Murn Management
Great People Make Great Places
The Client
Murn Management (now Murn Properties) specializes in experience in multifamily housing services including property management, development, and acquisitions. Backed by a respected name in real estate, Murn is a privately held company with over 50 years of combined real estate experience.
The Challenge
Two real estate industry veterans were joined by the president of Maryland-based Murn Development in launching a new property management company, Murn Management. Beyond the credentials of its leadership team, Murn Management brought a different perspective to the marketplace. Unlike many of its competitors whose business goal was to “go national,” often by adding and subsequently flipping properties quickly, Murn was focused on the local market. It is locally owned, locally operated, and locally connected.
Murn Management, however, was facing stiff competition in an already crowded marketplace. This was particularly true in the Baltimore-Washington area, where some of its competitors would claim that Murn, as a new company, had no depth.
The Solution
To launch the new company, Pugh & Tiller began by reviewing the websites and social media channels of Murn’s competitors, and researching news coverage and other sources to obtain information about the ways in which those competitors generate brand awareness.
Recognizing that the competitors tended to focus their media outreach activities exclusively on issuing news releases to local business media outlets, Pugh & Tiller devised a very aggressive media outreach strategy that ran counter to industry trends.
This “go where they ain’t” strategy emphasized generating a consistent level of coverage in local, industry vertical, and business media by using a wide range of media tactics, including inclusions, expert commentary, byline articles, news releases, and more. All of this was designed to generate a high level of awareness and interest in Murn Management among those audiences that were determined to be critical to the company’s future success.
Pugh & Tiller also developed a graphic identity – including messaging, logo, website, and social channels – that looked completely different from those of its competitors and made the start-up firm stand out in the already crowded marketplace.
Visual Branding
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Pugh & Tiller revamped partner Chris Murn’s original Murn Development logo, recognizing that the original icon clashed with the brand’s primary serif typeface and its color palette lacked vibrancy. By enhanced the logo’s angles and composition and opting for a modern sans-serif typeface, Pugh & Tiller crafted a corporate emblem that harmonized type and icon, rectifying the previous disjointed relationship. Moreover, the revised color palette introduces contrast and infuses a contemporary aesthetic, ensuring improved visibility and recognition, particularly at smaller scales.
Responsive Website
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Murn Management sought a clean, mobile-friendly website that would effectively showcase its services to three primary audiences: their clients; residents; and employees. Pugh & Tiller established optimized web hosting and developed a responsive WordPress website which not only presented relevant service information but also efficiently featured properties to visitors. Additionally, graphic assets were created to align with MURN’s updated branding and integrate seamlessly across their social media platforms.
Marketing Materials, Property Branding & More
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Murn Management also retained Pugh & Tiller to craft additional marketing materials, including branding assets and marketing collateral for both Murn and a select number of properties it managed. Pugh & Tiller developed sales decks, capabilities brochures, featured property listings, direct mailers, landing page layouts, and welcome kits. In addition, the firm provided live sound and entertainment for select property and team-building events.
The Results
The launch of Murn Management proved to be a resounding success with a number of Baltimore-Washington area publications covering the story, including the Baltimore Business Journal, CityBizList, Bisnow Baltimore, the Maryland Daily Record, the Severna Park/Pasadena Voice, the Baltimore Sun, Business Monthly, and others.
The initial spike in awareness not only offered critical third-party validation and support for the newly launched company, but also immediately positioned them as a formidable up-and-coming player in a highly competitive marketplace.
The distinctive graphic identity program, meanwhile, helped not only in garnering attention and interest, but also in reinforcing the distinctive positioning Murn had established for itself as a truly local firm focused on the local market.
