ISSUES MANAGEMENT CAMPAIGN FOR A LAND DEVELOPER
ELITE PROPERTIES
Working with elite Properties, a large Colorado Springs developer and homebuilder, required our firm to execute a wide variety of public relations strategies and tactics for the development company itself and its three properties in various stages of build-out.
Two particular projects within the overall program stand out. First, was a special event we created and managed to introduce one of the developments. City council members, count commissioners, the mayor, media representatives, lenders and an assortment of Realtors and brokers were invited. Held outdoors on the property, the event featured food, a band and a short presentation by the development company’s president and representatives from each of the four builders involved with the property. Attendees could get in a horse-drawn carriage and be taken to view each of the builders’ model homes. And, a drawing was help for a free trip for two to Charleston, S.C., for which the development was named.
The two objectives for the event – generate home pre-sales and build awareness among key constituencies – were achieved and at a level well beyond the developer’s expectations. In fact, the event generated more pre-sales than the developer and builders had previously experienced.
The second major project involved serious work for one of the properties in the earliest stages of development. This large piece of land (nearly 700 acres) had long been considered by many as open space, even though it had been slated for development for quite some time. Neighbors were very upset. We managed town meetings with neighborhood associations, developed messaging for the planning and zoning commission, worked with a research firm to conduct research and established a relationship with a well-known political analyst to manage what eventually became a political campaign.
The development issue ultimately went to a popular vote where it passed. The land has since been developed with relatively few modifications to the original plan.
