Media Relations Case Study: Langtree at the Lake

Situation

Mooresville, North Carolina-based Land Acquisition and Investment is partnering with Columbia, South Carolina-based Atrium Development to create a new 125-acre residential and commercial development along the shores of Lake Norman, North Carolina. The two companies formed Atrium at the Lake Development, LLC to develop the community. The $800 million project will feature nearly one mile of water frontage along the shores of Lake Norman; luxury condominiums with a yacht club amenity; loft apartments; a full-service, four-star luxury hotel; a walkway along the shore; an offering of fine restaurants; boutique shops; corporate office centers; a child development center; a grocery market and a drug store. Atrium at the Lake Development hired Davis Public Relations and Marketing to coordinate media and community relations activities related to the initial public announcement and public hearings of Langtree at the Lake.

Strategy

The concept for Langtree at the Lake grew out of the rapid, high-end growth in the Mooresville area as well as recent economic studies that indicate the town's desire to create an employment-center economy. With several partners in the new development firm having been raised in the area, it was key to our strategy to emphasize their ties to the community and their desire to preserve Mooresville's traditional quality of life.

Tactics

In early August, the developers held a community meeting to get feedback on their plans. That meeting served as important research to determine community concerns and to shape the media strategy. The good news was that most people who attended the meeting were extremely supportive of the project. Two weeks later, the project was officially announced through a news conference at the town's citizens' center. We developed a press kit that included a news release, fact sheet about each phase of the project, biographies on the developers and supporting quotes from various officials including the Mayor of Mooresville, Chairman of the County Board of Commissioners, Executive Director of Economic Development for the local Chamber of Commerce, Business Development Manager from the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the local State House of Representatives Member. The kit also contained architectural renderings and a CD-ROM of those drawings for the media. A media advisory was issued three days before the event, generating front-page coverage the day of the news conference as well as ongoing coverage for a week afterward.

Results

More than 100 people attended the news conference, including representatives from seven news outlets. In the first 10 days, the Langtree at the Lake project generated 12 print stories, including six front-page hits, and eight broadcast stories. The news coverage, most of which has been positive and supportive of the project, represents a 33 to 1 return on the client's investment. Langtree at the Lake will be presented to the Mooresville Planning Board in October, and if approved, will be the subject of a public hearing in November with a final vote by the Town Board expected in December. If approved, construction is expected to begin at Langtree at the Lake in the summer of 2007, with the first phase of completion expected in the fall of 2008.