• Instead of devising a brand and trying to market it after a residential building is up and ready to open, a different approach considers what brand will succeed in a market and uses that understanding to drive design.
• Using the process for an apartment project in Portland, Ore., got people with an affinity for the brand interested early and talking up the project.
• Studies have found that identifying with a project is a major factor in tenants' decisions. Targeting a market segment at the start plays into that advantage.

From the report:

Traditionally, the development process for housing goes something like this: A developer finds a site in a good location and hires someone to do a market study, determining potential demand for the project. ...