Putting a D.C. real estate firm on the map and in the minds of potential clients.

Challenge

Studley, a leading real estate services firm, was known to its peers and existing clients as one of the most successful tenant representation firms in the Washington, D.C. area.  In fact, Studley was responsible for the city’s largest and most notable real estate transactions in recent history.  However, the general business community was largely unfamiliar with the firm’s track record of success. Until 2000, Studley had done little marketing and did not have any corporate collateral.  It had primarily built its business through referrals and “pounding the pavement”.  Given the highly-competitive commercial real estate industry, the firm needed to increase public knowledge of it capabilities in order to develop new business.  But, as a firm that was known for out-of-the-box thinking and the utmost creativity in serving the needs of its clients, they wanted their effort to not only resonate with potential clients, but also create industry “buzz”. Only a one-of-a-kind solution would do.

My Approach/Role
As Senior Public Relations and Marketing Manager, I was responsible for defining and executing a multi-faceted marketing strategy to build brand awareness.  While instituting a number of public relations, advertising and corporate identity initiatives, I saw an opportunity to produce a marketing piece that would not only promote Studley’s knowledge of the D.C. real estate market, but also feature the firm’s propriety mapping capabilities – a unique street map of our Nation’s Capital.  I needed to package the map in a way that transitioned it from a tactical tool to a marketing vehicle that would attract and engage prospective clients. I retained a design firm to act as creative partner in this endeavor and personally acted as the primary art director, researcher and copy writer for the piece to ensure that the tone and messaging was consistent with Sudley’s way of doing business. I established a broad city-wide distribution plan which, in addition to being sent to the firm’s current and prospective clients, inserted the map into the city’s top business publication (Washington Business Journal) and into a top legal publication widely-read by Studley’s primary target industry (The Legal Times). This campaign resulted in a distribution of more than 25,000 pieces.

Solution
The result was an oversized map, entitled Follow the Leader, which provided a distinctive view of the city and the buildings– both past and present –that made it an international business destination.  The self-folding piece featured an eye-catching cover.  Inside, a juxtaposed timeline for both the city and the firm was complemented with a “now and then” photomontage which paired archival photography (provided by the D.C. Historical Society) with current pictures taken by a professional photographer.  In featuring notable buildings in each of D.C.’s four business districts, the captions detailed relevant historical data and/or transactional information for buildings in which Studley had completed a notable real estate deal. The map itself featured a bird’s eye view of the city – its buildings, streets, parks, monuments, and its most noteworthy tenants.  In total, the design and messaging communicated that the firm knew the D.C. real estate market better than anyone.  It also conveyed a real sense that Studley had helped to shape the skyline of the city and, in doing so, had become part of its history. 

Outcome
Studley’s Follow the Leader map, ultimately, became the signature marketing deliverable for the firm. Although desired, the wide-spread popularity of the map could not have been anticipated.  It was hung on the walls of government agencies, corporate “war rooms”, legal conference rooms, private offices, and in businesses around the D.C. metro area – including the top newsrooms for radio, television and print media. The map was so popular that Studley’s toughest competitor and the world’s largest real estate firm, Cushman & Wakefield, copied the concept and produced its own version of a map one year later!  Awareness of the firm was enhanced by producing a professional, yet out of the ordinary, marketing piece, and the incredible exposure opened the doors to many new assignments and business opportunities. 

Design Partner: CS Designworks