Client

Location

Sectors

Water’s Edge

Robertson Collaborate was appointed by Tayforth Properties as outsourced “marketing director” for this development project at the start of 2017. Dundee’s oldest transit shed, known as Shed 25, was being transformed into a new standard of workplace for the ambitious city of Dundee by the Tayforth owners Chris van der Kuyl and Paddy Burns.

The Challenge

As this was a start-up, there was a clean slate in terms of marketing and there were many exciting elements of the building’s offering that needed to be communicated. A choice of offices of different sizes is at the heart of the building, including space for co-workers, which is an increasingly in-demand need. Running through the office area is a space known as the Hub, perfect for art or other exhibitions. This provides a new venue space for Dundee and is open to the general public to visit. At the end of the building is a large area for a restaurant or event space.

With all of this in mind, marketing had to be carefully thought through. So, the first step for Robertson Collaborate was to create a 12-month marketing plan, run a procurement process to appoint partners for branding, web development and PR, appoint those partners and start work on the brand development. The “Water’s Edge” brand – “The workplace reworked” – was unveiled at a topping out ceremony attended by many of the city’s business leaders and influencers.

The next step was to develop the online presence for Water’s Edge and simultaneously build press and media interest in order to raise awareness to potential tenant businesses both locally and across the UK.

Without a property agent marketing the development, Water’s Edge’s own networks and marketing efforts have successfully brought demand from a variety of sectors. This is working to create a vibrant community of businesses that want a workplace that feels like no other, that can increase productivity and with the potential to form new partnerships with fellow tenants due to chance (or planned) meetings created by the design of the building.

The building was officially opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance Economy and Fair Work in June 2019.

The Result

As of summer 2019, less than a year after opening, the development was forecast to be at full or near full capacity that year.