The Creswell at Playhouse Square: Modernizing a Brand

Why Should You Work with Digital Marketing Professionals?

Wherever you are in life or business, being part of a good team can take you further. After meeting with The Creswell in August, 2019, we knew that strong teamwork would be essential for us to reach this client’s bold new vision for their website. This project would come to include innovations that stretched our talents and challenged our abilities. But together, we both grew as a team and exceeded the client’s expectations. Here we’ll recount some key points and takeaways. We’ll also use this experience to show why partnering with a professional is so vital.

WebSite Design

The Creswell had been a client of Alt Media for some years and we already designed a pretty sleek website for them. But in communications with the client we learned that they were looking to focus their marketing efforts on attracting a more specific demographic––20-somethings who want to live with their finger on the downtown pulse. As Cleveland has been reinventing itself, more potential clients from this age group are looking for trendy, upscale living. The Creswell wanted to be the property to catch their eye. 

Our client had an idea of how they’d like their new website to appear, and provided us with an example for inspiration. To meet the client’s goals, we intensified our focus on the website’s visual appeal and ease of use. They wanted a clean, minimal design, “photography that pops,” and an easy user experience––we delivered on all those points. With animation and hover effects we injected some life and movement into the site that wasn’t there previously.

While the former version of the site did feature high-quality images, we upped the quantity, made them more prominent across the new site, and included video with captioned narration. The site itself includes more subtle touches that are interactive and increase the level of sophistication. One key component of the new site is the custom-built availability feature, which was created especially for this client. We’re pretty proud of the overall quality we achieved and that we were able to give the client just what they’ll need to appeal to their ideal renters.

Technique & Technology

We always encourage clients to include proprietary images on their site or to contract with us to provide high-resolution images. In today’s ultra-visual society, crisp, detailed images are key to a successful marketing strategy. In this case, with The Creswell looking to appeal to a younger clientele, updating the images was imperative to the website’s success. 

Another feature we added was videography. The full facility tour is a way for potential renters to get a feel for the building before ever making the trip to check out the property. This is a great way to attract individuals who are truly interested in doing business, because they’ve already seen something they like and are more likely to seal the deal in person. We made sure that the video was comprehensive, caught key angles and vistas, and featured music that was both modern and would appeal to the target audience. Commercial videography was a medium in which we had some–albeit limited–experience. But after this project we could confidently add it to our skill set.

Beyond the physical website, we’re also going to be handling an expanded marketing campaign for this client. The technology that goes into an effective marketing effort is complex––proper use requires specialized training. We’ll be able to make sure that The Creswell’s ideal client is the person who’s actually seeing and interacting with the brand. That service alone is an invaluable addition to this client’s marketing arsenal.

Coordination & Communication

Our contact at The Creswell was always available for questions and was clear when expressing their goals for the new website. If there was ever a point of confusion, our team could easily reach out and get a quick response. To the client’s delight we were able to see this project through in under six months’ time. Aside from our incredibly easy-to-work-with client, the key reason behind our success was our cohesive team and stellar communication skills. 

Since Alt Media Studios offers more than just web development, video production, or marketing tools, as an agency it really is greater than the sum of its parts. With such a quality group of specialized professionals we were able to keep nearly all work in-house and the scheduled timeline tight. And with our detailed documentation everyone was on the same page for the project’s duration. But above all else, our innate and ingrained communication style ensured that no client request was overlooked, no aspect of the project forgotten, and that everything was achieved on time and to client specs. We’re so proud of the dynamic teamwork that allowed this project to be such a success. 

Takeaways for Clients

After saying all the above, we can’t stress enough the importance of a client’s role in each and every job we handle. They will inevitably sway the direction of any project, large or small. We find two consistent features that, once fully understood by clients, make every project run smoothly.

• Work with a marketing professional: As a business owner, our clients are busy with day-to-day responsibilities––creating a high-quality website and marketing plan could end up on the perpetual back-burner. Whether they have technical skills or not, they’re likely limited by time and tools. So we urge clients to remember that everyone specializes in something. They are the expert at whatever it is that their company offers, and the same is true for Alt Media. Recognizing and valuing the skills of our trained professionals builds appreciation in our clients and underscores the benefits of working with a dedicated marketing partner.
•  Be the best client you can be: As noted in this case study, our contact at The Creswell was a model client. Keeping a positive, enthusiastic attitude is contagious! We do our best in this department, and it’s only increased when the client matches our optimism. These good vibes are even more important if misunderstandings or compromises crop up––everything is easier to handle when everyone is committed to a positive resolution. And we can’t overstate the importance of being available for questions, edits, or the final okay. From time to time our design team comes up with novel suggestions, and they’re always easier to present to an appreciative client. In the end, we’re just hoping for common courtesy, which is the very least that anyone should expect. When these qualities align, all parties involved are looking at a less stressful, more streamlined experience. 

Final Thoughts

We love our job––using our finely-honed skills to help great businesses promote their abilities and services is a joy. It’s especially rewarding when a project helps us to grow as a team and add to our ever-expanding specialties. All in all, this is our goal for every project. If we sound like a team you’d like to work with, get in touch with us today. We look forward to learning how we can help your company!