Great Gulf
Great Gulf
Quantitative research
Brand Strategy
Brand Envisioning
Experience strategy
Great Gulf Group (GG), a leading real estate developer based in Toronto, identified a unique opportunity to acquire 1,100 acres on Killington Mountain in Vermont. Their vision was to develop a distinctive luxury community with a wide range of housing options, anchored by a new village and a members-only owner’s club to elevate the resident experience for prospective buyers.
Rarefy was hired to define and design a club and community experience that would stand out in the competitive luxury resort market and support future growth in additional locations. Ultimately, the owner experience would be the focal point for development and sales efforts to attract discerning buyers, justify premium pricing, and provide a blueprint for future club communities.
We began with extensive research and immersion into the Killington community, uncovering insights about the audience’s desires, lifestyles, and current perceptions of Killington. Our findings led us to identify three primary buyer design portraits, each with unique motivations for considering a home in this soon-to-be vibrant mountain village.
With a deep and nuanced understanding of our target audiences for the new development, we designed an innovative, future-forward owner experience that included:
Band platform - The Strategic foundation that underpins the Great Gulf Killington story, defines their promise, and what makes this new development unique.
Experience principles - Core tenets that shaped a foundational service culture and guided the design of each experience and touchpoint in the owner experience.
Experience Playbook - A detailed guide of general and specific programming, tailored to capture the interests and passions of our primary buyer design portraits. This playbook will also support the design and launch of future GG properties, establishing a cohesive, recognizable brand experience.
The insights use to define our design targets and experience playbook have formed the foundation of a refined development strategy that Great Gulf is now using to bring their new vision to life. Our strategic blueprint provided the basis for optimizing the unit mix, price points, owner amenities, capital expenses, operational costs, and a new development timeline for the Killington Village project, with Phase 1 set to welcome owners in time for the 2028 ski season.
Our experience roadmap, anchored by a unique brand platform, will continue to shape Great Gulf’s mountain village communities, setting a new standard for luxury owner experiences across the region and for Great Gulf's future resort developments.
“Rarefy’s work in market research and in grounding our vision and programming in tangible detail was outstanding. The pillars they helped us establish continue to serve as our north star. They are true partners who we enjoyed working with from Day 1.” -- Great Gulf Killington Marketing Lead
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