A place you can proudly call home.

The Challenge

A budding real estate firm in Michigan came to Sunup, seeking a new brand identity. While the firm had established itself in the Ypsilanti region, it needed to stand out in a crowded market of rental properties. The goal was to reach longer term tenants who would take more pride in their homes. Plus, with plans to expand into the commercial sector, the firm needed a brand that would grow with it.‍

The Solution‍

Sunup created a new name for this real estate firm — now called Yarrow — rooting it in the Ypsilanti region. Then, we developed an immersive experience to bring the brand to life in both digital and tactile ways, which included a new website. Our overarching aim was to create an identity system that would foster a deeper sense of home and a more connected community.

The Results

Sunup understood that Yarrow’s mission was to generate interest at the local level of Ypsilanti as well as attention from investors more broadly. With that in mind, we delivered the following results:

• Positioned Yarrow as a leading residential real estate firm in Ypsilanti — transforming the company from a privately held organization with zero branding to a distinct brand in the attainable housing space.
  

• Provided company founders with messaging and brand collateral to successfully capture the interest of outside investors — a critical step in Yarrow’s expansion beyond its initial 10-unit portfolio.
  
  
• Enabled Yarrow to launch a cross-platform social strategy with a cohesive visual and verbal identity — driving Yarrow to secure hundreds of followers across LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube in the two weeks following the brand launch.
  
  
• Drove local coverage for Yarrow, including two podcast appearances, one local news feature and interest among core groups, such as the Michigan Economic Development Council.
  
  
• Helped Yarrow secure a five-star Google Business rating in the first two months following the brand launch.
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• Enabled Yarrow to effectively reach its target tenant base, driving overwhelming interest in Yarrow’s units among demographically diverse renters with strong credit and rental histories. This interest allowed Yarrow to build a backlog of prospective tenants, reducing the average vacancy period from one month to five days — resulting in thousands in cost savings.
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“Sunup dug deep to understand our challenges and market, then developed a fresh, sophisticated brand that spoke directly to our audience. We’re happy to have a creative partner who will grow with us, as our portfolio continues to expand.”

— Jake Cinti, CEO, Yarrow