Question 1

Who decides which lighting brand gets used in commercial buildings?

Accepted Answer

Six roles shape the decision: Owner (writes the check), Architect (writes the spec), General Contractor (controls budget), Electrical Contractor (buys and installs), Distributor (gatekeeper at checkout), and Electrician (installs it). Electrical Contractors and Distributors hold the most real buying power, but they rarely search Google for products.

Question 2

What is the size of the US electrical and lighting market?

Accepted Answer

The US building electrical market is approximately $312B, with residential remodel being the largest segment at $94B (+6.8% growth). Residential new is $68B, commercial new is $82B, commercial remodel is $47B, and industrial is $21B (+8.6% growth).

Question 3

How is AI changing lighting procurement?

Accepted Answer

AI enters the lighting procurement chain at four stages: (1) Design — AI matches real products to BIM models, creating brand lock-in before spec; (2) Bidding — AI reads spec PDFs and matches SKU databases; (3) Procurement — AI tracks delivery timelines and auto-replaces unstable supply; (4) Pre-install — AI reviews submittals line by line. Being written into AI-readable data streams (SKU databases, BIM libraries, compliance checkers) is becoming a competitive barrier.

Question 4

What is the difference between professional and DIY lighting markets?

Accepted Answer

The professional market (EC/Distributor-driven) has high loyalty, high barriers to entry, and buyers aged 50-65 who use traditional channels. T-Model distribution is T0-T1. The DIY/retail market is search-driven, low loyalty, buyers aged 25-50 with T2-T3 AI adoption. GEO is highly effective for DIY but low for professional. Mixing the two strategies produces mediocre results in both.

Question 5

How do electricians and distributors use AI differently?

Accepted Answer

According to the T-Model analysis: Electricians are T0 70-80% — almost no AI use, they search 'how to install' and trust UL listings over brand ads, reachable via traditional SEO and FAQ Schema. Distributors are T1-T2 ~60% — they use AI (Perplexity) to check product specs and compare prices, but won't pay for AI tools, reachable via GEO and product comparison content. One message cannot reach both.

Role	Brand Power	Search Behavior	Channel
Owner	Low	Moderate	Referral
Architect	Medium	Low	Spec DB
GC	Low	Very Low	Subcontractor
EC	High	Low	Distributor
Distributor	High	Moderate	Internal SO
Electrician	Medium	Moderate	Distributor

Segment	Market Size	Growth	Margin
Residential new	$68B	+4.2%	12-18%
Residential remodel	$94B	+6.8%	15-22%
Commercial new	$82B	+5.1%	8-14%
Commercial remodel	$47B	+7.3%	10-18%
Industrial	$21B	+8.6%	6-12%

	Professional	DIY / Retail
Channel	Distributor-driven	Search-driven
Buyer age	50-65 (EC)	25-50
Loyalty	High	Low
Barrier to enter	Very high	Low
Go-to-market	Lunch + rebates	GEO + video
T-Model skew	T0-T1	T2-T3
GEO effectiveness	Low	High

Source	Type	Coverage
BLS (CEW + OES)	Employment/wages	Full US
IBISWorld	Industry reports	OD422, 23611
NECA	Contractor survey	~2,000 firms
US Census	Construction spending	Monthly
Crunchbase	AI platform funding	2020-2026
NAED	Distributor data	Annual

Who Decides Your
Lighting Brand?

It Passes Through 6 Hands

Who Has What Power

$312B — Who Gets What

Different Playbook Needed

4 Stages Where
AI Enters

Lighting Industry
T Distribution

Where This Comes From

Who Decides YourLighting Brand?