10 golden rules for marketing tall buildings

After the recent release of NLA‘s annual report on tall buildings in London, we thought we’d share William Murray’s previously written article, ’10 golden rules for marketing tall buildings’.

Formed through our extensive knowledge of working with skyscrapers, Wordsearch’s Group Strategy Director, William, created a set of 10 rules to follow when marketing tall buildings. William said, “There are relatively few genuinely groundbreaking buildings around the world and we are delighted and proud to have created branding and marketing for a significant number of these iconic towers. A while back, I penned a set of rules for the thoughtful and responsible marketing of these awe-inspiring structures, and it seems a significant time to share these guidelines again.”

With over 30 years’ experience in real estate and architecture, Wordsearch has branded some of the world’s most impressive buildings including: One World Trade Center, New York; The Shard, London; One57, New York, DUO Tower, Singapore and Taipei 101, Taipei. Here we present our 10 golden rules for marketing tall buildings.

 – 1 –

It is critical to remember that a tall building is owned by everyone – not just the developer, architect and tenant.  From the people living and working in the building’s vicinity, to local industry, government, and even the sightseers and tourists of the future.  A tall building means something to many people, it not only shapes the landscape but it should also create a community.

– 2 –

A really tall building represents ‘something’ – whether it is continuing pre-eminence, emerging prosperity or unbridled ambition- this should be represented in the marketing.

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Quality in all things is a critical factor. The building represents a massive financial investment by the developer, is a striking addition to the landscape and should be a beautiful and inspiring place for people to live and work. High quality creative therefore is vital.

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Don’t skimp on the marketing budget – if you want to create high quality marketing material you need a reasonable budget.  You need to ensure you are broadcasting sufficiently and communicating professionally. A large-scale building investment warrants a sufficiently large-scale marketing budget to do the project justice.

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Most people have a great deal of difficulty in transforming 2D plans on paper into 3D reality in their heads. It is important that the plans are as simple as possible, correctly oriented (northwards) and that the supporting material enhances understanding.

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The project team has been living and breathing the scheme for months, if not years. But you have only minutes to inspire your customer to buy into the magnificence that will be the completed building. Don’t ignore the basic qualities which make the building special.

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Safety and security is a great concern in all buildings but particularly tall. Do not shy away from addressing the issue upfront and presenting the truth about the scheme.

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A building is a machine for living or working. Tall buildings are the ultimate machines – and need to be sold as such – in their detail, excitement, technical superiority and safety.

– 9 –

Most people love to shout about the fact that they work in a famous building. Business card pride is a powerful motive for both individuals and organisations.

– 10 –

A brand is not a logo. A brand is a promise that you make to the customer about what your product will deliver. The logo is just a simple way that people recognise your brand. Understand the brand and communicate it clearly.

Wordsearch is the world’s leading creative agency for real estate and architecture.