2012 demonstrated that it was not going be a very conventional year. With mortgage rule changes, irrational fears of an investor driven market and increasingly negative headlines about the housing industry, Toronto’s condo market saw a significant cooling off and a corresponding erosion in consumer confidence. Despite this challenging environment, Tridel entered the third quarter of the year cautiously optimistic about their chances of success for the planned opening of Ten York.
Recognizing the developer’s quiet confidence, Brandon Communications put in place a strategy that leveraged the project’s existing high levels of brand awareness to recalibrate the significance of its anticipated opening.
Weeks before the sales launch, Brandon began an intense strategy of targeted media relations, influencer outreach and ‘word of mouth’ tactics to seed a perception among real estate watchers that the results of Ten York’s opening would be about more than just the developers themselves; that Tridel’s decision to launch amid the negative hype was a statement on the market; and, that the success or failure of the launch would indicate the health of the overall condo market in the GTA.
The strategy to elevate the story of Ten York’s launch was effective, as threads on influential real estate blogs, postings on social media sites and significant articles in key traditional media outlets appeared, promising that Tridel’s anticipated opening would be a “bellweatherâ€, “barometer†and a “thermometer providing a quick reading of how much heat is left in a condo market that’s cooled considerably.â€
The first part of Brandon’s PR strategy was to get industry insiders asking ‘can they (Tridel) do it?’, while the second part of the strategy was to get these same insiders to say “yes, they could!â€
And they did!
Faced with the news that Tridel sold more than 500 of 600 units at launch, media coverage after the sales opening began to characterize the project and the decision to launch it as one which “defies condo gloom’, and “offers evidence Toronto’s condo market is alive and well.â€
While Brandon Communications’ public relations strategy for Ten York gave Tridel the media coverage it deserved in 2012, the PR campaign also managed to give Toronto’s condo market the coverage it needed in a very tough year.
POSTED 01/02/2014
CHALLENGE: A new condo in a hyper-competitive neighbourhood needs to stand out. How does a developer create a sense of optimism in a marketplace fraught with negativity?
SOLUTION: Brandon created a strategic plan that looked at the PR challenges presented by the developers, as PR opportunities.
POSTED 01/02/2013
CHALLENGE: In a hyper-competitive residential real estate market, projects must have a compelling and unique story to tell.
SOLUTION: Lifetime Developments and CentreCourt Developments understand this, and as a result, their launch in 2012 of INDX proved to be one of the best stories of the year.
POSTED 01/02/2011
CHALLENGE: When a relatively new development company, with limited brand awareness, launches its “first†project it can be difficult to get attention in today’s hyper-competitive media marketplace.
SOLUTION: Brandon took its inspiration from the dream team of consultants client Henry Strasser and Phantom Developments selected for Jade’s architecture, interior design, marketing and sales.
POSTED 01/02/2011
CHALLENGE: When Lifetime and CentreCourt dubbed their new project Karma, it wasn’t just another name- it was a mission statement and an indication that the developers wanted to do, and say, something different…
SOLUTION: Brandon Communications managed an aggressive PR campaign for Karma that leveraged the project’s creative positioning, to deliver impactful and sustained print and broadcast coverage.
POSTED 01/02/2011
The Challenge:Liberty Development turned to Brandon Communications to tell the story of the GTA’s largest single phased mixed-use development because they were looking for results that were out of this world… fitting since the developer and their marketing team branded the project World on Yonge.
The Solution: In just over a year, Brandon’s focused media relations and community relations program helped build awareness and comprehension with local ratepayers…
POSTED 01/04/2009
The Challenge: The key to a successful PR campaign lies in having something to say, and Amacon’s Parkside Village community gave Brandon Communications a lot to talk about!
The Solution: Using a focused, year-long PR strategy, Brandon’s program was designed to seed the “urban villageâ€, make local urban planning an “issue†and build the developer’s profile.