Landlord Lou
The Challenge
Killam Properties (TSX:KMP) is one of Canada’s largest residential landlords with a portfolio that includes many student-focused properties throughout Atlantic Canada. Each September marks the start of a new school year and a critical month for Killam, as any inventory remaining at the end of the student rush can prove difficult to move through the remainder of the year.
The Solution
Beginning in the summer of 2007 through September 2009, a series of campaigns were created surrounding Landlord Lou, a fictional landlord who embodies the everyday care and attention delivered by Killam’s resident managers. Over the course of the campaigns, the Landlord Lou platform has served up free dinners, the Heroic Landlords video series, and Halifax’s own Picnicface (here and here), while stopping off in Coachella and gaining some notoriety for the under appreciated plunger along the way. Digitally-centered, integrated campaigns designed to spread via non-traditional media.
The Result
Three consecutive years of record low vacancy in student-focused properties culminated in Killam Properties being named Progress Magazine’s Marketer of the Year for 2009.
Note: Killam Properties was one of Carman’s main clients during his time with Colour. He served as the lead strategist for all of the Landlord Lou campaigns from inception through September 2009. Jeff White’s firm Brightwhite Design led website development on the “Book Now or Live in a Dump” campaign.