From 2020 – 2023, Mark worked with the duo, on-retainer. During this period of time, an uptick in their business prompted an upgrade in how C&D Homes presented itself. A refresh of the branding ensued which was then translated across multiple digital channels, and in print — signage, collateral, etc.

The most significant change during this time, however, saw Mark’s visual design work blend into content development, which became a major component in marketing C&D Homes. Mark’s years of experience in print and digital publishing proved to be extremely advantageous, for everyone concerned. “Being creative” took on new dimension as Mark was tasked with producing a weekly newsletter (writing, editing, designing — the works) and managed the client’s social media. A coordination of these efforts, through re-purposing the content when possible, frequently occurred.

In between sharing news about the sale of a home, a hot real estate listing or the progress of (any one of) several development projects, additional content creation was needed to fill in the gaps. This translated into building website content, as well. The content produced for C&D Homes, in its totality, is/was voluminous. Below, are two — among many  — examples, strategically conceived of, and implemented on behalf of the client.

1.) “Q&As with Our Collaborators”

Craig and David sell, build and renovate — what are often — gorgeous residential dwellings in Los Angeles that usually have a minimum market price of $2-3M, if not higher. Construction of these projects are the result of several talented craftspeople and purveyors of lovely wares. Marketing a property for which they are the listing agents require photography and, some, need staging.

After consulting with the client and gaining approval for the idea, Mark set into motion the creation of a new section of the Craig & David Homes blog, “Q&As with Our Collaborators.” He understood that the professionals mentioned above have portfolios with alluring visual content that represent their work, and that they might be willing to answer a few questions for a blog post, realizing the cross-promotion potential. Mark made contact with each subject, came up with the questions, procured the visual assets, and edited each post before finally publishing it. What emerged was relevant content that was packaged for each channel of marketing: CraigandDavidHomes.com, the client’s weekly newsletter, and for social media.

2.) “Historic Havens”

In the spring of 2022, Mark met with Craig and David to discuss new approaches to marketing. Attempts to cold call prospects had not panned out and my clients were not finding themselves to be good at networking, so to speak.