The 5 Most Common Marketing Mistakes Sustainable Product Manufacturers Make (and How to Fix Them)

The sustainable building products market is growing fast—but so is the competition. Mid-size manufacturers face an uphill battle to stand out, get specified, and communicate their value to architects, specifiers, and building owners.

At Bold Branch Collective, we’ve seen that many manufacturers share the same challenges when it comes to marketing. The good news? With a few strategic shifts, you can avoid the common pitfalls and position your product for success in LEED, WELL, and beyond.

Here are the five biggest marketing mistakes we see sustainable product manufacturers make—and how to fix them.

1. Leading with technical jargon

The mistake: EPDs, HPDs, VOCs, LCA data—these acronyms dominate product messaging. While important, they often overwhelm specifiers and owners who don’t have time to dig into the details.

The fix: Translate technical data into benefits. Instead of “meets LEED v5 MRc1 requirements,” say “helps projects lower embodied carbon and meet new LEED v5 standards.” Pair technical documentation with one-page summaries or infographics that show the real-world impact.

2. Marketing to everyone with the same message

The mistake: Treating architects, contractors, and owners as one audience. Each group has different pain points, but many manufacturers send out the same generic message.

The fix: Segment your marketing.

• Architects/specifiers want design flexibility and LEED documentation support.

• Contractors care about installation ease and risk reduction.

• Owners look for cost savings, health benefits, and asset value.

Create tailored campaigns that speak directly to what each audience values most.

3. Ignoring the power of case studies

The mistake: Relying on technical specs and certifications alone to sell your product. Without context, your claims are just numbers on a page.

The fix: Showcase your product in action. Case studies and project spotlights prove your product’s performance, demonstrate its role in achieving certifications, and give specifiers confidence to choose it. A single strong project story can do more than pages of technical data.

4. Overlooking digital visibility

The mistake: Assuming specifiers will find you without effort. Many manufacturers don’t invest in being present where decision-makers actually search for products.

The fix: Build visibility in the right channels. Be sure your products are listed in green building directories like mindful MATERIALS; place articles and insights in trade media read by architects and designers; and create targeted social media campaigns that reach specifiers where they network. Make it as easy as possible for people to find your product when they’re making decisions.

5. Stretching marketing resources too thin

The mistake: Trying to do everything—events, ads, social, print—without a clear strategy. This spreads limited resources across too many tactics, diluting impact.

The fix: Focus on what works. Repurpose content across multiple formats to save time and budget. A clear strategy helps you do more with less while staying consistent.

Sustainable product manufacturers don’t lose specs because their products aren’t good enough—they lose them because their marketing doesn’t cut through the noise. By avoiding these five mistakes and focusing on clarity, storytelling, and targeted visibility, you can turn sustainability into a true market advantage.

That’s where we come in. At Bold Branch Collective, we help manufacturers translate technical performance into market value, we can help you create strategies that reach the right buyers and position your product to better win specs and grow market share.