Investa Property Group
Property Relations

Task:

BWH was commissioned in 2006 to support Investa’s significant Sunshine Coast project pipeline, including the residential project, Bellflower, along with a future master-planned community known as Palmview.

BWH has planned, and continues to implement, a dynamic program of communication activities with the core objectives of branding, educating and raising awareness of Investa and its projects, by a diverse range of stakeholders.

Strategy:

The marketing communication strategy needed to be sensitive and alleviate the concerns of the established community towards an ‘unknown’ community and developer on their doorstep. With this in mind, BWH recommended a grass roots approach to educate local stakeholders about Investa and its commitment to sustainable development and clearly articulate its vision for Palmview to be a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable community.

Communication Initiatives:

• BWH ramped up media relations with local, regional, metropolitan and national publications and their relevant news and property sections. Co-ordinated media briefings were arranged with key journalists to fully capitalise on all possible editorial and features opportunities.
• The “Investa Community News” newsletter was developed to convey key messages to targeted stakeholders.
• Building the profile of the Sunshine Coast Investa team within the community by supporting local sporting clubs, education institutions, urban development and planning conferences via targeted sponsorship opportunities.
• Strong alliances were forged with the University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre and Telstra Smart Communities to position Investa as a strong corporate partner aligned to the Sunshine Coast’s continued growth and success.
• Advising on appropriate one-on-one briefings and/or presentations, and drafting key messages, documents and submissions to build relationships with local government representatives.
• Development of an on-going management strategy to identify and ameliorate local issues with the potential to impact on Investa’s reputation and credibility.

Evaluation and Outcomes

Investa has fostered strong relationships with local residents, businesses, educational institutions, Council and State government. The State government announced in June 2008 that Palmview would be one of 17 greenfield sites across SE Queensland to be fast-tracked for development.