SMPS is pleased to announce that KW Landscape Architects has been honored with the 2025 Marketing Innovation Firm of the Year Award. This award recognizes an SMPS member’s firm for its outstanding innovation in their marketing.
KW Landscape Architects (KW) is a professional landscape architecture firm with offices in Austin, Houston, Indianapolis, and San Antonio. Their mission is to design exceptional outdoor spaces that inspire people to step outside and engage with the world around them. They aim to advance sustainable practices by preserving ecosystems, enhancing climate resilience, conserving resources, and inspiring communities to adopt environmentally conscious behaviors, and innovate with purpose reimagining landscapes to meet today’s needs while shaping a sustainable future.
In early 2023, marketing team leader Chris Martinez began a strategic transformation of KW Landscape Architects’ marketing capabilities. The firm recruited Edward Garza, Jr., a digital media manager—responsible for all photography and videography—and Ashley Guerra, a dedicated writer, which complemented KW’s talented in-house graphic designer, Casey Johnson. Together, this multidisciplinary team brought a new level of quality and cohesion to the firm’s communications.
Within just two years, the team has produced numerous award-winning marketing materials at both the local and national levels, reinforcing KW’s reputation as a leader in compelling, high-impact design storytelling. These accolades reflect more than technical excellence. They signify a broader cultural shift, positioning the firm as forward-thinking and media-savvy.
Following the team’s formation, they spearheaded a website redesign to align the firm’s digital presence with its evolving identity. Since the website’s launch in April 2024, KW has attracted over 19,000 new users, with an average engagement time of 1 minute and 21 seconds per active user, which is higher than the average website visitation. These metrics highlight the effectiveness of the redesigned site in engaging visitors and delivering a compelling digital experience.
The new platform has become a vital tool for showcasing KW’s work, attracting new clients and talent, and reinforcing the firm’s innovative and modern identity. The launch campaign featured a NASA-inspired video rollout involving all KW offices and departments, capturing the energy and unity behind the firm’s rebranding.
The team also launched TOPO, an internal, bi-annual newsletter magazine that strengthens internal communications and deepens employee engagement. This is another reflection of KW’s belief that a strong firm starts from within.
One of their most innovative achievements has been the development of a billable branding service for clients. Created by KW’s in-house graphic designer, this offering includes logo design, typography, color palettes, and custom branding guides. Primarily serving master-planned community developers, the new service has already elevated over five communities within the past six months. In total, the new branding service has led to over $50,000 in billing over the last 12 months. This initiative not only diversifies the firm’s revenue streams but also reframes marketing as a value-added service rather than an overhead expense, showcasing the strategic potential of an empowered marketing team.
Another groundbreaking marketing initiative was the creation of the KW Dashboard, an interactive microsite that replaces traditional slide decks for business development presentations. Conceived as part of KW’s reintroduction following a newly formed leadership team, the KW Dashboard seamlessly integrates the firm’s leadership profiles, design process, mission, and project portfolio into a visually rich, intuitive platform. Powered by Tiled, the tool offers real-time customization and analytics, empowering the business development team to craft more personalized and effective client experiences.
Since its launch in October 2024, the KW Dashboard has become the firm’s presentation standard and a key driver of new business, specifically leading to three new private multi-family developments in Houston. Clients have praised its innovation and requested insights into the development process for their own firms, a testament to its impact and originality.
In just two years, the KW Landscape Architects has transformed how the firm communicates, connects, and competes. Their efforts have expanded the project portfolio, elevated the brand, and strengthened KW’s digital footprint. Most importantly, they’ve created a marketing culture that’s integral to the firm’s identity and success. The marketing team has not only reshaped the way KW tells its story, it has redefined the role of marketing within the A/E/C industry.
Congratulations, again, to KW Landscape Architects!
