Knight Frank - Redefining Property Research Insights with the Australian Horizon Report
Services
Branding
Strategy Assistance
Copywriting & Scriptwriting
Website Landing Page
Video Editing & Animation
Social Media Posts
Web Advertisements
PowerPoint Presentation
Impact
Positioned Knight Frank as the leading source of property market insights
Improved SEO and online discoverability
Created visually captivating and thought-provoking content
Achieved a 1.5x increase in unique visitor traffic and a 5.81% conversion rate
Received extensive media coverage and maintained consistent report downloads
Unmatched Innovation & Results
“From day one, the innovative creative approach and outside-the-box thinking Studio Riz applied to our flagship report filled the Knight Frank Australia team with a lot of confidence. The professionalism, creativity, innovation, and strategic approach that Studio Riz demonstrated ensured that this project was delivered beyond expectations. The business and our clients embraced the new approach, design, and use of AI imagery with open arms. Studio Riz was able to take our ideas and collaborate to create a visually striking and highly effective overall output. The results speak for themselves, with a 1.5x increase in unique visitors and extensive media coverage. I highly recommend them to any organisation, and I look forward to working with Studio Riz again soon.”
Sarah Clark
Director, Head of National Service Line Marketing
In the dynamic world of property markets, staying ahead of the curve is essential. Renowned for their top-tier research team, Knight Frank needed to revitalise their annual property market report to better reflect their expertise. Facing the challenge of an outdated and underperforming ‘Outlook Report’, they sought a transformation. Enter the Australian Horizon Report, a publication aimed at setting a new benchmark in property research insights.
Studio Riz was tasked with reimagining the ‘Outlook Report’. With our extensive experience in editorial design, our mission was to create a standout publication that would achieve the following impactful outcomes:
Establish Authority: Position the new report as the premier source for Australian property market insights.
Innovative and Thought-Provoking: Design the report to engage and provoke thought among its readers.
Engage Audiences: Make the presentation of the report unique, captivating and memorable.
Trusted Advisor Image: Reinforce Knight Frank's role as a reliable and trusted advisor to their clients.
Empower Clients: Provide clients with a valuable resource, empowering them to make informed decisions throughout the year.
Through innovative design, strategic SEO research, and creative storytelling, we developed the Horizon Report to capture Knight Frank's market leadership. This article outlines our process, highlighting the challenges, creative decisions, and successful outcomes that defined this project.
The Need for Change
Knight Frank, a leader in property research, recognised that their annual Outlook Report struggled to stand out. They needed a report that would:
Demonstrate the depth and breadth of Knight Frank’s capabilities.
Position itself as the biggest and most authoritative Australian property report.
Clearly cover all service lines and highlight multiple events across different states.
Be thought-provoking, innovative, and truly engage the audience.
Reinforce Knight Frank’s image as a trusted advisor, empowering clients with valuable insights.
The goal was to create a resource that clients would repeatedly refer to throughout the year, a "property bible" that flagged key considerations without overtly selling.
Previous 2023 Outlook Report that Studio Riz was tasked to revamp. Designed by previous team.
Before and After of the Logo Designs
Finding the Perfect Name
To ensure the new report would stand out and be easily discoverable online, we embarked on a comprehensive SEO research process. The existing name, "Outlook Report," not only clashed with other well-known brands but also failed to rank well in search engines, making it difficult for potential readers to find.
Our approach involved:
Brainstorming Sessions: Generated new names that would capture the essence of Knight Frank’s expertise and the report’s comprehensive nature.
SEO Analysis: Analysed the search performance of various potential names. We looked at search volume, competition, and relevance to ensure the new name would attract organic traffic.
Client Collaboration: We presented a shortlist of names to Knight Frank, weighing the pros and cons of each. Together, we evaluated the market pull of these names against how well they resonated with the brand’s image and goals.
Through this process, we settled on "Horizon Report." This name not only evoked a sense of forward-thinking and broad vision but also performed well in SEO analysis, ensuring better visibility and discoverability online.
Aligning with Global Brand Guidelines
The design of the Horizon Report had to strike a balance between innovation and adherence to Knight Frank’s newly established global brand refresh. It was essential that this report seamlessly integrated with the existing visual language while also standing out as a unique and impactful publication.
To achieve this, we followed these steps:
Reviewing Brand Guidelines: Studied the new Knight Frank brand guidelines and the design language of their prestigious Wealth Report.
Collaborating with Knight Frank Team: Used templates from Knight Frank’s UK as a foundation, customised to fit the specific needs and goals of the Horizon Report. Regular check-ins with Katy Davis, the Head of Creative Services Australia, ensured all design elements were aligned.
Crafting a Unique Logo: Designed a simplistic, blocky logo adhering to iconography guides yet distinctive enough to represent the concept of 'Horizon'. The final design featured a clean, arrow-like line, symbolising forward-thinking and progression.
Utilising Fonts and Colours: Enhanced clarity and standardisation using prescribed fonts creatively. The colour palette was employed to create distinct sections, improving navigation and reader comprehension.
Visual Consistency: Maintained visual consistency with Knight Frank’s other materials, ensuring it felt like a part of the broader Knight Frank family.
2023 Wealth Report that Studio Riz analysed to align the Horizon report. Designed by Wink creative agency in the UK.
Conceptualising the Market as Fine Wine
Studio Riz's final report design, showcasing our enhanced template and layout, and featuring our AI-generated imagery.
One of the standout elements of the Horizon Report was the unique and imaginative visual concept that compared the property market to a fine vintage wine. This creative leap was inspired by a mix of cultural references and innovative thinking, leading to a memorable and impactful design.
The evolution of this idea involved:
Inspiration from Pop Culture and Literature: The concept began with brainstorming sessions that drew inspiration from various sources, including the movie "Uncharted," where a character drinks a 500-year-old rum, and a story from Patrick Radden Keefe's book "Rogues," which features a fascinating tale about wine fraud and the legendary "Jefferson Bottles."
Combining Unique Ideas: Inspired by the idea of vintage wine bottles and naval battleships in bottles, we envisioned encapsulating the heritage and value of Australian cities within glass bottles. This metaphor symbolised preservation, timelessness, and the idea of cities aging like fine wine.
Using AI Tools: To bring this vision to life, we leveraged cutting-edge AI image-generation tools. These tools helped create stunning visual representations of famous buildings from Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne within the bottle. We then enhanced these images using our Photoshop skills to ensure consistency and visual appeal.
Creative Execution: These AI-generated visual metaphors of bottles, miniatures, ships and the ocean were used throughout the report to create a cohesive and engaging narrative.
This innovative approach made the report visually striking and provided a fresh perspective on the property market, engaging readers and leaving a lasting impression.
Watch our highlight video for the Australian Horizon Report. We animated the cover design, scripted and edited the footage, and created the voiceover to bring the insights to life.
Check out the 6 LinkedIn posts we created to promote the report, featuring 4 image carousels and 2 video posts.
Working with Studio Riz on the Horizon Report was an outstanding experience. Rizwan was incredibly thorough, ensuring every design idea, the new logo, and the report concept were reviewed and approved by me. His meticulous attention to detail ensured that everything aligned perfectly with Knight Frank's brand guidelines. The final report was not only visually stunning but also a true reflection of our brand’s high standards. I highly recommend Studio Riz for their professionalism and unwavering dedication to excellence.
Katy Davis
Director, Head of Creative Services
Extending ‘the Horizon’ with Comprehensive Collateral
The launch of the Horizon Report was supported by a robust suite of collateral materials designed to amplify its impact and engage a broad audience. Each element was crafted to complement the report, ensuring a consistent and compelling message across all platforms.
Key collateral materials included:
LinkedIn Video Posts: Created four LinkedIn video posts, each highlighting key statistics from the Horizon Report with light animations and engaging copywriting.
Highlights Video: Produced a comprehensive highlights video showcasing the main findings of the report. This video utilised animated elements and generative AI artwork to visually represent the data, making it both informative and visually appealing. We also organised scripting, voiceover, and sound design and sourced all footage.
Internal Desktop Wallpapers: Created custom desktop wallpapers for Knight Frank staff computers, featuring key visuals and branding from the Horizon Report.
Email Signature Designs: Developed email signature designs promoting the Horizon Report, ensuring continuous visibility in every client email.
Digital Ads: Designed a variety of digital ads for Knight Frank’s marketing campaigns, tailored to different sizes and formats.
Event Invitations: Designed invites for an in-person event to present the report findings to esteemed clients.
Posters and PowerPoint Deck: Created posters and a PowerPoint deck for the event, essential for presenting the report’s findings clearly and visually appealingly.
Landing Page: Using Knight Frank’s platform of choice, Leadpages, we designed and wrote the copy for a dedicated landing page where users could access and download the Horizon Report. We incorporated iconography and design elements from the report to ensure consistency.
Transforming a previous landing page into the new Horizon Report version, we enhanced user engagement and boosted conversion rates.
Impressive Impact on Client and Market Response
The Horizon Report not only met Knight Frank’s expectations but also received widespread acclaim from both the client and the market. The innovative design, compelling content, and comprehensive collateral materials contributed to a significant boost in the report’s visibility and impact.
Client Feedback
Knight Frank was thrilled with the transformation of their annual report. The Horizon Report successfully positioned Knight Frank as a leader in the property market, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted advisor. The client appreciated the creative concept, the meticulous design, and the strategic approach to SEO and branding.
Market Response
The Horizon Report received extensive media coverage shortly after its publication. Notable press mentions included:
Real Commercial: 2024 an Opportune Time to Buy Commercial Property, New Report Predicts
PropJ: 2024 to Herald a Good Year for Commercial Property, Knight Frank
Commo: Knight Frank Reveals Its Top 7 Predictions for Commercial Property Market in 2024
Metrics and Outcomes
The Horizon Report's landing page was designed as a lead funnel, where readers exchanged their email for future updates. This approach yielded significant results, surpassing the performance of other recent reports:
Unique Visitor Traffic: 1.5 times* increase compared to the previous Knight Frank report.
Conversion Rate: An impressive 5.81%*, nearly double the previous Knight Frank report, and well above the industry median of 2.6% for real estate (Unbounce Conversion Rate by Industry Benchmark Report, 2024).
Consistent Downloads: the Horizon Report has maintained consistent downloads over time, demonstrating its value as a year-round resource. Clients continue to turn to the report for insights and guidance, reinforcing its position as a trusted reference in the property market.
*Statistics as of 10/07/24
“Our partnership with Studio Riz was critical to the success of the Horizon report. I was immediately impressed by Rizwan’s ability to translate the key messages from our research into design concepts and then execute them with visually striking layouts and imagery. His use of AI-generated imagery added a new dimension to the report, and he struck the right balance in using innovative new designs while retaining the polished look of a detailed research report that would appeal to a broad readership.”
Ben Burston
Director, Head of National Service Line Marketing
Ben Burtson presents the Horizon Report findings to an engaged key Knight Frank Australia’s clientele audience. Image Credit: Knight Frank
Entrance to Knight Frank’s Sydney Office. Image Credit: Knight Frank
Set up for Horizon Event. Image Credit: Knight Frank
A New Benchmark in Property Reporting
Our collaboration with Knight Frank serves as an invaluable lesson in achieving success through providing genuine value to clients. This approach is an authentic way to connect and generate leads.
The creation of the Horizon Report marked a significant milestone for Knight Frank, setting a new standard in property research reporting and reinforcing their position as a trusted advisor. This project demonstrated the power of strategic design, innovative thinking, and comprehensive marketing to exceed client expectations.
Studio Riz is proud to have contributed to this transformative project. We thank the Knight Frank team for their open minds and trust. Their willingness to embrace new ideas and collaborate effectively was crucial to their success.
References
The Unbounce Conversion Rate by Industry Benchmark Report. (2024, February 23). Unbounce. https://unbounce.com/conversion-benchmark-report/
