Challenge: In 2004, a joint venture of Starwood Capital Group and private homebuilder Fieldstone Communities, opened Sycamore Creek, a master planned community in Riverside County with 1,526 homes that encompasses 717+ acres including a school, a regional park and a 71-acre nature preserve. Anton Communications was brought on to assist with community outreach, marketing and media campaigns to gain public support for this new home community. The challenge was to persuade prospective homebuyers on the relevance of a responsible, well-planned community as a factor in their purchase decision at Sycamore Creek.

Action: The campaign promoted Sycamore Creek’s harmony with the surrounding environment, from the mountain forest nearby to the 71-acre nature preserve in its midst. We helped develop themes that spoke to the public concern that new projects pay their way in public infrastructure. Our media pitches emphasized countywide issues or trends – treating the project as an emblem of a new era in homebuilding. The most innovative approach was a glossy, eight-page publication called “Planning the Future” that came across as educational rather than promotional.

Results:  The Sycamore Creek campaign was an astounding success, driving home the fact that Fieldstone Communities was a responsible developer. From the grand opening on June 7 to Sept. 19 in 2003, 80 percent of the 253 units on the market were sold. The lesson learned is that when buyer awareness of regional growth issues is keen, it’s not enough to offer nice homes in a good location – people want to know you care about their community.