The Sheridan Group

A member of our team helped this developer of commercial office buildings launch a cost-effective marketing campaign that consisted primarily of a local media blitz.

The Challenge: In September 1998, this developer faced a delicate marketing challenge. It was quietly finalizing $56 million in deals to develop three new commercial office buildings in the Denver market, which represented more than 400,000 square feet of commercial office space. Construction was beginning on all three properties and it needed to fulfill lease agreements within nine months. The company didn't have the time or budget to develop a database of prospective clients and reach them via direct marketing. It also didn’t have the time or budget to create and place an aggressive advertising campaign.

The Solution: We recommended an aggressive and opportunistic media relations campaign that highlighted the Rockefeller family's investment in The Sheridan Group. The media pitch also highlighted the unique fact that these new office buildings were designed to appeal to smaller tenants who didn't need the entire building or an entire floor.

We contacted the real estate reporters at the two daily newspapers in Denver and at the local business journal. We offered each reporter an opportunity to secure interviews on the same day so that each medium had a fair chance to break the story. All reporters accepted the opportunity and the interviews and photo shoots took place in one afternoon. This strategy motivated each newspaper to break the story as soon as possible to avoid being beat by their competitor.

The Result: The media strategy worked. The Sheridan Group's story broke the next day. It appeared on the front page of the business section of The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. The premium placement of the stories prompted the local television and radio stations to cover the story. The Sheridan Group immediately began receiving calls from prospective tenants and investors. The company went public one year later with a successful IPO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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