Case Study: Skaha Hills

$12 Million Sold in One Day

Skaha Hills is a $250 million master planned community with accompanying $5.2 million winery and vineyard, located on 550 acres overlooking Skaha Lake in Penticton, B.C.

In 2013 Greyback Developments partnered with the Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation, to develop this unique project. Stage West Hospitality of Calgary, A.B., whom is responsible for the development and management of the Okanagan’s newest winery and vineyards in 2016.

In June of 2016 Skaha Hills launched phase three of development. dHz communicated messages of uniqueness and unbeatable location. Results led to Skaha Hills selling $12 million in just one day and selling out of first half of villas.

$37 Million Sold Over Two Years

Back in 2014-2015 Skaha Hills sold out of a total 94 homes in phase I and II in just two years.

In order to secure successful pre-sale levels for Phase One of the development, Skaha Hills needed to market the project and increase awareness, and interest.

The strategy below was used throughout the selling of phases I through III with great success.

Strategy/Solution/Campaign

dHz Media worked directly with Skaha Hills to create a PR strategy for the launch of Skaha Hills. The campaign was designed to generate ongoing, consistent media coverage, increase website traffic, and communicate Skaha Hill’s key messages. The goal was to position Skaha Hills as a premier investment and lifestyle opportunity for local, regional and recreational property buyers.

News releases were crafted and distributed specifically to appeal to the target markets in their respective categories. Locally, the news highlights included construction milestones, the opening of the sales and discovery centre, and the significance of the partnership between the Penticton Indian Band and Greyback Developments. Regionally, there were business and real estate specific releases distributed to B.C. and Alberta. These outlined the property’s investment potential, the attraction of the area paired with a new winery and the new direct WestJet flights between Calgary and Penticton.

The majority of the buyer demographic was in the 50+ age group, many of which prefer to read the news in print rather than online. The press office worked aggressively to reach out to newspapers and magazines to ensure there was editorial in key issues.

Key Results

  • 19 of 20 homes in Phase One were sold during the initial 2 days of sales
  • An early release of 27 more homes were released in the first 2 weeks due to demand
  • 47 homes were sold in Phase One within a 2 month period
  • Cover story on Discover BC, a Calgary Herald magazine
  • Feature stories in real estate sections in Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun and Vancouver Sun
  • Televised coverage on Global TV, featuring the opening of the sales centre
  • Early release of Phase Two of Skaha Hills homes, as a result of generated awareness and demand
An early release of
1
more homes were released in the first two weeks due to demand

“The initial and continued success of Skaha Hills would not have been possible without a strategic marketing communications plan. The sell out of 47 homes was beyond our expectations and is primarily thanks to a strong PR campaign. I’ve worked with other PR firms in the past, but dHz Media provides significantly more press coverage than others.”
– Curt Jansen, VP of Sales and Marketing for Skaha Hills.