Category: Real Estate PR

What does a PR agency do? Real Estate PR Case Study

Jasmin SessomsAwards, Blog, Case Studies, Real Estate PR, , , , ,

In the spirit of #ThrowBackThursday, here’s a real estate PR case study that features a January 2012 article in the Wall Street Journal. The story was a result of the media strategy that Clairemont devised and executed for the client. Our team is proud to continue work with Nash-Newland and Newland Communities.

Client: Nash-Newland

Planning: Newland Real Estate Group based in San Diego and North American Sekisui House (Nash) based in Osaka, Japan formed a new joint venture in 2012, Nash-Newland, and acquired the largest operating portfolio of residential master-planned communities in the United States. The joint venture purchased the interests of the California Public employee’s Retirement System (calPERS) and the American Newland Communities in 28 master-planned communities, located in 15 markets and 11 states.

With the negotiations being highly confidential until the finalization of the agreement, NASH-NEWLAND turned to Clairemont Communications to devise a media relations strategy, counsel executives on when to release information about the joint venture and how to keep it confidential until the right time. Clairemont extensively researched what the real estate beat reporters of these outlets had written, the types of merger and acquisition stories they had produced and their professional backgrounds to determine who had experience covering similar joint ventures.

Objectives: The Clairemont team was tasked with getting news coverage under highly confidential circumstances. Specifically we identified the following as key strategies:

  1. Break the news in a national business media outlet. NASH-NEWLAND wanted the story to break in the outlet that would have the most significant business impact and reach the most readers without ignoring the other two considerations. Due to the complexity of the joint venture and assets involved, in addition to selecting the right media outlet, we needed to target a reporter who had enough understanding of the real estate industry as well as experience writing about the financial aspects of merges and acquisitions.
  2. Secure a trade story and garner coverage in five regional news outlets.

Execution: Clairemont was able to get the attention of Robbie Whelman at the Wall Street Journal with our first pitch call to him. Before telling him the companies involved, we could only share the types of organizations and give him an indication of the scope of the deal. He agreed to go under embargo, and from there we outlined the timing of our other outreach around the Wall Street Journal being issued. This included issuing a news release on Business Wire, pitching the story to additional media contacts and NASH-NEWLAND’s priority trade magazine contact.

Clairemont was also responsible for preparing media materials, answering questions from regional and other types of media. We worked with the NASH-NEWLAND executives on messaging, interview preparation, interview coordination and media follow-up needs.

Results: To the satisfaction of our clients, Clairemont secured a spot in the Wall Street Journal – the first choice to break the story- on the front page of the property report section. Additionally, we secured coverage in all of our priority outlets of Associated Press, Marketwatch and Bloomberg, as well as Reuters. Seven total stories appeared in these outlets, exceeding our goal of one national business article.

We exceed our goal of five regional stories with the placement of 11 articles. Additionally, there were 14 various online stories that were based on business and regional coverage.

This campaign earned Clairemont a Best in Division award from Raleigh Public Relations Society and an Award of Excellence from the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America.

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Moving in with Mom: Multi-Gens Change Real Estate PR

Cherith AndesBlog, Public Relations, Real Estate PR, Trends, , , , , , , ,

Matthew McConaughey’s flick, “Failure to Launch,” spins the yarn of a young professional who can’t seem to fly the coop. At age 35, he relishes the perks of rent-free living with his parents along with his mother’s home-cooked meals and in-house laundry service.

While fodder for one of the leading romantic comedies in 2006, this story has since typified today’s housing market. In 2012, more than 18 percent of the American population resided in a multi-generational family household, defined as home with three or more generations under one roof.

Junior’s Back. And So Is Granny.

The trend skyrocketed during the 2007-2009 recession when insufficient jobs and waning pensions forced families to pool mortgages to survive. What was born out of necessity has since beget a luxury. Families willingly benefit from combined resources, shared comforts and (let’s not forget) direct access to the grandkids.

The multi-gen housing trend has left its mark on the real estate industry. Nationally acclaimed home builder Lennar Homes, for example, rolled out NextGen, a new brand featuring a “home within a home” for this target market. The MEDCottage, another line’s portable “granny pod,” features a 12 to 24-foot flat plopped directly into your own backyard. Forget going “over the river and through the woods” to grandma’s house. You barely have to make it out the back door.

The new MEDCottage. Image courtesy of MEDcottage.com.
The new MEDCottage. Image courtesy of MEDcottage.com.

A New Floor Plan for PR.

So what does this mean for real estate PR?

Lots. As families place a premium on lifestyle, it becomes vital that we create and market opportunities that engage diverse age groups. For example, Briar Chapel by Newland Communities, one of Clairemont’s longstanding clients, offers a range of internally and externally marketed activities. Their Lego Camp draws tykes from across the state while their water aerobics engage active older adults from around the community.

Briar Chapel also provides opportunities from the other side of the coin–large-scale events that nurture inter-generational collaboration and maximize shared interests (such as the multi-generational love for the Rolling Stones—who knew?). Briar Chapel’s acclaimed Pepper Festival fosters relationships by providing a distinct draw for every interest and demographic—from kid-friendly acrobatic showcases to “adult-friendly” craft beer tastings. Strengthen relationships, we say, because the family that plays together, stays together…and will likely “pay” together for houses in your community!

Briar Chapel's Annual Pepper Festival.
Briar Chapel’s Annual Pepper Festival.

Invite All the Right House Guests.

These mufti-faceted avenues provide equally diverse opportunities for us to expand media relations. Not only do media highlight breaking news and overarching stories, but many also pursue niche interests—such as the Triangle’s trending wave of “beer experts.” Effective public relations strategies should dig deep to suss out fresh angles on stalwart offerings for specialized reporters, bloggers and social media experts. Creative pizzazz can unearth a whole new wave of dynamic media attention for a real estate community!

If all else fails, the multi-gen trend at least promises free babysitting from grandma for a last-minute date night, right?

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Clients Who Care: Wendell Falls

Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, In Our Community, Real Estate PR, , ,

In the spirit of holiday giving, “Clients Who Care” is a blog series that recognizes some of the recent acts of kindness and caring demonstrated by Clairemont clients. We hope these stories inspire you to be charitable this holiday season and throughout 2015. Happy Holidays!

After grand opening, many companies make an effort to get to know their new neighbors–perhaps with an open house, a product promotion or even a donation to a local charity.

But what if your business that hasn’t sold a single product? Or signed a single contract? Or even opened your front doors?

Wendell Falls Steps Out Before Even Starting Up

Wendell Falls, the upcoming master-planned community nestled among the quaint rooftops of Wendell, N.C., exceeded the standard protocol for cursory introductions. Inspired by its mission to forge lasting relationships and strengthen the foundations of its community, Wendell Falls offered a helping hand to its new neighbors long before it even broke ground on its first house.

At first, Wendell Falls started by providing monetary contributions to assist the community where it needed it most immediately. With a focus on bolstering economic and academic growth, the new development team locked arms with local business owners and civic leaders to identify opportunities for growth in the chamber and schools.

And while these ongoing partnerships boldly demonstrate Newland’s caring spirit, we think there’s something else that makes this client “rock”.

A Client That Truly “Rocks”

Newland Communities, the developer of Wendell Falls, is fueled by its vision to “create enduring, healthier communities for people to live life in ways that matter most to them.” Newland has woven this principle of sustainability into 140 commercial, residential and mixed-use communities in 14 states nationwide; Wendell Falls carried on the legacy with a big bulldozer…and some creative thinking.

As the team commenced grading on the new Wendell Falls site, they encountered challenges excavating and disposing of the rocky terrain. And we’re not talking about a few pebbles; these hefty boulders posed an expensive challenge to export and stow offsite. And then Newland’s team encountered a “light bulb” idea: why not donate the boulders to the local Wendell Parks and Recreational department to aid its renovation efforts?

A dump truck (and a crane and a few hard hats) later, Wendell Falls donated eight hefty boulders to the Wendell Parks and Rec, footing the entire bill for the excavation, exporting and unloading while saving the town thousands of dollars in landscaping fees.

This creative form of “recycling” showcased the team’s heart to support and care for their community in every way possible—including a little “rock and roll.”

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What does a PR Agency Do? Ribbon Cutting Case Study

Margot HorganAwards, Blog, Case Studies, Real Estate PR, , , , , , ,

People commonly ask us what a PR agency does. We thought one of the best ways to answer that question would be to share case studies of campaigns that have been recognized at the North Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s (NCPRSA) InSpire Awards. Over the past three years, Clairemont has won 75 industry awards including this InSpire Award-winning campaign.

Client: LStar Management

Situation Analysis: When the original developer of Edenmoor went bankrupt, it left behind an unfinished master-planned community. With 68 families living there, but no developer to finish the construction or maintain what had been built, roads began to collapse, the clubhouse was vandalized and residents grew concerned about the increasing safety hazards.

The demise of Edenmoor was widely reported in local media. The extent of the negative coverage was reason for concern when new developer, LStar Management, purchased the community. Could LStar overcome the stigmas associated with the neighborhood brought on by its predecessor, convince media that the company had the expertise and financial backing to turn around this failed community and attract builders to start constructing homes again? With the new ownership going into effect in October, LStar turned to Clairemont for help in securing neutral to positive media coverage and improving the perception of the community by the end of the year, allowing for less than three months to make progress.

Objectives: Based on extensive primary and secondary research and a timeframe of less than three months, our objectives were very straightforward, as follows:

1. Build an arsenal of communications materials prior to the property acquisition announcement.

2. Secure at least five neutral or positive news articles by year’s end.

3. Establish a social media presence prior to a mid-December ribbon-cutting ceremony.

4. Recruit 10 homebuilders interested in buying and building on lots in the community.

Execution:

Communications Materials: Clairemont conducted a messaging session with the community development team in order to devise a message board to guide all communications. We also crafted a fact sheet, a Q&A document and backgrounders, as well as event and pitch-specific media kits.

Acquisition Closing Announcement: While there had been media speculation about LStar’s acquisition of Edenmoor, Clairemont advised LStar to wait until the deal closed before publicly disclosing details. Skeptical about how reporters might respond given the negative coverage we uncovered during the media audit, our pitches directly addressed their previously reported concerns. Our goal was to receive neutral and unbiased coverage. We were pleasantly surprised at the reporters’ positive reactions. Headlines told the story of the community getting a “facelift” and a “second chance” from the new owners. Our client’s favorite story referred to LStar as the white horse.

EMS Dedication + Name Change: Following on the success of our first announcement, six weeks later Clairemont helped LStar host a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for a new EMS station that the developer donated to the county. Once at the event, residents and media were surprised with even more news, as we unveiled the new name, Walnut Creek, and brand identity to go along with all of the improvements being made in the community. The response was overwhelmingly positive with media coverage continuing along with a transformation and renewal theme, and LStar receiving accolades at the event from residents, county officials and media for the impressive amount of progress it had made in improving the community in a short period of time.

Social Media: In order to keep residents, potential homebuyers, builders, real estate brokers and media informed about Walnut Creek, Clairemont established a Walnut Creek Facebook page and Twitter feed. Additionally, we devised a blog strategy and editorial calendar.

Evaluation:

Our results directly correlate to our objectives, as follows:

1. Build an arsenal of communications materials prior to the property acquisition announcement.

  • Clairemont created key messages, a fact sheet, backgrounders and other materials to support LStar, delivered on time prior to the closing announcement.

2. Secure at least five neutral or positive news articles by year’s end.

  • Clairemont secured 14 positive news stories between Oct. 31 and the end of 2011. By issuing our media releases on Business Wire, the two announcements also received 1,272 online views.

3. Establish a social media presence prior to a mid-December ribbon-cutting ceremony.

  • Per our client-approved timeline, Clairemont set up and launched Facebook and Twitter for Walnut Creek in conjunction with the event. A new blog was launched in January.

4. Recruit 10 homebuilders interested in buying and building on lots in the community.

  • As a result of the positive news coverage, LStar was contacted by several builders interested in constructing new homes in Walnut Creek. At the completion of this campaign, one builder had already started construction, and 14 more are undergoing LStar’s stringent homebuilder application process.

LStar recognizes that the first three months of community and public interaction under its new ownership were critical to its rebranding and reputation management efforts.

What did you think of this public relations case study? Was it helpful? We’re here to answer any questions you may have!

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