Page 336 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

314 CHAPTER 10

Eaves, and some graphic flourishes that had a traditional feeling. We used these same
elements in advertising pieces, in collateral (handouts to prospects, for example), and
for trade show booth components that Melaver took to the International Council of
Shopping Centers conventions. We used headlines like “New Savannah shopping that
feels like shopping Old Savannah,” and “We’d like to invite you to a nice heaping
helping of a 90,000 traffic count.” Clearly, there was no mention of sustainability, at
least in the early phase of lease-up. Why? Sustainability was not initially a relevant
message to our target. Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston, in Green to Gold, remind us
that we shouldn’t get so caught up in the technology that we forget to make the busi-
ness case. Prospective clients may be interested in the green attributes of a product or
service, but the green button should not be the first (or even second) button to push. 5
The message is only a blueprint for a piece of communication. In other words, you
wouldn’t craft a print advertisement with a headline that reads, “We can fit your for-
mulae, save you some on operational expense, and enhance your perceived goodwill
to the community.” In fact, you might divide that message into three different adver-
tisements and craft a headline around each one. If you’re working with an outside part-
ner, narrowing your message will increase the efficacy of the piece of communication.
Always, always, always craft your message so that it is relevant to the people you are
targeting. With Abercorn Common, we found that much of our messaging took place
face to face between the Melaver brokers and the potential tenants. We did very little
true advertising but invested a good deal of effort brainstorming how the brokers
needed to talk about Abercorn Common. We recognized early on that too much talk
of sustainability turned them off. We chose to keep the sustainable sell soft, and focus
our discussions on the financial benefits of the property as they related to the tenant.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
SIMPLIFIED

Key questions that need to be addressed in shaping a message include:
1 What do you hope to accomplish from this communication?
2 To whom are you talking, and what are their motivations and concerns?
3 What is the single most important message you want them to take away from the
communication?
4 How can you support this message?
5 What is the tone of your message?
6 How should you deliver this message?
7 When do you need to be out with the message?
Beyond the specifics of targeted messaging, the shaping of an overall marketing
communication needs to be clear. Know what you are communicating and why. Clearly
identify your target(s). Know as much as you can about these targets. Develop mes-
sages relevant to each target.