Category: CONUSMER RELATIONSDeep White & !MOOZ (Latvia)FUTURIS – THE FUTURE RIGA IS ALREADY TAKING SHAPE!Client: Larix Property

Summary

Just when the economic crisis had emasculated Latvia’s real-estate market, the number of deals approached zero, numerous new projects stood vacant, a unique, sustainable and energy-efficient building – FUTURIS – was created. But how, in a stagnant real-estate market, make buyers notice a new living space, appreciate its advantages? Moreover, choose it for their next home among the huge range on offer, paying an above-average price?

We decided to turn apathy into active and constructive discussion. We created five visualizations of provocative buildings placed in Riga’s most recognizable and sensitive areas and leaked them to the internet. After a while FUTURIS announced discussions with leading Latvian architects with one common issue – what Riga should be and what it should look like.

Residents actively commented on Riga’s future prospects, visited the FUTURIS website to find out their philosophy and vision for Riga’s development. Continuing expert discussions resonated loudly in the public space. But the greatest achievements were shown by sales results – 80% or 48 of the 60 apartments in the FUTURIS residential building were reserved within two months. All this while Latvia’s real-estate market was widely considered to be totally lifeless. Which shows that discussion leads to thinking. Which leads to results.

Situation

FUTURIS is a new, contemporary, energy-saving apartment building in Riga’s Jugendstil district. This area features the best examples of Riga’s very personal version of Art Nouveau, which is why it is UNESCO heritage-listed and, clearly, sensitive in every aspect. Riga has suffered its share of architectural disasters, but FUTURIS is not one of them. In fact, it fits in so well with Riga’s architectural heritage that you may even not notice it. But how then to get it noticed in a real estate market barely alive after being the main victim of the economic crisis?

Objectives

The campaign’s main objective: To announce the FUTURIS residential building to the market, so promoting apartment sales.

To do this, sub-goals were nominated: To focus particularly on a precisely defined customer segment – solvent Latvian resident, able to

value the FUTURIS apartments as a model of sustainable construction; The sales message to create a supportive backdrop in professional circles: among real-estate

agents, architects and other developers in order to reinforce the image of the FUTURIS project and the developer as special and responsible.

Strategy

To shake up the dormant real estate market, it was decided to start with a provocative declaration: The quality of the building: understated design, sustainability as opposed to glamour – highlight by

heavily accenting the exact opposite – excesses, flashiness, unnatural forms distorting the urban environment.

Category: CONUSMER RELATIONS By showing what it would look like if the Riga landscape was invaded by architectural monsters based

on excess, FUTURIS would create a platform for debate between experts and opinion leaders, the media and the public about what Riga’s future should look like.

Once the provocation has taken root, it is followed by the public announcement of the FUTURIS residential building:

Highly targeted media relations campaign Carefully managed agent activities and direct communication with customers.

In turn, the announcement is followed by supportive communication among professionals and in the media, maintaining the currency of the FUTURIS name and positioning in the target group’s agenda.

Execution

LAUNCH WEEK Five visualizations of provocative buildings were created and virtually placed in Riga’s most

recognizable and sensitive areas and leaked to the internet, announcing public discussion about these sites.

The topic of Riga being the new Dubai and the bogus pictures became the most viewed and commented subject in online and national media.

We helped the discussion spread in the media by creating eye-witness stories and initiating articles.

ACTIVE PHASE When debate reached fever-pitch, FUTURIS admitted that this had been their way to launch

discussion and that the future didn’t have to look like Star Wars.

Media visits, interviews, articles highlighting FUTURIS as the ambassador of sustainable construction in Riga reinforced the FUTURIS footprint in the target group.

MAINTENANCE To reinforce the FUTURIS name, a discussion was organised in cooperation with Latvian

architects featuring one common issue – what Riga should be and what it should look like.

Documented Results

Within a few months, FUTURIS broke all sales records for Riga apartments in. 80% or 48 of 60 apartments were reserved, almost as many in the whole of Riga’s Quiet District this year.

During the active campaign stage, when concerned people went to the FUTURIS website to get answers about the FUTURIS vision for Riga and its philosophy on organising living space, campaign website hits reached more then 11 000 visitors.

The campaign was reported in several dozen articles in online and printed media, the photos of the FUTURIS visions of Riga’s Future generated hundreds of re-tweets and comments in social networks

The FUTURIS debate has become a good tradition and an integral part of the agenda for architectural experts and industry professionals.

All this while Latvia’s real-estate market was widely considered to be totally lifeless. Which shows that discussion leads to thinking. Which leads to results.