1. HNTBis an employee-owned infrastructure solu-
tions firm serving public and private owners
and construction contractors.The firm has six CPSMs and one
Fellow among its 18 SMPS members. Mosher joined HNTB
in 1996 and SMPS in 1997. She leads the firm’s corporate
planning, development, and brand-optimization efforts.
Mann joined HNTB in 1998 and is the firm’s chief sales officer.
HNTB is celebrating 100 years in 2014. Describe the
evolution of the approach to your current focus on the
transportation market.
Mann: HNTB built our business on bridge engineering and,
over the years, that led us into every aspect of transportation
infrastructure. Our focus on understanding our clients has gained
their confidence and won us the opportunity to design many of the
country’s most innovative and cost-effective structures.
What thought and planning processes led to developing your
positioning strategy?
Mosher: Our clients want to work with firms that they trust.
We always want to present ourselves as the infrastructure
experts we are, so they remain confident that we know the issues.
But, you don’t get to be a great firm by saying you’re a great firm.
We have to demonstrate expertise all the time through project
performance and thought leadership.
Mann: We prove our value by continually giving our clients
information to help them solve their challenges and deliver
infrastructure to their constituents.
Who is involved in developing the strategy? Who
implements it?
Mosher: Our overall strategic plan identifies the markets or
geographies with growth potential and our target audiences within
each. Our strategic process starts with top leadership and moves
down through all levels—geographic division, district, local office,
and project team.
We rely on people who meet with our clients day to day to help
guide and implement our strategy—our client service teams, our
project managers, and the teams who deliver the work we win.
It is a true partnership with our geographic leadership, sales
teams, and office leaders—they are the ones who really know
our markets best.
How do you apply the strategy at the corporate, regional,
and local levels?
Mann: We found that concentrating a team on implementing
a national strategy takes some of the pressure off the
divisions and offices, yet allows them to benefit from the
overall exposure.
Leveraging Resources to Position a
Firm as a National and Local Expert
Patricia A. Mosher and Doug Mann, both senior
vice presidents with HNTB, share their thoughts,
experiences, and advice on how they position
themselves as thought leaders across their
lines of practice.
By Charles P. (Chuck) Raymond, CPSM
MARKETER DECEMBER 2014 27

2. Mosher: Much of our success in being seen as thought leaders
is our understanding of the governmental issues that our
transportation clients deal with every day. We have government
relations specialists on staff in every division whose job is to guide
our clients in overcoming specific legislative, funding, or perception
challenges. We also use a few local and regional firms to assist
with public and government relations, but we still rely on our local
HNTB team to make things happen.
Describe some of the tactics HNTB has employed to
accomplish this strategy. What level of effort is involved?
Mosher: We use trade and media relations to focus attention on
how our clients succeed. We set up speaking opportunities at
conferences and forums. We encourage active participation in
professional, client, and community associations. But underscoring
our success is our own thought leadership brand. THINK magazine
provides perspective articles on infrastructure trends.THINK
forums bring experts together to discuss a critical infrastructure
topic, with resulting actions and ideas advocating for change
in policy, legislation, or public perception. ATHINK survey uses
an online questionnaire to ask industry professionals, elected
and appointed officials, and the general public about a pressing
infrastructure issue.
What is HNTB’s budget for these efforts?
Mosher: Our budget has been flat for a few years, so we have had
to work to accomplish our goals with what we have. Success is
what you do with the budget rather than how much budget you
have. How do we maximize the return? Maybe we turn this dial
down so we can turn that dial up.You really have to be creative
to get the biggest return on your investment.
What constitutes success?
Mann: Winning projects, of course! We identify opportunities early
by focusing on our relationships and understanding our clients,
often helping them identify the projects they need. A big part of
this is pulling together the resources from around the firm that
will make both the client and the pursuit successful.
Mosher: And our communication strategy helps by paving the
way for all these efforts, and often supporting them on a specific
pursuit basis.
How do you encourage staff to participate?
Mosher: We rely on our local offices and divisions to let us know
when someone expresses an interest in being more client-facing.
We work with leadership and the person to get him or her involved
where it makes the most sense.
Mann: We are always looking for people who want to take on an
industry leadership role. PaulYarossi, now one of our executive
VPs, started as a member of the American Road andTransportation
Builders Association (ARTBA). He was elected 2011–12 chairman
and just received their highest honor, the 2013 ARTBA Award.
His passion and leadership made him a key influencer in the July
2012 passage of the two-year MAP-21 surface transportation law.
He also started theTrans2020Task Force to prepare for another
reauthorization bill. His efforts have a direct impact on our industry
and our clients.
Describe some efforts that have improved through trial
and error.
Mosher: We have struggled with how best to use our web site
for interactivity. Analytics show that our client audience doesn’t
go online to get answers from us … but potential employees do,
so we have made our web site more useful as a recruiting tool.
We also use all the social media channels, mostly to showcase
HNTB as a thought leader. And, we are highly visible in media, both
trade and mainstream. We just placed an OpEd piece on tolling in
the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, again because of the emphasis
placed on tolling by our clients there.
What advice would you give to a smaller firm that doesn’t have
the depth of HNTB’s resources? How can they get started?
Mosher: Think about how and where you can be most effective.
It doesn’t have to be a big monetary expense … but it does
require a commitment of people’s time. Where do we want to be
visible? Can we provide leadership in professional or community
associations? Being a financial sponsor or spending advertising
dollars is not nearly as effective as having a hands-on role in setting
policy, advocating for a solution, promoting a beneficial point of
view, or having your people rub shoulders with clients outside of a
procurement effort. Spend time understanding what your clients
value in the way of knowledge and leadership. Find ways to provide
that within your budget. n
HNTB’s THINK magazine won Honorable Mention in the 2014 SMPS Marketing Communications Awards.
Success is what you do with the budget
rather than how much budget you have.
You really have to be creative to get the
biggest return on your investment.
28 SOCIETY FOR MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES