BRP
From higher purpose to higher value
The founders of a $7 billion real estate development company, focused on emerging urban communities, wanted to demonstrate to lenders and investors that a higher purpose was not incompatible with higher value.
BRP Companies is a privately held real estate development firm based in New York City, specializing in mixed-use, mixed-income, and workforce housing projects. Founded in 1998, BRP has evolved into a vertically integrated organization offering services in development, construction, property management, and financial services. As BRP grew and diversified, its founders needed to reassure lenders and investors that the company was a new kind of developer, one that could deliver attractive financial returns while improving underserved urban communities.
Through an in-depth competitive analysis, we learned that while many companies described their commitment to strengthening communities, few demonstrated how they went about doing so, or what results they achieved. Interviews and workshops with BRP’s executive team revealed that the company’s commitment went much deeper. The company’s first-mover vision for how real estate development, when done right, could benefit communities was supported by a proven ability to structure complex deals and a willingness to take calculated risks. And the company had a track record that demonstrated that they could do well for investors by doing good for communities.
This research led to a brand based on Building for Better: “At BRP, we’re reimagining what real estate can be. An innovator in our industry, we recognize that real estate can advance both community interests and commercial investments.”
The new brand was introduced on a completely new website that showcases BRP as a top-tier real estate development company with institutional capacity … and a proven ability to create buildings that benefit communities as well as investors. We developed detailed personas for the wide range of audiences the site needed to address, including lenders, investors, deal-flow brokers, and community partners. These personas were the foundation for creating the site’s navigation and content strategy. Throughout the site, bold claims about the company’s vision are supported by case studies, data and testimonials showing that the BRP, alone among competitors, truly walks the walk.
