi hosted an in-person event featuring practice leaders and external industry experts from the New York market.

“We integrated data points and survey themes into the panel discussion. Attendees received an exclusive first look at the report, and the next day we made it publicly available on our website, social channels, via email and through media outlets,” Armendinger notes.

Extending the Impact

The report continued to fuel content throughout the year, both planned and rapid-response. Grassi’s advisors published articles on social media and in email, expanding on the report’s core themes and tying real-time events to insights from the report.

A clear example came during the dockworkers’ strike that shut down 36 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts. Within days, the team released an article explaining how the strike could disrupt material availability, inflate costs and delay project timelines, linking those real-time concerns back to the supply chain challenges identified in the report.

A notable takeaway driving planned content? Artificial intelligence.

“AI emerged as a major opportunity,” says Armendinger. “We followed up with an article titled Artificial Intelligence in the Construction Industry: An Opportunity Awaits, featuring charts and data from the report.”

Measurable Results

The gated report generated 280 leads, resulting in 30 opportunities and two closed wins. Even today, Grassi’s advisors leverage the report’s data in presentations and thought leadership pieces.

“Our goal is always to position our advisors as thought leaders. We connect the dots and integrate survey insights across initiatives throughout the year,” Armendinger says.

Grassi submitted the campaign for the AAM Marketing Achievement Award for the AAM Annual Summit in May 2026. The award honors firms that innovate in client engagement.