SITUATION
A ten-year effort to reinforce the area’s flood control led to the release of a building moratorium and North Natomas was set to experience vital development, with Natomas Park in the forefront. Lennar Communities, an arm of the largest homebuilding company in the United States, was ready to begin development of its master planned community in the area just north of downtown Sacramento, CA. Unfortunately, the area had a history of negative publicity due to a legacy of flooding.

SOLUTION
Barcellona´s research resulted in a strategy to target homebuyers living in suburban Sacramento and its foothills who worked downtown and were tired of a long commute. Barcellona created a brand and subsequent support plan for Natomas Park that included graphic design, advertising and public relations. The “Time of Your Life” tagline focused on the fact that less time spent commuting meant Natomas Park residents could enjoy the many recreational and social amenities the master planned community had to offer, including a resort-style club.

The Natomas Park brand hit the market with a vengeance. A teaser campaign graduated into a full blown marketing campaign consisting of a designed sales office ("Welcome Home Center"), signage program, color newspaper and magazine ads, outdoor, radio, an Internet presence, collateral materials and heavy public relations support.

The grand opening weekend of the community consisted of two event-packed days of activities and brought a critical mass of people – more than 7,000 – to Natomas Park. In addition, a sponsor relationship with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings provided the opportunity to not only get the Natomas Park brand in front of thousands of people, but to create unique partnering and public relations opportunities. Kings players visited Natomas Park for events and Barcellona coordinated a “Shoot for a Home” contest, where a lucky participant had the chance to win a new home if he or she sunk their shots within an allotted time period.

RESULTS
There have been many significant milestones during the lifespan of Natomas Park that validate the success of Barcellona’s branding and marketing efforts. The first time a teaser ad ran in the main news section of The Sacramento Bee more than 1,000 hits were generated on the new Natomas Park Website. Natomas Park was recognized as the best-selling master planned community in California. Barcellona’s marketing efforts generated traffic of up to an unprecedented 1,500 homebuyers per week. Natomas Park was named “Master Planned Community of the Year” by the North State Building Industry Association and garnered Barcellona 23 additional marketing awards.