Austin, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/05/2015 --Austin, Texas-based marketing firm Catalyst was awarded the 2015 Gold Award of Excellence in Marketing Effectiveness for The Marq.

This year marks the 21st annual Communicator Awards, which is overseen and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. The 2015 Communicator Awards received more than 6,000 entries worldwide in advertising, corporate communications, public relations, and more.

Catalyst performed a complete rebrand for The Marq, a 612-bed student housing property in Milwaukee, Wis., serving students primarily attending Marquette University. Upon engagement, the property faced challenges due to their reputation within the marketplace and the older construction of the building, neither of which appealed to students looking for a premier housing option. Having rebranded the property, Catalyst developed an integrated ad campaign leading up to a VIP brand reveal party to showcase the property's new look to students and school officials. In addition to showing off upcoming renovations at the property, the reveal party included live music, fine food, and exclusive prizes and giveaways as part of its red carpet extravaganza.

Catalyst, in conjunction with The Marq's on-site leasing team, has achieved great results for the 2015–2016 school year. The property is currently ahead of last year by 23.64%. "Integrated marketing is a concept that has not been quickly embraced by the student housing industry, yet it is proving it can produce amazing results," said Jamie Matusek, Vice President of Catalyst.

"We are looking forward to helping our clients understand the importance of ensuring that marketing tactics, such as traditional advertising, digital advertising, social media, direct mail, and email should all work together to achieve higher response and measureable results," she said.

The Marq's rebranding project included renaming, logo development, tagline authorship, interior design collaboration, property signage, a paper system, a website, sales collateral, VIP launch party pieces, social media imagery, emails, and direct mail sends.

About Catalyst
Catalyst is the leader in student housing marketing and serves industries including commercial real estate, multi-family housing, finance, universities, senior housing, development firms, and others. The firm concentrates on the science of marketing by using data-driven strategies to generate tangible results for clients that grow their business. The Austin-based firm offers a wide range of marketing strategy, design, and public relations services.

Visit thelyst.com to learn more.