By Lisa Moore and Kristin Graham
Helping a developer build awareness for a unique building concept in Kalamazoo and lease their 45 new apartments without the option of in-person tours?! That was a new one for us! Thankfully, challenging marketing situations are kind of our thing.
The LKF team thrives on going above and beyond to innovate new solutions and deliver results. So, when Catalyst Development Company (Catalyst) hired LKF to support its 180 E. Water Street project and market to potential tenants, our team dove right in!
As a well-known development company, Catalyst has earned a great reputation as a concierge-style residential and commercial property management company. With relatively good brand recognition, the company previously met its goals with little investment in branding efforts. The pandemic, however, required Catalyst to take a new approach.
Like so many other construction projects, the 180 E. Water Street project had fallen victim to the delays of COVID-19. In addition, initial and long-lasting pandemic guidelines strictly limited in-person interaction. The overarching question became, “How do we sell never-before-seen physical spaces virtually?”
Playing the Cards We Were Dealt
Some side effects of the pandemic worked in our favor when it came to our work with Catalyst. With so much bad news and sadness, the public’s craving for positive news was on LKF’s side.
After developing unique and eye-catching branding and messaging, LKF took a holistic approach utilizing public relations, social media, and a beautiful website to position Kalamazoo’s newest mixed-use building at the forefront of must-see places once in-person restrictions were lifted.
Created using our trademarked McConimore® WordPress theme, 180 E. Water Street’s website was developed quickly, efficiently, and within Catalyst’s budget. Property renderings, an amenities list, and an interactive map of downtown Kalamazoo courtesy of the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership were used to give prospective residents an understanding of 180 E. Water Street and the inviting neighborhood housed within and around it.
Facebook and Instagram accounts were created to reach additional audiences and drive more traffic to 180 E. Water Street’s website. These platforms provide an avenue for LKF to update neighbors and prospective renters as more details and opportunities became available.
To speak directly to media outlets, LKF drafted and distributed a series of press releases promoting the unique amenities, features, collaboration, and opportunities available at 180 E. Water Street. These well-timed releases produced positive, encouraging news as well as engaged those looking to make the move to downtown Kalamazoo.
Delivering Results & Satisfying the Client
By coming up with an innovative approach to a unique challenge, LKF demonstrated our team’s creativity and, most importantly, partnered with our client to meet their needs.
“We are excited to be working with such a talented group of professional women to shine a light on this project and our organization!” Patti Owens, Catalyst’s Vice President-Managing Director, said.
Assisting the people in our family – including clients – to thrive is our passion. We are grateful for the trust Catalyst (and all of our clients) place in us. Together we can weather any storm!
If you’re in need of an innovative, solutions-based marketing partner, contact LKF. We will deliver the results you seek!
Special thanks to CSM Group for the corner image of the 180 E. Water Street building.
