For three months in a row, the Midwest has ranked highest among U.S. regions for architecture billings, a leading future performance indicator for non-residential construction monitored by commercial real estate developers and segments such as manufacturing tied to building systems, materials, and equipment. Headed into 2026, respondents to a national AIA survey say maintaining long-term client relationships, marketing, and profitability are among top concerns.
Billings at Midwest architecture firms were up again in November, breaking into growth territory, while nationally for 13 months the score has remained below a level that indicates expansion, according to the latest AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) report.
The ABI is a leading indicator of nonresidential construction activity about 9 to 12 months ahead. Billings growth is indicated by a score of 50 or more.
The report published in mid-December reflected brightening business conditions in the Midwest region while billings nationally stood at 45.3.
The region was outpacing counterparts in the South, West and Northeast by 6.2 points, 8.7 points and 9.2 points, respectively.
- 52.3 Midwest
- 46.1 South
- 43.6 West
- 43.1 Northeast
In September, the Midwest score level was 49.8, and 49.6 in October.
By sector, billings in November remained soft across all specializations including commercial/industrial (45.2) and residential (46.6), with institutional (47.6) leading the pack.
Outlook on Maintaining Strong Client Relationships
The results of an AIA annual survey conducted each December highlighted 46% of survey participants who cited maintaining relationships with longer term existing customers as a “major concern” for the upcoming year.
Among the top five leading business related concerns for 2026, the majority drew attention to identifying new clients and new markets and enhancing firm business planning and marketing (56%), and increasing firm profitability (56%).
Of firms that responded to the survey, 8% noted effective use of AI in the architecture practice was one of their top concerns for 2026, doubled from the year prior.
Consistent Outreach, Nurturing, Client Retention
A compilation of customer retention statistics published earlier this year by data-driven solutions company Demandsage show that, on average, businesses across industries see a customer retention rate of about 75.5%.
Consistent, structured outreach plays a central role in demand and lead generation, and maintaining long-term client relationships, particularly in industries with extended buying cycles and high consideration thresholds.
Email campaigns, newsletters, open houses and customer appreciation events, trade show participation, collaborative content initiatives, and custom publishing are commonly used touchpoints that support ongoing engagement with both existing and prospective clients.
When executed as part of a deliberate communications strategy, these channels create reliable opportunities to share updated literature, announcements, material or product changes, process improvements, service capabilities, and maturing value propositions.
Just as importantly, they provide mechanisms for capturing direct feedback, helping organizations better understand client needs while demonstrating transparency and responsiveness.
Email Marketing For B2B Verticals, Niche Industries
According to Content Marketing Institute’s year-end insights leading into 2026, thought leadership was focused predominately on LinkedIn (76%), followed by email newsletters (54%).
Industry accepted best practices and email marketing benchmarks cited by leading platforms like SharpSpring, now owned by Constant Contact, found drip email campaigns generate 80% higher open rates and three times higher click-through rates than sending just one email.
Basic, simple email personalization, focused on one to two channels with minimal integration, was a common practice for (59%) of marketers.
This data is impactful as it reinforces the value that deliberate nurturing makes sense from a high-ROI strategy for long-term relationships perspective across B2B industries.
Rather than functioning as isolated tactics, the forms of outreach referenced above work best when integrated into a broader content and public relations framework, an owned and earned media mix that emphasizes credibility, consistency, and relevance over time.
In this context, newsletters and drip campaigns serve less as promotional tools and more as essential infrastructure, supporting trust, recall, and continuity across long decision cycles.
When going after new business, breaking into new markets, and communicating effectively staying focused on building up lasting relationships with existing clients.
The customer retention data further suggest increasing that by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. Email is implemented in nearly 90% of marketers’ customer retention strategies.
Learn more about 3RM’s approach to content marketing and public relations, and contact us, anytime.
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