Timbercreek Communities

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What We Did

Branding, Environmental Design, Video & Web

The Client

Timbercreek Communities is a property management company in Toronto, Ontario. They started with a single apartment building back in 1999 and now manage over $9 billion in assets, including more than 200 sites sites with over 20,000 units. Their focus is on creating communities that grow and thrive.

The Project

About a year before they called us, Timbercreek had acquired a property in Edmonton called Edgewater. It consisted of two towers on the east end of Jasper Avenue, as well as two low-rise apartment buildings.

Timbercreek wanted to focus first on the towers. They were only at 70% capacity, which meant almost a third of the units were sitting empty. They were also looking to attract a new demographic, and many of the people who lived there didn’t fit in this group.

The company wanted to bring in more residents who would be an ideal fit for the kind of community they were creating. They decided to work with us because we’re based in Edmonton and the project would involve all of our in-house services.

Goal

Stand out from local competitors and increase building occupancy rates and get more ideal tenants.

The Project

Timbercreek wanted to position Edgewater as a premium building. The goal was to make residents feel like they’re part of something exclusive, yet feel at home at the same time.

When someone is shopping around for a home to rent, they do their homework first. They look up the property online and check out photos, floor plans, and prices. All of that happens before the person even sets foot on the property. And when they do, the welcome they get helps them decide if they want to live there.

To know how Edgewater could stand out, we had to know what competitors were already doing. Our marketing team put on their secret shopper hats. From first contact to booking an appointment to taking a tour, we evaluated every part of competitors’ brands and sales processes. And we used what we found to help us create something even better.

Branding

We started with the name. The Northbank refers to the location of the towers at the top of the river valley embankment, as well as the name of the North Saskatchewan River itself. It suggests adventure and the opportunity for residents to lose themselves in nature, with home only a few steps away.

From the name came a brand story and language that sold the experience and made people feel good about living at The Northbank. At the same time, we created a modern visual identity that’s bold but simple, accessible but elevated, natural but urban. The result is a brand that makes people feel like they’re coming home.

Wayfinding

The brand needed to fit within the space itself, too. Timbercreek wanted to show people, both residents and passersby, that something new and different was happening. We met the challenge with design and specifications for a full environmental package that could be rolled out over the next couple of years.

Building exterior signage shows off the new brand and encourages people to contact the rental office. This also included identifying the towers so visitors could more easily see which was which. Inside the buildings, we designed directory, suite, and regulatory signs for every floor, plus signage for common amenities and the parkade. We also created interior design concepts to help reinforce the brand throughout the space.

Marketing

Timbercreek was looking for a strategy to help guide their future marketing for The Northbank. Based on our research, we defined the audiences, industry challenges, and competitors to keep in mind when they eventually launched their own campaign. We also came up with a creative concept that they could run on various platforms.

As part of our strategy, we developed a sales funnel and defined the pieces that fit into that process. Every piece fit together to create a different kind of apartment shopping experience. With this sales funnel, we understood where each marketing lead was going and what they needed once they got there. That made it easy to design the collateral we needed.

Video

One major piece of the marketing puzzle was a promotional video for the website and social media. Timbercreek wanted to show off the lifestyle that The Northbank offers. Because it’s close to both the downtown core and the river valley, it gives residents options that other buildings can’t.

Our video concept showed that The Northbank isn’t just a place to live—it’s a place to live. It has something for everyone and every walk of life. Residents don’t need to travel anywhere for anything because it’s all nearby. They can enjoy it on their own, with friends, or as part of The Northbank’s resident community.

Website

Timbercreek needed an online platform where they could share information about The Northbank and collect leads. We designed a website that expanded on the information found in the marketing brochure. Visitors can find out what makes The Northbank special, watch the video, explore suite options, and ask for more information or book a showing.

The Results

Getting to work on every aspect of the project from start to finish helped us create something cohesive. We understood every piece of the project and how it all fit together to help Timbercreek reach their goals. They were happy with how our work created a premium brand, and residents really responded to the new brand and the feeling of home that comes with it.

Branding
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Environmental Design
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