By Christina B. Farnsworth. Successfully selling a green, conservation community such as Prairie Crossing, in Grayslake, Ill., means thinking beyond traditional advertising. Prairie Crossing is unique among Chicago-area builders in that it sponsors programs on Chicago public radio, the station their environmentally minded buyers most listen to.
The community’s public relations team went beyond contacting local newspapers and lifestyle magazines. It pitched stories to magazines its potential homeowners read. The efforts resulted in feature stories in Chicago Parent, Conscious Choice, Country Living, Midwest Living, and Popular Science magazines. Even National Geographic featured the community in a story about antidotes to sprawl.