North Fork Woodworks

North Fork Woodworks is a Custom Homebuilder based on Long Island’s North Fork.  I first met them about a decade ago when they reached out for assistance in figuring out ways to grow and market their new business. At the time they were a very small company headed by two enthusiastic upstart owners and a handful of craftsmen working out of a converted gas station. They were working on a shoestring budget in a rapidly gentrifying market already dominated by large, high-end homebuilders. The challenge was in finding a way to make them equal to their competitors to give them a fighting chance, but to make them authentically different so that they could bring more than price to the conversation.

Residential construction is a tricky competitive space - especially on the East End of Long Island..  There are tiers, based largely on capability and quality of work. Some are dormer and deck providers, and others modest renovation. But North Fork’s stated aspirational goal from the start was to be the best builders on the North Fork. Not the Hamptons to the south, but strictly the North Fork – and that was already largely spoken for. So, I needed to find credible differentiation in order to build a brand foundation, voice and direction.

I toured many of their projects and saw their work was at least on par with that on their larger competitors.  I spoke with them at length and felt their passion for the work. I knew the competition was fast, efficient, well-equipped and had the home-field advantage of relationships with area architects and, in most cases, good reputations.

So, I looked for objective views. And I found them.

Over the course of subsequent discovery and research, I was amazed to find that, upon speaking with many people about the company, they were unanimous in their affection and respect for NFWW and its people.  This even extended to neighbors who lived adjacent to long-term job sites - they simply couldn't praise them enough!  Who does that?  Who doesn't have a gripe when their lives are disrupted for 12-18 months, but instead speak fondly and well of the disruptors?  This was a remarkable insight that became both window and bridge to building their brand and differentiating them from their competition.

Even as a fledgling company, NFWW had equity in the form of a good reputation and ability to provide stellar levels of craftmanship. More importantly, however, as I better understood the culture, these were truly good people. They actually care about their clients, are completely transparent about every aspect of the process, and as a matter of course always choose the best solution for each part of the job – even when it’s not the most profitable. In short, they’re consistently good people doing consistently great work.

When I understood that, my job got much easier. I just needed to communicate that effectively.  And here’s how we did it:

Tagline: “Thoughtfully Crafted, Honestly Made”™

A brand’s tagline is its promise. This one captured them perfectly in terms of character, work, and customer experience.  Where many builders cut corners to save time or materials, NFWW doesn’t. Where some might cover up mistakes and workarounds, NFWW Doesn’t. And where some would just ‘go with the plans and finish the job’, NFWW listens to their customers, offers suggestions and sometimes even serves as their advocates when plans need to be altered. Once their clients experienced the truth of this tag, word got out.

Website: NorthForkBuilder.com

Again in-step with the philosophy and culture, the web design and copy is made to simply, truthfully convey in advance what it will be like to meet and work with the people at NFWW. It’s not overly flashy, just true. And because I understood the brand narrative so intimately, I provide nearly all photographic and videographic services in order to truly capture the look at feel of the brand.

Advertising and Brand Content:

Although I tested a number of approaches, an easy formula of quality of work+ relevant social proof (testimonials) has proven to work best. How? I want the right clients for NFWW to connect with quality of work and honesty and simply make initial contact.  Once they do that, they typically commit to using NFWW.

To date, the company has grown to become one of the largest, most elite companies in the area. Since we began, NFWW has nearly tripled in size, purchased a prime piece of real estate and renovated a historic building that now serves as its headquarters, and continues to grow. In addition, their reputation in this high-end market has continued to attract notice, including being featured in Architectural Digest, among others. In addition to brand creative and photography, I also work with them in an advisory capacity as they continue to grow and explore new ventures.