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Spaulding Communications Announces Findings from Design Trade Survey
November 5,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
Spaulding Communications, a strategic integrated marketing communications, thought leadership and public relations firm that partners exclusively with manufacturing brands of commercial building and interior products, announced the findings from its second annual building and design trade media survey. The 2026 survey gathered input from a broad range of building and design trade media editors and publishers and examined how they are approaching artificial intelligence, what they need from manufacturers and the business challenges shaping trade media heading into 2027.
The survey’s most notable finding is that editors want more human expertise, real-world proof and access to the people behind projects. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) named case studies with measurable outcomes as the most useful asset a manufacturer can provide, followed by access to subject-matter experts and to the architects, designers, contractors and end-users involved in projects (50%). That demand for authenticity comes as half of respondents report a clear rise in submitted content that appears to be AI-created.
AI adoption, meanwhile, is taking shape unevenly across editorial and organizational uses. While 73% of respondents use AI for research and background information, fewer than one in four (23%) use it for core editorial tasks such as editing, proofreading, summaries, headline support, story ideas, outlines, early-stage drafting, SEO, tagging and metadata. Across their broader organizations, half of respondents say they are still experimenting with AI.
Despite AI’s rise, revenue remains the top concern. Half of respondents say attracting more advertisers and growing advertising revenue is their No. 1 challenge heading into 2027, compared with fewer than one in four (23%) who cite adapting to AI’s impact on search, traffic, content and workflow. Reflecting that pressure, 41% say consistent, long-term investment from advertisers and financial supporters performs better than one-off placements.
“This year’s survey reveals something very important for the manufacturing brands that rely on trade media to promote their products, share their news and connect with architects, designers and customers they want to reach,” said Spaulding Communications President Matt Spaulding. “With the rise of AI, it’s clear that brands need to invest in more authentic editorial content through their thought leaders and provide even more real-world work examples. The brands that can do this best are poised to gain greater visibility and trust, both of which are key to driving more sales and specification opportunities.”
In July and August 2026, Spaulding Communications surveyed trade media editors, publishers and business leaders from across architectural, interior design and building publications, as well as product-specific industry media (e.g., flooring, glass, lighting) and related vertical media ranging from healthcare and hospitality to retail and education. Respondents provided insights on the priorities shaping their outlook for 2027, as well as manufacturer collaboration, AI adoption, AI-assisted content, reader behavior, editorial assets and business and advertising challenges.
A deeper look at the survey findings is available here.
Spaulding Communications will host an upcoming webinar featuring trade editors who participated in the survey. Panelists will share what they look for from manufacturers, how AI is changing their work and how building and interior product brands can better partner with the trade media. To be notified when registration is open, sign up here.