Abstract:
Business in the current global world is highly competitive. Branding has become so significant for business opportunity. Architectural professions, as well, have been more competitive and should recognize the significance of branding their services. However, architects do not perceive that branding is important, nor do they understand how to build brand for their firms. Architectural firms are constrained by their ethics and the standard of their profession with regard to advertising and public relation. Accordingly, branding architectural firms is contextually different from other businesses. The objectives of this research are to study the theories and concept of branding for understanding the principle of branding, to study the principles of the architectural firms; their professional ethics, the standard of their profession and the characteristics of their firms for their constrained branding. Also to study the branding from the case studies those are reputable in the building industry for the factors applicable to architectural firms, to study the current branding from the case studies in architectural firms, and to conclude and suggest the guidelines for branding the architectural firms in the framework of professional constraints. The case studies are chosen from reputable companies in the building industry. The personnel responsible for the companys branding were interviewed for the fundamental information of branding architectural firms. Then, for the study of the architectural firms, the directors of the reputable firms were interviewed about their current branding. All the gained information was analyzed to find the guidelines of appropriated branding for architectural firms. The research results are as follows. The branding begins to create brand identity that is differentiated and recognized by consumers. However, the constraints of architectural firm are clients that cannot perceive the product before service delivery, the product is customized and professional services cannot be advertised. So architectural branding spends on long time on clients awareness. Following the case studies of the building industry, the branding begins with defying positioning with identity and differentiation from product and service, to define the target group with a niche market and to consistently communicate with relevant direction to the consumer mostly by advertising and public relations. On the other hand, architectural firms do not perceive the significance or intention of the branding that also depends on the attitude and understanding in the branding knowledge of administrators in each firm. The branding for the architectural firms can be summarized in 2 guidelines which are branding with the identity from experience and early branding with a specified and planned identity. There 4 identities in branding which are branding from leader, branding from product, branding from service, and branding from organization. The basic branding guidelines begin with the leader and product or service, and then develop to the organizations brand. The branding of each firm is different and depends on their potential and identities. Most importantly, the architectural firms have to consistently communicate with the relevant brand for prospective awareness to clients. Therefore, the architects should support the branding in the architectural profession that will increase the publics understanding and perception of the significant roles of the architectural profession.