Area of Work: Housing Sales

Campaign: Find Your Place in Chicago

Clients: Partnership for New Communities/Department of Community Development/Chicago Housing Authority

Years of Involvement: 2008 – Present

Challenge:

Within the context of a weak housing market, find a way to sell homes in which the City of Chicago has an investment.

Approach:

Create an all-encompassing strategy that involved web and direct marketing, community meetings, public outreach, an incentives program, creating a coalition of banks and developers, media outreach, public signage, advertising, and e-based marketing to ensure the sales of homes.

Activities (select):

• Creation of a PR strategy that reaches residents across the income spectrum. Creation, writing and design of all materials
• Creation, writing and design of website
• Orchestration of media events
• Outreach to aldermen from across the city
• Outreach to all communities, from far south to far north and from west side to lakefront
• Organization of tours to more than 40 properties across the city, including coordination of bus companies, transportation routes and guides. Creation of local and national media campaign
• Creation of visibility strategy and materials
• Creation of partnership with private and public lenders, Department of Housing, media outlets, Chicago realtors, the University of Chicago, and bus companies
• Creation of partnerships with employers throughout the region
• Public meetings and tours with area stakeholders

Accomplishments (select):

• Sale of 75 homes in 16 weeks during the fall of 2008
• Creation of an integrated pr program that promoted the purchase of a variety of home types throughout Chicago
• Creation of unparalleled awareness of Chicago’s neighborhoods and housing options as evidenced by enormous press coverage and the inquiries from thousands of people about the program
• Registration of more than 35 developments as sites
• Partnerships with banks, developers, employers and community groups across the city