An artfully crafted placemaking story speaks to buyers’ desires and aspirations with tangible offerings meaningful to them. Last time in our placemaking series, we focused on how strategically important it is for amenity-rich communities to create a compelling placemaking story that elevates the right offering, at the right time, in their messaging hierarchy.
But what about when your master-planned community lacks a salient leading feature? Or has features that could be perceived as undesirable to prospective buyers? In this scenario, we take a look at how to elevate your placemaking story in order to reach the right audience for your brand.
No obvious amenities
Your community has no outstanding offerings to clearly elevate it above competitors. While the prices and home designs are desirable, the home sites and backyards are smaller than competitive communities, it’s located near major highways with little to no surrounding nature views and the outdoor amenities include nothing unique or completely ownable. How do you turn these potential negatives into positives?
Turn a negative into a positive
Crafting your placemaking story to focus positively on features that might be otherwise seen in an undesirable light can immensely shift homebuyer perception. European beer brand Stella Artois is a best-in-class example of how to shift consumers’ mindsets by spinning a perceived negative into a positive in a resounding way. They recently brought back their famous tagline, “reassuringly expensive,” which plays up their higher price (normally not a great attribute for a beer to call out) in a self-effacing way. It ties into their new “Stella Tips” UK campaign to celebrate the reopening of pubs as pandemic restrictions lifted, but with a new, clever spin. Targeted at older customers who have nostalgia for the famous tagline and the pre-pandemic pub lifestyle, the campaign celebrated a welcome return to normal social activities while also playing up a charitable angle: Stella donated £1 for every pint sold to help out hard-hit hospitality staff. The return to the classic tagline also subtly reminded customers that Stella Artois remains a trusted beer brand of unmatched quality – all you have to do is pay a little more.
The right message, the right audience
Marketing should never be about making consumers do something they don’t want to do. That’s why it’s imperative to do the research first to determine what audience is looking for the kinds of amenities and conveniences your community does have. Perhaps targeted focus groups or social listening reveals that younger couples with no kids are looking for homes with small backyards to avoid the upkeep of landscaping. Or that empty nesters are seeking out communities close to major highways for the access to hospitals, stores and dining. Uncovering who your buyers are will lead to a more targeted placemaking story and tone, along with a more strategic media buy to reach and engage with them. Getting the right message to the right audience is key, and we have a proven process for helping clients reach these kinds of goals.
Up next in our series, how to retell your community’s placemaking story when you’ve added all-new amenities or need to completely rebrand. Stay tuned!
Could your brand benefit from a fresh placemaking strategy so it resonates strongly with your audience? Let us help. Connect with Barbara Wray at barbara@wickmarketing.com or (512) 479-9834 to chat.
