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Catalyst was engaged to complete a rebranding of Yacht Harbor Club, a 173-unit multifamily property located on Hayden Island in Portland, Oregon. The property was a new development facing low occupancy numbers due to location, resident dissatisfaction, and a lack of a strong marketing strategy and focus.

Catalyst started the engagement with a market research project to verify target audiences, determine additional marketing opportunities, and provide a marketing plan for a 12-month timeframe focused on building traffic and building trust with current residents to increase retention.

Research revealed two very distinct audiences: young professionals ranging in age from older millennials to younger Gen Xers who are married (double income, no kids), and empty nesters who range in age from older Gen Xers to baby boomers in need of downsizing. The brand would need to cater to both audiences, while still appearing unified in voice and visuals.

A new, more modern logo was designed, incorporating thin wave lines contrasted by a classic square lockup. For simplicity, the name was shortened to “Yacht Harbor Club” in messaging; however, it was paired with the descriptor “Luxury Apartments” in the logo so that the product was clearly identifiable. A full color palette was also developed for the brand, with a brighter half inspired by sunset tones and an earthy half inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Although each half of the spectrum was designed to appeal to a specific audience, the full Yacht Harbor Club color palette can also be joined together to create a cohesive look and feel. Brand patterns, textures, fonts, and stock imagery were also selected to round out the brand. Finally, everything was included in a comprehensive brand guidelines book to ensure consistency in the future. A detailed messaging map was also created to clearly define the target audiences and how the property should be highlighted to each for strong response.