Marketer Journal
The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) serves marketing and development professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) industries who are responsible for nurturing relationships and building credibility to engage prospects and acquire clients for their firms. A/E/C professionals are proficient in marketing strategy, branding, and business development.
The Challenge
Rich with industry research and best practices,Rich with industry research and best practices, the MARKETER grew from a member newsletter to a bimonthly journal under TGD's art direction, production, and design services since 2008. Serving as a tangible membership benefit, the MARKETER journal has reliably landed in 8,000 mailboxes every other month for 16 years — informing, inspiring, and connecting SMPS membership and A/E/C community alike.
In 2023, recognizing both the opportunity to modernize and the need for fiscal responsibility around production costs, the association began a proactive move to cease print production and transition MARKETER to a fully digital publication. As a partner throughout the transition, TGD needed to adjust its level of support to align with SMPS' needs, while upholding the integrity of the publication.
Strategies
Branding & Strategy
Publications & Magazines
Web Design & Development
Retainer Services
Solutions
In preparation for productionIn preparation for production of the September/October 2024 edition featuring the SMPS Marketing Communications Awards winners — a prestigious, 48-year-old program that attracts more than 300 submissions from 190+ firms across 20 categories — TGD set out to collaborate with the MARKETER's newly appointed publisher and editor and representatives from the publishing platform selected by SMPS.
The team defined a process and timeline for the new interactive initiative, carefully preserving the association's brand identity, voice, and authority within the A/E/C industry. With a longstanding familiarity of MARKETER, TGD provided key background on the publication, content, and brand to guide a smooth evolution.
The team considered how to best leverage innovative technology, such as interactive covers, scroll effects, a dynamic table of contents for easy navigation, animations, and more. Enhancing the overall reading experience to gain deeper member engagement and buy-in was necessary to demonstrate value.
In transitioning from print to digital, maintaining the publication's style and association's brand was essential. TGD ensured the seamless transition of proven design elements like a contemporary layout with generous margins and good use of negative space, an energetic and vibrant color palette, member photography that feels relatable and familiar to the SMPS community, stock imagery featuring diverse individuals — across races, ages, and genders — working together in professional and collaborative environments.
Results
Thanks to the efficient collaboration and shared commitment to excellenceThanks to the efficient collaboration and shared commitment to excellence among SMPS, its digital publishing vendor, and TGD, the September/October 2024 digital issue was produced in under five weeks. Featuring 20 articles and an interactive cover video, it received immediate praise from members.
With each subsequent issue, the team honed their process, with every member taking ownership of their role. The editorial team led the creation of rich content and coordinated volunteer contributors, while TGD's art direction and design team elevated the storytelling of SMPS's content through creative branded layouts and delivered all digital assets on time to the publisher, ensuring faster, smoother production.
As of December 2025, SMPS and TGD have produced eight digital issues and, just one year later, proudly celebrated a 175% increase in readership — a clear testament to the publication's impact and reach.
+175%
Increased readership over 1 year
TGD brought strong project management and consistent communication that made the entire process feel easy. They were organized, detail-driven, and quick to flag next steps — helping us stay aligned and on schedule.
Danielle Gray MBA
Director, Content and Knowledge Resources
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