Ahead of the Curve

14 Jan 2011 2 Comments

by John Amardeil in Case Studies, Trends

One of the challenges of BAM’s business is helping our clients reach the registrants for their new home communities in an effective and expeditious fashion. We want to have valuable communications with our registrants: giving them the info they want, the way they want to receive it. Recently, we used two new techniques to revolutionize how we communicate.

1.  Online Appointment Booking


BAM sent out an eblast inviting Pathways’ registrants to an exclusive preview event for Pathways in Caledon East. It led them to a website (see screenshot above) where they could see available appointment times and book one for themselves. When people booked an appointment, an automatic email was sent to them confirming their appointment time and telling them how to get to the venue and how to cancel their appointment if necessary.

Similar to convenient services like OpenTable and other online appointment booking services such as retail services for hair stylists and for purchasing movie tickets, this system benefitted both the builder and the public. We got to control and limit the number of people attending our event without the tedious task of manually managing an RSVP list. Registrants got to book their appointment quickly and easily, and at any time of the day or night.

2. Text Messaging Campaign

Even those who don’t have email on their phones often utilize at least their texting feature. According to Pew Research Center’s 2010 Mobile Access Survey, one of the two mobile activities people do the most is sending or receiving text messages (72%).

Launching a SMS (i.e. text messaging) campaign for the same Pathways event gave us an extra medium to communicate with registrants who wished to be contacted in this way. Being able to contact registrants via text allowed us to contact them on the fly, instead of the slower medium of email that we usually use. This was extremely useful when, for example, our Limited Release Blueprint Preview sold out; we were able to notify people who had appointments booked later in the day that the lots available had sold, and warn people that they could still come to their appointment but would be unable to purchase a home.

Text messaging also has the benefits of being:

–  Nearly impossible to miss (vs. email, which often ends up in your junk folder)

– Instant and available to you wherever you are

– Personal

BAM continues to innovate with new ways to engage and communicate with people. It’s a modern, mobile world, and we are constantly adapting to this world.

The Art of Perception

07 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in You Need to Know Tags: , , ,

The way we act is because of the way we perceive things.

Have you and a friend ever looked at the same thing, but taken away two very different ideas of what it was?

The Spinning Dancer is just one example of how people can be certain of what they’ve seen, yet there is actually more than one way to look at it (if you stare long enough at the dancer, you may see her rotate the opposite way).

BAM is in the business of creating/enhancing customers’ perceptions of our clients’ offerings. The way you interpret a website we’ve designed (see below), for example, will depend upon many factors – your experiences, upbringing, influences, education, even your mood.

That’s why we work hard to create work that not only stands out, but that really represents our clients and the best they have to offer. We try to embody our clients’ products, philosophies, and the people behind it all. Then we construct a detailed plan of how to approach the market: Do we use drawings or photographs? What style of renderings? Should we use colours which evoke comfort and warmth, or excitement and energy? Do people look mostly left or right on their computer screen?

Since, as they say, “perception is reality,” we always try to put our clients in the best light possible so that customers will see them in the positive spotlight they deserve.

A BAM Christmas

23 Dec 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Activities

I always enjoy the festivities at this time of the year, and it’s a great opportunity to share laughter and joy with people that you see everyday – my team at BAM, of course! We’ve had an exciting and busy year at BAM, and at our Christmas party this year it was great to kick back and relax, enjoying each others’ company in a way we don’t get to do every day.

Our Christmas party took place at the Miller Tavern in Toronto last Friday, where we enjoyed great food, great drinks, great company and a fun gift exchange game. It was a good night for everyone to bond with each other, and it brought the BAM family closer.

I couldn’t have asked for a better team this past year, and BAM wouldn’t have had such a successful year without this team and, of course, our wonderful clients. As we move on to the New Year, BAM will continue to grow, which I’m excited about, and we’ll keep making the juice!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at BAM. We hope you have wonderful holidays and spend cherished time with your loved ones.

Finalists Named for 2010 CHBA National SAM Awards

17 Dec 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Activities, In The Media Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) has announced the finalists for the 2010 CHBA National SAM Awards, which celebrate excellence in new homes and renovation design, innovative technology and construction techniques, outstanding presentation, and marketing activities across Canada. We’re excited that two of our clients had the honour and distinction of being nominated, and that we could help them achieve this level of excellence.

Empire Communities is up for the Green Home Award for their innovation in green home building, including the recent debut of their ECO2 program, which BAM designed and launched. This program is ground-breaking in its focus on homeowner empowerment and education, including seminars and a video helping new homeowners learn about all the benefits and features of their ECO2 homes. Every Empire home is now built to the specifications of the ECO2 program, meaning homes are ENERGY STAR-qualified and include many other energy-saving features, such as Cent-a-Meters to track energy consumption in real time, solar ready rough-ins and more. The homes can also be upgraded with Empire’s ECOnomical and ECOlogical packages. You can read our Case Study of the campaign here.

Brookfield Homes is nominated for best website for www.thevillageniagara.com, a site for its community The Village in Niagara-on-the-Lake. BAM was responsible for the creative, concept and production of this website and we’re pleased to see it earning distinction. The website is designed to be useful, easy to navigate and interactive, and includes exciting features on the homepage to draw visitors in, like a photo slideshow, links to social media sites, upcoming calendar events, special inventory deals and other incentives, recent blog posts, a virtual tour of the neighbourhood and model homes, the opportunity to sign up for community updates, and more. You can read our Case Study of the website here.

Brookfield was also nominated for the Grand SAM Award, an award presented to the new home builder who best combines excellence in both the building and marketing of new homes. Brookfield credited BAM with the creative, concept and production of the work for the marketing campaign they’re nominated for, their new community in Caledon East, Pathways. BAM helped Pathways stand out as an exceptional new community that would appeal to families. We divided the community into six unique neighbourhoods, and designed a map showing several pathways winding their way through the community – a path for all passions, from biking and jogging to a dog walkers’ trail and stroller loop. We did gorgeous renderings of the two parks that the community will feature, as well as a stunning streetscape rendering. We also developed other benefits for the community to offer, like Brookfield’s “Green” Saver program. You can read our Case Study of the community’s marketing campaign here.

Awards will be announced in late February, 2011. Good luck to Empire Communities and Brookfield Homes!

Our Clients Love Us

10 Dec 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Activities, Fan Mail Tags: , , , , ,

John A. celebrates Brookfield Homes’ “Builder of the Year 2010” award in his new sweatshirt in front of the Brookfield Christmas tree in Markham. Somehow the photo got into the hands of another of our clients, Empire Communities. Maybe it’s an Empire sweatshirt, actually! We love our clients and wear their tattoos with pride.

 

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