Schaefer Advertising Co.

Real Estate

With its new downtown Fort Worth campus, the Texas A&M University System set out to create a lasting legacy of innovation, workforce development, and economic transformation. Schaefer was tasked with creating a campaign that not only communicated this ambitious vision but also inspired a diverse audience of donors, influencers, and industry leaders to take action. The result? A dynamic campaign and communications platform that became the spark that became the spark to ignite progress in North Texas.

Progress at Texas A&M in Fort Worth
Front Spread of the Texas A&M Publication

Challenge

The Texas A&M–Fort Worth campus initiative was more than just another university project. It represented a bold vision to integrate education, industry, and entrepreneurship under one roof, creating an innovation hub in the heart of one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.

However, this ambitious vision presented a significant challenge: how do you communicate such a multifaceted initiative to a broad audience, ranging from loyal Aggie alumni to non-affiliated donors, corporate sponsors, and community leaders? Each audience needed a tailored message that spoke to their values while maintaining a unified narrative about the campus’s transformative potential.

Solution

Schaefer helped position this launch and developed a messaging platform and key stone collateral anchored by the theme and a keystone brochure anchored by the theme: “Progress Requires a Spark.” This concept was designed to convey the new campus as a catalyst for transformative change—where education fuels innovation, industry drives economic growth, and collaboration propels Fort Worth into a prosperous future.

This approach positions Texas A&M–Fort Worth as a “once-in-a-lifetime catalyst” that would reshape the local and national economic landscape, making it clear that supporting this initiative was not just an opportunity but a responsibility.

The collateral material was designed not just as an informational piece but as a catalyst for action, inspiring recipients to see themselves as part of Fort Worth’s bright future.

Building Photo for Texas A&M
Photo Spread of the Texas A&M Fort Worth Publication

Results

The campaign’s impact was immediate and measurable:

  • Catalyzing Donations:
    • In February 2024, the Sid W. Richardson Foundation committed a $2.5 million grant to support engineering programs at Texas A&M–Fort Worth.
    • In May 2024, the Amon G. Carter Foundation committed $10.75 million to support the construction and development of the Texas A&M–Fort Worth campus. 
    • The Potishman Foundation committed $2 million to the project, a testament to the campaign’s ability to inspire high-level donor engagement.
  • Community Engagement: The collateral material became a central piece in conversations with local influencers and corporate sponsors, generating excitement and aligning stakeholders around a shared vision.
  • Momentum for the Future: The campaign laid a strong foundation for continued fundraising efforts, positioning Texas A&M–Fort Worth as a game-changing initiative for North Texas.

Conclusion

The Texas A&M–Fort Worth campaign is a prime example of the power of storytelling to inspire action. By crafting a narrative that was equal parts ambitious and accessible, Schaefer helped turn a bold vision into a tangible reality.

The new campus stands as a beacon of progress for Fort Worth and beyond, proving that with the right spark, anything is possible. As Texas A&M–Fort Worth continues to take shape, it will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of innovation, education, and economic growth for generations to come.

December 13, 2023

The Foundation for Good

The North Texas Community Foundation (NTCF) is a Fort Worth-based philanthropic organization committed to driving meaningful change through charitable investment in North Texas. With a strong reputation, deep community knowledge, and tailored services, NTCF helps high-net-worth individuals structure their philanthropic giving for immediate impact and long-term legacy.

Logotype

Challenge

As a central figure in the community with a wide range of audiences and causes, NTCF needed a way to articulate their offerings to specific audience sets with very different wants while positioning their own brand for growth. In addition, they needed to improve their user experience online to better meet the demands of visitors.

North Texas Community Foundation Website

Tailoring the message

NTCF is beholden to not one but three separate audiences – fundholders who support charitable giving, professional financial advisors whom NTCF partners with to manage donor funds, and nonprofit leaders who leverage grants and gifts to proactively respond to the needs within the community. While the driving purpose and service offering are the same across all partners and clients, it’s crucial to shape messaging around the intended audience. 

Brand Family for North Texas Community Foundation

We started the process by first establishing a brand archetype – NTCF is a Caregiver – and letting that lead to a clear and compelling brand position and purpose. This step helped cement NTCF’s mission to drive meaningful change, unify the internal team and motivate all partners to advance toward a shared future. Next, we tailored key messages to resonate with the distinct needs and priorities of each audience. From cross-functional partners to clients and community stakeholders, brand messaging is tailored to the unique perspectives of each audience. 

Flyer for NTCF

Design with a growth mindset

To further illustrate the Caregiver archetype, we evolved the brand identity to better mirror the trust, support and service NTCF is known to provide. From logo to photographic styling, we created a comprehensive design system that perfectly encapsulates the brand’s dynamic service offering. The vibrant yet strong color palette features navy, periwinkle and complementary shades of yellow, orange and blue to balance optimistic and approachable with the more intuitive and assertive sides of the NTCF brand. In addition, we expanded creative assets to offer more versatility and the ability to grow with the brand. 

NTCF Brochures

Creating a seamless experience

A website acts as a front door to your organization, and NTCF could benefit from a more inviting user experience.  The previous website structure was dense and the navigation was choppy, leading to confusion and cognitive overload for site visitors. On the back end, employees lacked the ability to easily create, modify and publish content. 

NTCF Website

To provide current and potential fundholders with an enhanced experience, we restructured the new site to reduce page count, minimize clicks and better guide visitors to the information they were seeking. We also developed a custom content management platform, empowering the internal team with the tools needed to edit and manage their site without extensive coding knowledge.

NTCF Website Pages

Results

Developing an impactful brand strategy and tailoring every message to suit the intended audience allowed NTCF to better communicate their purpose and address a multifaceted branding challenge from a foundational level. The new brand identity also aligns each audience with the overarching vision of NTCF and positions the brand for success and growth. 

A more intuitive website improved the user journey while empowering the internal team with the ability to easily develop and manage brand materials and content. When compared to the previous year, the new website saw outstanding results:

  • 28% increase in visitors 
  • 7% reduction in bounce rate, illustrating users found the site more relevant
  • 21.7% increase in page views, indicating stronger user engagement post site launch

Data measured from Feb 2021-Aug 2021 and Feb 2022-Aug 2022.

It’s no surprise that real estate marketers are, or will be, engaging with one of the wildest and, frankly, most loosely defined tools to hit the marketing toolbox in quite some time. From writing copy, mapping and web design to CRM management and chatbots, Artificial Intelligence, in all its varied forms, is changing how real estate is marketed, and there is no turning back.

Finding an agency partner who can help shepherd you through the integration of this powerful tool will be important as we all consider what’s the right level of involvement and where in the marketing journey to engage. And to be clear, we see it as just that, a tool. A powerful tool to be sure, but a tool nonetheless, not a replacement for marketers or their advertising agencies, but instead a tool to help accelerate initial thinking. AI allows us to take some of the commoditized and mundane tasks out of the mix to allow for more creative thinking and even a new way to breathe life into a vision that today only exists in your mind.  

Just where is AI showing up in real estate marketing?

There are many ways AI is playing a meaningful role in real estate marketing. Here are a few notable use cases our team has identified: 

  • Market Evaluations: Everything from research to data analytics to reporting and action planning.
  • Concept Visualization: While creative concepts will always come from the talented and insightful humans that are responsible for nurturing and growing your brand, AI, when prompted correctly, can help with the visualization of those concepts.
  • Mapping: A very important step in overall real estate marketing is mapping, which, of course, can take various forms. By leveraging the power of AI technology we can now support the development of initial site maps, which can be leveraged into more full blown specifications. 
  • Virtual Tours: This long-standing and important tool to the industry just got a booster shot.
  • Web Design: From initial landing and information page to full active community websites, leveraging a variety of AI platforms can go a long way in creating efficiencies and functional integration. As with creative concepts, website design and development will always need to have a watchful eye involved from concept to finished site. While the tools available through AI may help in certain ways on a website project, there is no replacement for the thinking brought by your agency partner. 
  • Chat Bots: Existing bots will get smarter, initializing them will be quicker and our database of FAQs will grow exponentially when we infuse them with AI tools.
  • Lead Generation: This will become even more precise and personalized when we integrate AI into our CRM workflows.
  • Personalized Content Development: This will allow us to become even more granular in our one-to-one marketing efforts.

AI tools are coming fast.

And frankly, the possibilities are endless. Some of the tools we use in pursuit of leveraging the power of AI include a wide variety of platforms. Including:

All of these new platforms and tools deliver benefits to not only the marketers but also the consumer. For marketers, it all boils down to speed and efficiency. Speed in decision-making, speed in creating and speed in execution, not to mention a way to imagine what was unimaginable just a couple of short years ago. For the end user/consumer what it looks like is far more personally curated options and messaging directed to them in the way they want to receive it.

Don’t get left behind.

As real estate marketers it’s clear the power of AI can truly change the game for them and their audiences. It all starts with the ability to be open to it as a tool and not intimidated or apprehensive about it. Be open to it, experiment how you engage with it, be purposeful about how it fits into your marketing plans and learn as you go. Remember, there is no right or wrong when engaging in AI to help augment your efforts, but there are real implications if you ignore it and shy away. The biggest and most important implication of not engaging is being left behind.  Your competitors are and/or will be doing the same and thus, it’s time to level up your efforts. One thing to keep in mind as you venture into experimenting with AI tools is that many are not approved for commercial use and so be sure you fully understand what you are getting into.

Once you give yourself permission to lean into AI, find an advertising agency you can partner with to help guide you. At Schaefer, we’ve been heavily exploring and engaging in the technology for nearly a year now and are seeing fantastic results for our clients and our agency. To say it’s the modern way to work smarter, not harder to eclipse your competition is an understatement. Leveraging AI can propel your marketing efforts to the next level while providing you with more time and budget for the project at hand.

At Schaefer, we understand how to integrate the benefits of a variety of AI platforms into existing and future marketing plans. Whether you are a developer, builder, or community planner, we have a roadmap to navigating your landscape as you leverage the power of AI.

Bringing the conversation to light around depression and suicide so that no one suffers in darkness

In 2014, the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation was created on the principle of bringing the conversation to light around mental health, specifically depression and suicide, after the tragic loss of Jordan Elizabeth Harris. Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States with approximately 1.2 million suicide attempts every year. Yet the stigma around depression and suicide remains. In order to fight these harrowing statistics, Schaefer had the honor of partnering with the JEHF in 2022 to support and promote their second Light the Trail Ride.

Light the Trail Biking

The Ride: A 1,800 mile journey of hope

The Light the Trail Ride is a cross country biking excursion that is supported by riders and donors who wish to pledge their time and support to bring awareness and reduce the stigma of depression and suicide. It is the cornerstone effort of the JEHF and the ride strives to encourage supporters to share their stories and give others all over the country a safe place to speak about their experiences with mental health. Between the two rides in 2017 and 2022, The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation has raised significant funding and awareness around the gravity of this topic and been able to support continued research focused on treating depression, suicide prevention training, creating resources and facilitating education opportunities. 

Couple of cyclists for light the trail
L: Charlie Howlett, Deb Zinderler (Z2 Marketing) and Cory Zimmerman (Z2 Marketing)
R: Tom & Ellen Harris, Founders of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

Schaefer had the privilege of serving as the marketing partner of LTTR to promote their second ride in 2022. They came to us with a challenge in lack of awareness and support of the their efforts, and we were able to work together through strategic planning, digital asset development and collateral material creation to re-launch the Ride because it aligns with our values as an agency and we were able to share our expertise and skillset. In addition, Schaefer saw the opportunity to bring this crucial event to life in the eyes of more people through a documentary film and trailer. Available budget was an obstacle, however Schaefer was compelled to support this initiative and solicited a like minded partner out of Milwaukee, WI called Z2 Marketing who was willing to provide supporting video production services in exchange for involvement with this powerful initiative. Schaefer was able to donate the remainder of investment to continue bringing the Light the Trail mission to life. What followed was the production of a documentary that captures the riders along their journey in addition to their own personal, compelling stories. This video further advances the mission of Light the Trail and the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, and Schaefer’s goal through these collective efforts was to walk alongside this inspirational team to make their event a success and champion their cause.

Cycling Group light the trail

User experience and activation of the #Ride4 effort

Another key motivator around the effort is the promotion and honor of the #Ride4’s of each rider and the community at large. This is a unique way that the riders and the foundation overall can bring the stories forward of loved ones whos lives have been tragically taken as a result of suicide. Schaefer had a unique opportunity to strategize the best way to promote the submission of Ride4’s and prioritize their position on the website to encourage form fills and subsequent promotion of these empowering tributes on the LTT social media pages. 

Cycling Group light the trail

Schaefer implemented numerous functional and user experience updates to create a more seamless tool to promote and accept donations in advance of the ride, as well as encourage Ride4 submission and sponsorship form fill. In addition to these optimizations, Schaefer also streamlined the Foundation’s existing CRM to further encourage passionate individuals to get involved with the next Ride and the Foundation overall. 

Light the Trail Website mockup

Elevating the user experience and showcasing excellence

In addition to digital services, it was important to the client that Schaefer provide traditional marketing services that properly married the digital presence with the real life iteration of the brand and its mission. The Schaefer Account Service and Creative team worked closely alongside the Foundation’s team to ensure a delivery of marketing support materials that communicated the very real impact that mental health has on people and manifested this in printed one pager material, bike shop promotional flyers, and a rebuild of the LTT primary logo for 2022 that would support ongoing efforts for the team internally as they navigated the route in real time.

Light the trail mobile campaign

Overall, the sentiment behind this impactful project is the direct alignment with Schaefer’s mission and ultimate goal to Make Life Better. It’s at the core of what we do and a foundational piece of how we interact with and serve our clients, our partners, and our colleagues inside and outside of work. The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation and the Light the Trail initiative are a real life embodiment of this mission and we’re proud to call them partners in work that truly matters, and to have played a small part in making this event a success.

Light the Trail map

Get involved or share your story

Whether you participate in a future Light the Trail Ride, make a donation, or share a story, you are helping bring the conversation around mental illness and suicide awareness to light and bringing us one step closer to living in a world where suicide is never the choice.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, help is available. Please dial 988 for support via the suicide prevention hotline.

Crafting a distinctive brand and web presence for Bennett Partners

At Schaefer, we embarked on a meaningful partnership with Bennett Partners, an esteemed architecture, interiors, and planning firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. Guided by their unwavering dedication to responsible preservation and urban design, Bennett Partners strives to create sustainable spaces that enhance and sustain communities. What began as an initiative to enhance their website and showcase their award-winning work evolved into a comprehensive brand refresh, a testament to our shared commitment.

Bennet Partners logo

Navigating transitions and embracing a thoughtful ethos

Recognizing Bennett Partners’ esteemed reputation and shared mission to improve lives within the Fort Worth community, we embarked on a collaborative journey with their team of award-winning designers. This partnership provided a unique opportunity to collaborate with like-minded creatives who valued a strategic approach. Following the departure of a former partner, our goal was to develop a new brand identity that authentically reflected Bennett Partners’ thoughtful ethos, starting with a strategic renaming process.

Bennett Partners logo

Our recommendation was to preserve the equity of the original name, Bennett Benner Partners, by preserving the namesake Bennett as a prominent element. Thus, the name Bennett Partners was chosen, capturing the essence of a collective of passionate partners united by their mission and dedication to thoughtful design.

Benner Partners mobile

From typography to tone: crafting an approachable identity

We meticulously crafted a comprehensive system of logos and a versatile color palette, offering both flexibility and consistency. Our brand design centered around sophistication, simplicity, and purpose, harmonizing seamlessly with Bennett Partners’ core values. The logo showcases a modern, customized typeface that enhances the letterforms, set in lowercase to reflect the brand’s friendly and approachable nature. The secondary logo variation was refined to include “architecture, interiors, planning,” providing clarity about the services offered. Our expanded color palette embraces softer, thoughtful, and intricate color variations, featuring shades of blue and orange that distinguish Bennett Partners within the industry. These colors effortlessly integrate into diverse project plans and graphics. Additionally, we established a comprehensive brand toolkit, empowering Bennett Partners to effectively convey their unique identity.

website before and after

Elevating the user experience and showcasing excellence

Following the brand refresh, Bennett Partners sought a website redesign that would seamlessly showcase their exceptional work, engage users, and mirror their commitment to responsible architecture and community impact. Frustrated by their previous website’s inability to communicate their core values and meet their business needs, the objective of the new website was clear: effectively communicate their mission, prioritize their team members, and empower them to effortlessly showcase new projects. The final website encompasses key elements such as a visually striking portfolio, improved organization and categorization, seamless content management, responsive design, and personalized employee pages. Our team at Schaefer delivered a fully customized website with a clean and flexible modular system, enhancing navigation and user interaction to improve their online presence and reinforce their position as an industry leader.

Bennett Partners web images

Results

The partnership between Schaefer and Bennett Partners led to a successful transformation of their brand and website, capturing their expertise and unwavering commitment to responsible architecture. Through the reimagined brand identity, Bennett Partners’ captivating story resonates, attracting new business opportunities within their region. By collaborating closely with our team, Bennett Partners achieved a brand and website presence that authentically reflects their excellence in architecture and design, solidifying their position as a leading firm within the industry.

Amplifying Perot Jain’s impact with the perfect balance of strategy, design, and technology

Perot Jain, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage capital funding, is intentional about investing in innovative companies that are developing disruptive, best-in-class solutions. Founded by the collaboration of Ross Perot, Jr. and Anurag Jain, Perot Jain focuses on funding leading-edge companies in the mobility innovation, healthcare, and real estate sectors. With a long history of entrepreneurial success and a strong infrastructure in place, Perot Jain sought to convey their unique approach to venture capital. Unlike other firms, their investment support goes beyond capital and extends to mentorship, access, and alliances within the Perot and Jain family of companies, including Access Healthcare, Hillwood, and the Mobility Innovation Zone. It became evident they needed to enhance their brand identity, create a distinct positioning, and develop a new website that would effectively communicate their unique value proposition.

Through their relationship with Hillwood and the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, Perot Jain had already established a rapport with Schaefer, leading them to choose the agency for this significant brand transformation initiative. With a shared vision, Perot Jain and Schaefer embarked on a journey to redefine the venture capital firm’s brand strategy, positioning, and visual identity, ultimately showcasing their commitment to investing in and mentoring disruptive companies that have the potential to shape the future.

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From mission to position: uncovering Perot Jain’s unique differentiators

Schaefer initiated a full brand strategy initiative, delving into Perot Jain’s organizational mission and identifying their unique positioning compared to other VC firms. Collaboratively, the team identified the key values and advantages that set Perot Jain apart: collaboration, authenticity, a straightforward approach, leadership, entrepreneurial success, strong infrastructure, and partnerships/alliances. This thorough understanding formed the basis for a strategy that would effectively communicate Perot Jain’s strengths and resonate with their target audience. The strategy aimed to convey success stories and the current portfolio, positioning Perot Jain as an organization focused on investing in innovative companies aligned with their parent organizations’ business goals.

Building on the strategic foundation, Schaefer developed a brand archetype recommendation, selecting the Hero archetype. This choice aligned with Perot Jain’s commitment to investing in and mentoring innovative companies that aim to improve their industries and the world. This archetype dovetailed seamlessly into the positioning recommendation, Transformational, and a powerful positioning statement that highlighted the art and science of experienced entrepreneurialism, emphasizing Perot Jain’s role in driving transformative change.

Uniting Perot Jain’s positioning with a captivating brand identity and website

To visually represent the brand, Schaefer designed a logo and brand identity that perfectly balanced the Perot and Jain family names. The logo mark, a harmonious integration of ‘P’ and ‘J,’ symbolized the partnership between Perot Jain and the companies they support. The customized letterforms, with their subtly rounded edges, reinforced the logo mark and evoked a sense of balance and synergy. The animated version of the logo added dynamism and represented movement within the brand. 

Perot Jain logos

With the positioning and brand identity as a solid foundation, the website was crafted to build the brand’s presence online. The website’s information architecture (IA) was thoughtfully developed to feature Perot Jain’s portfolio of companies, leveraging the legacy of Perot and Jain ventures and driving a holistic conversation. The modular page structure empowered Perot Jain to easily expand and update content, ensuring long-term scalability and independence. The comprehensive portfolio system showcased Perot Jain’s wide-ranging investments, offering a clear demonstration of their expertise. The visually captivating website, with its compelling imagery, videos, and clean typography, wowed potential clients and instilled trust and credibility. The website’s design, catering to both desktop and mobile experiences seamlessly, ultimately provided a modern and future-ready platform.

Investing that Transforms - Perot Jain

Results: driving success and solidifying market presence

The results of this brand transformation were significant. Perot Jain’s new brand identity positioned them as a global competitor, attracting potential customers and garnering increased visibility among relevant venture capital partners. Perot Jain now has a solid foundation for all future communications, driving continued success in attracting high-quality deals and fostering partnerships that align with their growth goals. In essence, Schaefer’s partnership with Perot Jain exemplifies the transformative power of strategic brand positioning and creative excellence. By combining insights, innovative design, and a client-centric approach, Schaefer has enabled Perot Jain to elevate their brand to new heights, solidifying their position as a trailblazing force within the venture capital landscape.

Perot Jain on cell phone

Reinventing VoidForm’s brand for the future

With over 40 years of experience, VoidForm Products is a trusted business specializing in customized, innovative carton void forms that protect structures from the damaging impact of expansive soils. Their extensive range of products is designed to provide added fortification during concrete foundation pouring, offering a cost-effective and reliable solution for both residential and large-scale commercial projects. Though sales were strong, VoidForm faced the challenge of an outdated and disjointed brand ecosystem encompassing the parent brand and over 20 sub-brands. Recognizing the need for a modern, scalable, and cohesive brand strategy to support their increased business goals, VoidForm partnered with Schaefer Advertising to position themselves as an industry thought-leader and support the expansion of their products and services.

VoidForm Logo

Embracing VoidForm’s unique circumstances as a long-standing enterprise, Schaefer recognized the challenge of working with a brand ecosystem that was built over time. VoidForm had yet to take a comprehensive top-down view of their branding and marketing approach and how it could support the future of the business. Schaefer served as a pivotal partner for this rapidly growing company, providing support during leadership changes, aligning their history and success with a modern approach, and creating a future-focused brand strategy and web presence for sustained growth.

VoidForm Design Assets

Elevating protection and stability: uncovering VoidForm’s key differentiators and core values

Schaefer embarked on a comprehensive brand refresh, starting with an assessment of the brand positioning and hierarchy. This strategic approach began with a deep dive into VoidForm’s brand landscape, including identifying key differentiators for the company and each product, reflecting on the company’s core values, and understanding key target audiences and what compels them.

VoidForm on Mobile

As a result, the Hero archetype was selected as the perfect fit for VoidForm. This archetype captured VoidForm’s commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions and leading the industry with products that outperformed the competition. To complement this, Schaefer introduced the powerful positioning of “Safeguard” into VoidForm’s brand language, embodying the essence of their products which provide an invaluable measure of protection and stability in expansive or complex soil structures with customizable, easy-to-install, quality forms.

Building upon this foundation, brand language was enhanced to include the main line “Protect Your Project,” which positioned the product appropriately and served as a strong call to action. The brand voice was defined as determined, confident, innovative, dependable, trustworthy and approachable, which served to influence the way the brand is expressed in writing.

VoidForm Expanded Logo

Unifying identity and differentiation: the cohesive visual system for VoidForm

Schaefer implemented a cohesive visual system that combined the branded house and sub-brands strategies, enabling VoidForm to effectively showcase their individual product offerings while maintaining brand recognition. The brand system was built to support the seamless integration of new products, allowing VoidForm the ability to easily launch new, innovative solutions and meet the needs of their customers. The logos were designed to be simple, functional, and easily recognizable, with the updated mark serving as a monogram of their initials where the negative space creates a void – a key feature behind the strength of each product. The vibrant orange color, an integral part of their original palette, honored their history while presenting a modern and impactful identity. A comprehensive guideline was created to ensure long-term internal alignment and consistent brand usage across all products.

Embracing creativity, enhancing user experience: the transformative website redesign

To complete the brand transformation, Schaefer tackled the challenge of creating a visually stunning and user-friendly website for VoidForm. Despite the initial lack of strong image assets, the team embraced creativity and ingenuity by utilizing stock imagery to develop custom brand assets inspired by VoidForm’s products. The website redesign resulted in an appealing and intuitive interface that catered to both laypersons and experienced engineers, effectively conveying information and specifications while providing an engaging user experience. Integration with Google Analytics supported awareness, engagement, and lead generation objectives, while the addition of a gated content section facilitated the seamless migration of existing coursework and offerings. The implementation of a content management system empowered VoidForm’s internal team to easily update and maintain the website for long-term adaptability.

VoidForm Website

Results

The collaboration between Schaefer and VoidForm during a pivotal time yielded remarkable outcomes. Overall, Schaefer’s partnership with VoidForm Products supported their growth by aligning their history and success with a modernized brand strategy and web presence. The new brand system and website positioned VoidForm as an industry leader, and the comprehensive implementation and widespread adoption of the brand by the internal team demonstrated the empowering strength and impact of the brand refresh initiative.

Situation: City branding is important

Famous for its trailblazing history, Fort Worth still embraces its reputation as a “City of Opportunity.” Quickly becoming an epicenter of growth and innovation, Fort Worth offers an inviting community, talented workforce, and incredibly low cost of living, attracting people and corporations from all over the world looking to move or expand into one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.  

Fort Worth Economic Development Campaign Branding

The goal of every city on the rise is to attract new business and talent while strengthening the industries already established. To accomplish that, the City of Fort Worth Economic Development team selected Schaefer as the agency of record for a three-year partnership to create the city’s first-ever economic development and business attraction initiative. The partnership is part of the city’s five-year strategic plan and plays a key role in positioning Fort Worth as a place of purpose where businesses and people can leverage the city’s incredible potential to create the future they want to see. 

Goals: 

  • Establish a story that connects Fort Worth’s heritage with its future
  • Develop a multi-phase, multi-year campaign to drive awareness and attract new business
  • Highlight Fort Worth’s economic incentives and competitive edge in  business, culture and community
  • Reach key business decision-makers to advance economic development
  • Elevate Fort Worth on a national and international stage
  • Foster collaborative conversations between key stakeholders in the public and private sector

We started with a question: what makes Fort Worth and its people so unique? The answer was simple. A pioneering spirit that dated back to the 1800s and still stood strong today. As the first-ever economic development campaign for the city, Schaefer was in a unique position to lead strategy from inception. 

Where Innovation Begins

We recognized the importance of storytelling in establishing the city’s position in the eyes of our target audiences. A good story would amplify the message, build credibility, create a strong sense of community and offer nuggets of authenticity and purpose that truly make Fort Worth stand out. 

Known as the point where the west begins, Fort Worth has always promised possibility, innovation and prosperity. Unlike some of the larger, competitive cities, opportunity isn’t a new promise, it’s woven into the very fabric of Fort Worth. To communicate that, we built messaging around the idea that no matter what you’re looking for — relocation, expansion, opportunity  – it can successfully begin in Fort Worth. 

Building equity through identity

In order to build equity, Fort Worth Economic Development first needed an identity. We leveraged their voice, tone and values to create an independent identity that was flexible enough to work alongside the city’s existing branding, and strong enough to communicate the impact of their initiatives.

City of Fort Worth Inner/Outer Market

Schaefer then crafted a multi-faceted campaign that unified strategy, creative and media to promote Fort Worth’s business advantages among corporate decision-makers, site selection consultants and local business owners. The campaign further cemented Fort Worth as a city of growth and opportunity, while highlighting its competitive edge as a leader in innovation who works hard to meet the needs of the businesses who chose Fort Worth. 

City of Fort Worth Digital Banners
City of Fort Worth Interactive and Print

Solution: Fueling growth and connections online

Revamping the website to reflect the new brand campaign was vital to communicate key messaging. As the central platform that business leaders, stakeholders and prospective residents visit to find relevant information about the city, the website confirmed Fort Worth’s proven economic landscape with tangible proof points our audience would find attractive. 

With this in mind, we included demographics, workforce statistics and other data points that leverage Fort Worth’s resources against competitor cities. A strategic mix of traditional and digital media, including paid search targeted prospects helped drive traffic back to the website. Knowing our target audience sets and strategically placing ads in places they frequented (in person and online) expanded Fort Worth’s presence on the list of key business destinations in the US. 

After 8 months in market, our team identified a list of top engaged companies. The insights we gathered included a list of prospects from target industry sectors with the potential to increase the size of the labor force and generate millions in economic output for the city of Fort Worth. These key insights have helped us to strengthen our marketing approach in more specifically targeting like prospects.

Results

FW Economic Development Heat Map

Overall Impact: 

  • 31.5+ million impressions delivered, driving substantial visibility across key target markets, including Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and New Jersey, yielding a very strong engagement rate of 38%.

Email Marketing Success: 

  • 1.25+ million emails were sent, contributing nearly 40% of total traffic during the campaign’s lifetime.
  • 56% average engagement rate across email campaigns.
  • 31,000 unique clicks generated.
  • 14% Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR), far exceeding the industry average of 2.5%.

Digital Advertising Results: 

  • Paid Search:
    • Delivered a 7.5% CTR, surpassing industry benchmarks.
  • Programmatic Display:
    • Achieved a 0.4% CTR, well above the industry average of 0.05%.

Business Outcome:

Based on these exceptional results, City Leadership approved a 50% year-over-year budget increase for a three-year campaign extension.

  • Fort Worth continues to receive organic recognition as a top place in the U.S. for starting a business. This is a direct result of the growing widespread awareness of Fort Worth as a great place to live, work, and do business. 

According to Bisnow, Fort Worth has more than $2 billion in projects under development, marking a major milestone in the city’s economic development.

Northpointe is a new master-planned community by Lennar that offers young families an ideal place to call home. Before opening to homebuyers, we needed to build the Northpointe brand to engage a wide audience and drive home that master-planned communities provide a practical and enriching lifestyle for young families at an unmatched value. 

Understanding Northpointe’s Local Competition

Before offering any strategic recommendations, our team performed an in-depth competitive analysis to better understand the local market and isolate any opportunities for competitive differentiation. One specific challenge was that some of Northpointe’s competitors used the word 

“North” in their brand name, which required us to offer direction that differentiated the Northpointe brand through visuals and copy. 

Finding Brand Differentiation

Since Northpointe was in the pre-construction phase, we had to develop the brand from the ground up, setting the tone for the community to offer potential homebuyers a sense of home and depict a reliable place where friends and family can gather and enjoy each other and the community. Furthermore, we needed to create a flexible set of brand assets that the Northpointe team could leverage internally and in future marketing campaigns.

Our discovery process revealed that Northpointe is incredibly accessible and cost-effective, and an excellent option for young families seeking to buy their first home. More than that, Northpointe offers residents fantastic amenities without compromising on an excellent price point. So, we leaned into creating an attainable, yet elevated brand that appealed to people who are ready to put down roots.

Building a Fluid Creative Platform

The landscape was an important part of how the community was planned, so we tethered the brand story to the scenic views and natural beauty surrounding the area. We positioned Northpointe as the attainable, unique option and highlighted the scenic nature surrounding the community to illustrate its natural beauty and striking topography that envelopes the community.

The brand mark is quiet and subtle and the arrow above the “N” signifies the true North where home lies. The color palette is natural, but vibrant and balances the reserved nature of the brand mark.

Our tagline “When home calls, head North” is emotive, aspirational and strong, which further elevates the subdued nature of the brand mark. It also illustrates the beauty of home and touches on the natural surroundings that make Northpointe such a valuable place to live.

The stylistic complements we developed for the brand helped create a sense of place that can be used throughout the community. These pieces will weave the community together and keep the feel built within the brand alive throughout.

Results

  • Crafted a brand that will attract and engage new homebuyers
  • Created a flexible brand that is simple and seamless for Northpointe’s internal team to utilize 
  • Extended the brand through community elements like trail-markers, landmarks and wayfinding solutions 

With new leadership in place the Fort Worth Chamber sought to revitalize the market’s perception within the Fort Worth business community and beyond. Schaefer was selected as their agency partner to lead them in developing and communicating the Chamber’s renewed energy and focus. The primary strategic imperatives were to both sustain the support of local businesses, while also expanding the Chamber’s economic development efforts beyond Fort Worth.

A Refreshed Position focused on New Energy, New Business

Each of our brand initiatives begins with a critical analysis of an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, and differentiators. For the Fort Worth Chamber, we identified the opportunity to capitalize on the legacy of the organization while creating a more defined and contemporary position that was current with today’s business climate. For the refresh, we saw an opportunity to stay true to who we are as a city and people, and root the Chamber’s new identity in the trailblazing spirit that has always defined Fort Worth. 

We needed to reposition the Fort Worth Chamber from the outdated organization many perceived it to be to the vibrant connector, advocate and driver of economic development they are today. Tapping into the exuberant energy of the Chamber’s new leadership, we focused on positioning the brand as an energetic organization that provides new business opportunities to trailblazers and entrepreneurs alike.

A Trailblazing Identity

Through our archetyping process, the agency established the organization as a Hero persona, defined by strength, courage, commitment, and a drive to move things forward. Using the Hero archetype as a foundation, our creative team explored a multitude of solutions for the new Chamber brand. In keeping with our process of immersion, the team explored other related and competitive organizational brands, the history of Fort Worth and the Chamber to inspire the recommended design solutions.

A key objective in creating the new brand identity was to build a flexible system that could be used across platforms and multiple team members. The new identity has been seamlessly incorporated into the marketing efforts of the Chamber’s internal team and provides a malleable brand kit that they can use for years to come.

Check out our case study to learn more about the refreshed Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce identity.

Introducing The New Frontier of Business in Fort Worth

To introduce the refreshed and refocused Fort Worth Chamber, we leveraged the creativity of the new brand identity and launched the “This is the New Frontier” campaign. The campaign was a fresh way to communicate the future of the Chamber and its role in Fort Worth’s economic development to existing members and new business prospects. We wanted to create a campaign that was uniquely Fort Worth and nodded to the legacy and history of the Chamber, while highlighting the exciting new opportunities that our city offers moving into the future.

To focus on the energy of the new Chamber, we captured authentic video footage and photography using real Chamber members. The tone of the assets are impactful, positive and motivational and highlights the frontier of the future on which the Chamber sits and actively cultivates. The final campaign is aspirational and confident and communicates that Fort Worth is a place where people roll up their sleeves and get to work. To launch the campaign, we used a targeted media strategy consisting of automated direct email, paid social, paid search and community influencers leveraging the rich assets we captured in the video production and photo shoot.

Results:

This campaign aimed at promoting the Fort Worth Chamber’s launch into the regional market and their renewed emphasis on driving and supporting business growth in the city. It led to an  increase in lead generation, memberships and interest in partnerships with the Chamber. 

  • 1.9 Million Media Impressions
    • 5.3K Paid Search
    • 246.6K Paid Social
    • 1.2M Display
    • 396.5K External Email 
  • Web Traffic Growth 
    • 46% Increase in Direct Traffic
    • 64% Increase in User Engagement 
    • 19.5% CTR from Paid Search – 5x the industry average 
  • 230 Form Fills in 74 Days
    • 66% Increase in Contact Us Submission 
    • 34% Increase in Membership Inquiries

Schaefer Advertising is a valued strategic partner of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. When we embarked on a complete overhaul of our brand, they provided subject matter expertise, thought leadership, and made the process an enjoyable one – no small feat! I would highly recommend Ken, Sara and the entire Schaefer team for any organization whose stakeholders demand excellence and a legacy brand in the Fort Worth community.

– Katie Douglass, EVP, Marketing
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