Real Estate|Construction

Public Relations - Media Relations

Situation

Street of Dreams, one of the most popular luxury home and lifestyle tours in the country, is held in five to seven cities from coast to coast each year. Street of Dreams teams tap local builders and interior designers to create custom built, fully furnished homes on a single street - each featuring cutting-edge technology and innovations in homebuilding and design.

Since 1992, communications 21® (c21®) has been charged with the creation and implementation of a local media relations campaign designed to increase awareness and visibility of, and ultimately drive traffic to, the Atlanta-area Street of Dreams shows. In addition, c21 is the only public relations firm in the country that also is charged with obtaining national publicity for Street of Dreams, Inc.

Challenge

The spring 2006 show was not only located more than an hour away from Atlanta, but also needed to draw visitors to the show amidst a market cluttered with other home shows taking place within metro Atlanta.

c21 Solution

c21 created a six-month media relations timeline that included:

• Developing and distributing a detailed media kit, including profiles on the builder/designer teams and detailed information on each home, highlighting the most unique and unusual features, and making it available online
• Customizing pitch letters to metro Atlanta and regional media contacts as far away as Virginia
• Holding a media sneak preview of the homes before the show opened, and offering personalized tours to the media throughout the show
• Obtaining professional photography of each home to offer to media outlets, and making photography available online
• Focusing on maintaining and enhancing the reputation of Street of Dreams as the premiere "must see" home show event in metro Atlanta to draw traffic

Results

c21's media placements resulted in more than 16 million impressions for the spring show, including local placements in publications such as Atlanta Magazine; Points North; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; the Atlanta Business Chronicle; Georgia Magazine; Where, Atlanta Magazine; and The Gainesville Times. These placements helped drive 43,000 home enthusiasts and potential buyers to the show - resulting in $480,000 in ticket sales and millions of dollars in home and incremental home furnishing and décor sales.

"I attribute this show's success to a spectacular setting; big, interesting houses; strong public relations; a solid advertising campaign, and the fact that it was our 15th Atlanta show. Thanks to c21 for all your efforts."

Bryan Ashbaugh, CEO, Street of Dreams, Inc.