The Breeden Company, which has specialized in residential and commercial real estate development and management in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region for more than 40 years, set its sights on Portsmouth, Virginia for its newest multifamily community, Harbor Vista at Crawford Street. The city was experiencing a renaissance in the urban core, and city officials believed the community would inject new life into their vision for a redevelopment of the city’s waterfront. While the project was poised to take advantage of this urban renewal due to Breeden’s reputation for enhancing the communities in which they’re located, it was also faced with the challenge of overcoming the stigma that the area was unsafe and dilapidated. Walker was engaged to develop a brand positioning platform that would help guide the storytelling and brand touchpoints to position Harbor Vista as a fresh, easily accessible choice for prospective residents.

Objectives

• To drive occupancy by conveying the value proposition of living at Harbor Vista
• To create a critical path and presentation environment that helps bring the brand to life and drive leasing efforts

Strategy

Walker Brands created the brand identity, narrative and strategy for the project in line with Breeden’s vision for the community. This set the tone for both the interior design palette, the look and feel of the marketing program, the Leasing Center environmental graphics and the signage program. The brand was then brought to life in a series of print, digital and physical assets to create an integrated and cohesive look and narrative that was told across multiple touch points with maximum impact in order to generate awareness, drive traffic and secure tenants.

The application of large graphics, imagery and displays helped effectively convey the value. The imagery, furnishings and color palette featured a modern, clean look while the messaging described a compelling resident experience and lifestyle that amplified the community’s amenities and points of distinction while also sharing the Breeden story and their personal approach to multifamily.

Services

• Brand Strategy
• Brand Concepts
• Logo & Identity
• Website
• Leasing Center Critical Path and Environmental Graphics
• Monument and Wayfinding Signage

Success

The campaign resonated with target audiences because it capitalized on the industrial, maritime history of the area and unmatched location overlooking a working river, with a value not available elsewhere in the marketplace. Marketing efforts drove strong traffic to the leasing center and the community was almost 100% leased in less than one year.