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5 tips to ensure your development is newsworthy

The media landscape in the built environment is highly competitive and crowded.
It turns out that what attracts tenants and residents is what gets the media interested too.

The most press-worthy buildings today are stretching the boundaries of what’s possible either through amenities, design, hospitality or technology.

Just as with any topic, media are interested in properties or related news that can surprise the reader. Exciting brand collaborations, unique amenity offerings or the way a property meets a wider community need is also great fuel for news value.

Overall, a good rule of thumb for getting media interested in covering a development is to consider what tenants or residents will find exciting about the property.

  1. First, newest, best:
    Properties that generate buzz are those that are exceptionally different: first of its kind, the tallest, most expensive, largest.When pitching a real estate development, there can be several factors that dictate newsworthiness, but usually, those that generate the most buzz are the ones that are exceptionally different – anything that is the first-of-its-kind, the tallest, the most expensive or the largest, are what tend to garner the most press coverage. Other newsworthy angles might include a notable architect or designer, unique amenity spaces, sustainability components, a historic aspect or a celebrity hook.
  2. Be counter intuitive:
    If every other developer is doing one thing, then you need to show how a property is doing the opposite and bucking the trend – pitching this to media involves understanding the market and continuously doing research. Media don’t want to keep writing the same story, and a counterintuitive headline is much more useful and fresher
  3. Brand collaborations
    Creative activations or brand partnerships—particularly ones that bring real value rather than gimmicks—can elevate a property profile in the media. The idea is to build a creative overlay for a property, via brand associations that correctly position the development or with meanful neighbourhood partnerships.
  4. Hospitality services
    Buildings today must be tenant-centric or resident-centric and must incorporate ‘genuine’ hospitality, whether it is hotel-quality services in a residential development or within commercial spaces. Unique hospitality style services can help to garner press coverage, but they do need to be different and unique.
  5. Global trends
    Tapping into new global trends can be a great way to garner press coverage. Here significant research is required to see how global trends in design, technology, food and beverage or lifestyle changes and demographics can apply to your project

That a visual is the new media release, capturing your event correctly has never been more important. Here are 5 tips to ensure you get it right first time.

  1. Don’t assume your photographer knows what you want. Always provide a written brief.
  2. If you want your event on social such as Instagram and Tik Tok ensure enough photos are oriented vertically.
  3. If your event imagery is for newsletters, blogs or websites be sure to have enough imagery oriented horizontally.
  4. Hire more than one photographer for events over 100 people
  5. Remember to capture the details that showcase the creative elements of the event – the catering, entertainment, atmosphere and the fashionable details. This works especially well on social.
  6. Hire your photographer carefully, look at their Instagram and previous work. Don’t always hire the cheapest, hire the best for the style of event.