As Marketing Manager for a three building luxury apartment property in NE Portland, OR, there’s a lot of moving pieces in abiding by brand guidelines and creating more expressive work to engage with the community. This ‘superblock’ property’s key attributes are innovation and connection with a core value of sustainable living. Below are some projects that have improved the property’s overall appeal from website re-design to simple signage.
The property hosts three very distinctively different buildings, each with their own set of branding, logo and style guides. Created originally by Portland’s prestigious Widen + Kennedy Advert Agency, the brand style guide gives a thorough set of options for future marketing needs.
The color palette to the left is the universal Hassalo color structure with the property’s classic H logo for all marketing material. Below Hassalo’s logos are the building’s individual branding elements. These assets are not used as often, but necessary when there’s a particular need for marketing for a specific building.
Hassalo’s website (managed by a web design firm) is functional and efficient, but there were plenty of improvements to be made, especially from a designer’s perspective. Instead of the original static image of a model apartment on the home page, I collected some striking photos from around the property to create a more dynamic, appealing first impression for apartment hunters.
Hassalo’s website (managed by a web design firm) is functional and efficient, but there were plenty of improvements to be made, especially from a designer’s perspective. Instead of the original static image of a model apartment on the home page, I collected some striking photos from around the property to create a more dynamic, appealing first impression for apartment hunters.
In an effort to increase web traffic, and a more secure spot on Google’s algorithm, I introduced our Wordpress Blog. Portland is known for it’s competitive rental market, so anything we can do to stand out from the fray is significant. Setting the standard of one post per month minimum, it keeps the blog consistent and updated for our SEO traffic. I write topics depending on the season and events happening in the neighborhood, which keeps me up to date on the area’s many initiatives to drive community culture. The blog also gives our residents an easy guide to the neighborhood and it’s upcoming events.
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Social Media Management is the backbone of my efforts to promote Hassalo’s photogenic community. Using platforms like Instagram, Tik Tok and X, our reach is even more effective. As shown, our events are perfect to highlight on socials to make living at Hassalo feel like a true neighborhood, not just a stale apartment complex.
Planning events for residents is structured into my role, along with all promotion. This created an opportunity I could flex my design and illustration skills. Monthly posters are created for events and hung around the community. The assets made in each poster illustration contribute to social media posts as well.
A small collection of the many design assets I have made for Hassalo’s event and online advertising. Many assets can be re-used in our marketing material.
My role requires a detailed eye for small things around the property that can be improved or addressed. The example above is simple signage in the amenity space for the automatic espresso machine. A piece of paper taped to the front of the device with Coffee Service hours does not imply luxury, so I created a more streamlined and appropriate display for the information.
I designed these magnets as part of new move-in gifts for incoming residents. There was a need for a streamlined way to make sure each new resident knows who and where to contact at the property, and everyone moving-in has a fridge, so it’s more likely to avoid the landfill and allow more real estate for branded practical items.
