Newmark
Project
Newmark
Role
Communications Consultant
Duration
8 weeks
A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO COMMUNICAITON
INTRODUCTION
Newmark is a fortune 500 top commercial real estate firm with 2.5 Billion dollars in revenue for 2023 alone. Founded in 1929 they have established a strong presence as leading advisors and service providers to large institutional investors, global corporations and other owners and occupiers of commercial real estate. They have undergone a massive rebranding effort following their departure from Night Frank in October of 2020 with a focus on creating an integrated platform that acts as a single point of contact. Their recent international acquisitions has only proven that their goal is anticipating the future using a platform that is highly adaptable.
CHALLENGE
Newmark is currently undergoing internal reorganization and expansion in order to better take advantage of existing resources and external opportunities. In the role of communication consultant, I needed to understand a vast array of factors that would impact their goals of:
expanding into previously unexplored international territory
creating a strategic communications department
SOLUTION
The goal was to approach the demands at a high level to help leadership at various levels within the organization quickly grasp the challenge and a solid roadmap to success. This required significant research on the organization itself and its internal culture, possible countries of expansion, conducting interviews with subject matter experts and finally wrapping up the information in a suite of communication products for easy digestion.
Early on in constructing the new Strategic Communication’s department, I developed a logo to help drive the vision of how the department would support the organization.
CONNECTING DATA WITH APPLICATION
RESEARCH
Research was qualitative and quantitative. The first step however was an in-depth literature review to understand the current and cutting edge research and solution that similar commercial real estate firms were already applying. The second step was evaluating possible resources and relationships already established within the organization and its partners. I was able to find that very often the firm would outsource much of the work in achieving its goals instead of utilizing and leveraging the expertise already within its ranks. After settling on Dubai and Japan as possible locations of expansion, I went to work engaging with leadership and experts within the organization from project managers to financial analysts to real estate advisors familiar with the previous mentioned locations.
THE LANGAUGE AND SUBSTANCE OF SUCCESS
PRESENTATION
Two presentations were created for the client. The first of which why a strategic communication professional was needed instead of using the firms legal or public relations department. I needed to illustrate the value of strategic communication to a multinational corporation who has been in business for over 90 years without a strategic communications department. Secondly, I needed to present my research about why expanding into Japan would be a better option than expanding into Dubai. Combined, the presentations were designed to inform and excite leadership to the value opportunities of using experts in strategy and effective communication achieve organizational objectives.
TAKEAWAYS
Commercial real estate is a complex field, and international expansion requires careful consideration from different perspectives to avoid potential financial, political, cultural and organizational landmines. My part was the initial exploration and presentation to leadership of what the organization needed to achieve its objectives, and then provide recommendations on building a team that would take the next steps and turn vision into ROI. To that end, it is important that a communication’s professional understand the language of finance and accounting to better help convey ideas to executive leadership. I enjoyed the opportunity to dig deeper into new areas and study new ways to communicate with analysts, advisors and leadership.