CASE STUDY: LUCY CORR VILLAGE

How New Signs Are Repositioning a Virginia Retirement Community

 

FRIENDS FROM THE PAST

Over the last ten years, Holiday Signs had been helping the Lucy Corr Retirement Village with many small sign projects, usually for free or at cost to support their mission. So when a bigger marketing project came along, it just made sense they included us as a potential vendor.  We were selected on the basis of our approach and overall design.

 

 

 

FRESH, NEW APPROACH

A new approach to marketing was desperately needed.  Since 1970, Lucy Corr Village had operated as a traditional nursing home. The organization, a cooperative venture between the county and a private corporation, offered specialized nursing care and assisted living but had no independent living opportunities for residents.  Just recently, the village created a new housing subdivision called Springdale that offers independent living to meet the needs of today’s new generation of retirees.  With the addition of Springdale, they needed to improve their overall image to increase revenue and effectively market Lucy Corr to compete with other private retirement centers in the area.  Signage played an important role in raising the bar of branding their upgraded facility in the community.

“Changing or creating a new identity for any space is a difficult task,” said Clay Grogan, Landscape Architect and Principal of Parker Design Group, Inc., a consultant on the project.  “There are many elements that go into the overall design but it’s the signage that really creates the new identity.”

IMPROVED DESIGN

For many years the Lucy Corr Retirement Village did not project a very upscale image and clearly signage was part of it. They had operated with very old, modest, worn and non-consistent signs.  In an effort to reposition themselves, they needed help to improve their signage design.  By working with the CEO and his marketing staff, we noticed no emphasis on the main road signage. We felt an effective sign system needed to create awareness and reposition the brand to the passing public and not just the residents. A highly visible, well-lit, system that made it easier for residents and visitors to find and navigate the campus was the answer. Using an existing sign as a starting point, we developed a whole new system, recommending bright halo-lit gold leaf letters to make a new, upscale image.  We added new brick bases and worked closely with the landscape architect integrating our signage in with their new landscaping and fencing designs, cooperatively optimizing the effect for the client.

“Now that the signs have been constructed and the plant material and fencing is installed, you can really feel the character of the campus change. I am very happy with how everything has come together to enhance this community, and I’ve received nothing but compliments so far,” said Clay Grogan, landscape architect.

“I continue to get nothing but positive remarks from our residents,” said Jim Musgrave, the CEO of Lucy Corr Village. “One of our first residents said that the new signs make him proud to be a resident here. Thanks to you and your team for helping us make such a positive improvement to our campus!”

 

 Contact us for help with your next branding or re-imaging project:

Mark Hackley, Account Executive

540-416-3154, mhackley@holidaysigns.com

 

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• How Two Specialty Lighting Techniques can Help Position Your Brand
• A Look at Two Iconic Signs in Virginia

 

 

 

 

 

 

I  BRANDING & WAYFINDING  I  NOVEMBER 2013    KEY INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS: DEVELOPERS/HEALTHCARE