Video is now a specifier channel: architects and YouTube

What the data shows

The UK’s Construction Media Index 2023, produced by Competitive Advantage with Refresh, found that 63% of architects use YouTube for product research and inspiration, and about one in five use it regularly for technical information.

Among the platforms tracked — YouTube, Vimeo, Slideshare and Pinterest — YouTube was the only one whose use grew between 2021 and 2023. Over the same period, direct exchanges between architects and manufacturers, such as meetings and phone calls, declined.

Why video works for specifiers

Video does what a brochure cannot: it shows the product in a real space, explains installation step by step, and demonstrates performance. That matches what architects say persuades them most. In ArchDaily’s 2020 survey, 91% said seeing a product applied in another project influences their choice.

What to make

• Project walkthroughs — your product in finished buildings, ideally Indian projects with recognisable firms.
• Installation and detailing guides — short, practical clips for designers, contractors and plumbers.
• Performance demos — durability, finish, water resistance or load, shown rather than claimed.
• CPD-style explainers — 5–10 minute pieces that teach something useful, with your product as the example.

The India lens

These figures come from UK architects, and we are not aware of an equivalent published study for India. But the channel shift is easy to act on: YouTube, OTT and connected TV are part of how professionals in India consume content too. With verified audience matching, video can be served to the specific architects, designers and contractors you want — not to everyone who watches home-improvement content.