Sketch of a downtown area with colored location pins

Localite

Building community connections with an editorial platform

Naming

Brand Audit

Brand Identity

Design Systems

UX Research

UX Design

Web Development

Cortland is a leader in the multifamily industry and is dedicated to creating lively and connected communities within its properties. To find new residents and improve resident engagement, Cortland partnered with Tractorbeam to create an online lifestyle publication.

Sketch of a downtown area with colored location pins

Building community while driving traffic

Cortland faced the challenge of bridging the gap between residents and their surrounding neighborhoods. They wanted to enhance Cortland residents’ living experience with a lifestyle publication about the communities they reside in.

Creating content throughout the audience lifecycle

Recognizing the power of storytelling and community-driven content, Tractorbeam created Localite – an online publication tailored to its residents' interests and lifestyles. By curating engaging articles, event highlights, and local recommendations, Localite aims to cultivate a sense of community pride and connection within some of Cortland’s biggest markets.

What's in a name?

Finding the right name for Cortland's initiative was no small task. Tractorbeam sought a name that would capture the essence of community and connection without veering into the realm of cliché. After careful consideration, they landed on Localite. Simple yet impactful, it reflects Cortland's dedication to fostering local ties and creating a sense of belonging among its residents.

Creating a brand ecosystem

In tandem with the naming and brand strategy, Tractorbeam crafted a design language for Localite that was both inviting and informative. Vibrant visuals, intuitive navigation, and user-friendly interfaces were deployed to ensure a seamless browsing experience, enticing visitors to explore and engage with the content.

Introducing Localite to the world

Tractorbeam created a go-to-market campaign to announce the launch of Localite and build the audience. It was important that when people in the launch markets came to Localite, they were greeted with insightful articles, therefore each market launched with eight articles each.

Tractorbeam used Programmatic Ads, Meta Ads, Spotify Ads, and Google Ads to reach the audience in the three launch markets.

Building the Instagram audience

Tractorbeam manages the Localite social media channels by creating content and amplifying the articles. Each Localite market has its own Instagram profile, and articles are posted on the grid and in the stories. Tractorbeam also adds real-time content to each market’s Instagram story to keep followers engaged and continue to grow the audience.

Localite, served to your email monthly

Tractorbeam designed a monthly newsletter template for each market and encouraged website visitors to subscribe to the email list. Each month, the newsletters are populated with a recap of the articles from the last 30 days and delivered to subscribers.

Measuring growth and results

The key to Localite is growing awareness for Cortland apartments in each market. Tractorbeam measures the publication's success by comparing clicks from articles to the Cortland brand site and the individual property sites. In addition, we’re measuring social media follower growth, email subscriber growth, and Localite website engagement metrics.

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