Ladera Ranch to Revamp and Re-launch LaderaLife.com

LADERA RANCH, Calif. - Sept. 2, 2016 - PRLog -- The community of Ladera Ranch is excited to announce that LaderaLife.com, Ladera Ranch's official website exclusive to its residents, will be revamped starting with a refined experience to be launched by late 2016.

Background

Ladera Ranch, a planned community opened in 2000 and introduced a new connected community concept through the design of its villages, neighborhoods and community intranet, LaderaLife.com. When the website was introduced in 2000, it included features like the community message board, the ability for residents to post items for sale and to communicate with each other as residents. At the time it was leading edge and it helped draw young families in their late twenties and early thirties to Ladera Ranch. The original LaderaLife.com website pre-dated the mass adoption of Facebook and other social sites.

Enlisting the Right Agency Partner

After a comprehensive search, Ladera Ranch enlisted Irvine-based, The Buddy Group to partner with to develop and launch the website. Approximately twelve creative agency and web development firms were considered, most of them based in Orange County.

According to David Robertson, Communications Manager with Ladera Ranch Community Services (LARCS), "As our team narrowed the search and made personal visits to the offices of the finalists, the best choice became clear. The website task force and the Ladera Ranch Community Services (LARCS) Board of Directors unanimously selected The Buddy Group, led by a talented team of seasoned professionals."

Jay Rogers, Board President, Ladera Ranch Community Services (LARCS) notes, "What impressed our board about The Buddy Group was their expertise in creating digital expressions and experiences that are built upon an in-depth understanding of people who use technology to access what matters to them. What set The Buddy Group apart from the others was their philosophy, approach and focus on building websites that center on people and the experiences that they expect to have online."

Marketing Intelligence

According to George Blair, Community Director for Ladera Ranch Community Services (LARCS), "As we planned for the new website, it was important to understand our residents: how they communicate today, what is important to them, and what features they value in a community that's as unique as Ladera Ranch." Over the past month The Buddy Group has conducted in-depth interviews with residents and stakeholders, resident surveys, and secondary research. The marketing intelligence will help shape how the resident experience is architected and developed.

What Residents Can Expect

According to Pete Deutschman, Founder and CEO of The Buddy Group, "I am genuinely excited for the residents of Ladera Ranch. Early research has reinforced that the Ladera Ranch residents are smart, technically savvy and well-connected; eager to have secure, instant access to the information that matters to them. We aspire to deliver a more relevant, user-friendly experience and revitalize the authoritative resource that is LaderaLife.com.

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About Ladera Ranch

Ladera Ranch is a master-planned residential community in South Orange County that opened in 2000 and was marketed as a unique "connected community" – connecting neighbors, building friendships, and sharing experiences through the design of the community, with the incorporation of "villages" that created spaces and proximity that were conducive to the formation of close-knit communities, through technology and through the fostering of a lifestyle that includes community events, activities and volunteer opportunities. Ladera Ranch was among the first communities that included high-speed Internet service and a community website (LaderaLife.com) that was, and still is, exclusive to Ladera Ranch residents as part of the monthly HOA membership.

About The Buddy Group

The Buddy Group is evolving what it means to be an agency. Driven by forethought, The Buddy Group shapes how audiences or segments experience and think about brands, services, technology and products by creating for the future. The Buddy Group offers strategic research, customer and user experience planning, award-winning creative and production (development and content) services to brands including Dell, Wells Fargo, Stacked, YouTube, Mozilla and Pentel of America . Founded in 2005, The Buddy Group's team of experts are located in Irvine, California where they leverage their in-house experiential and content soundstages -- DotLot™. For more information, visit: thebuddygroup.com (http://www.thebuddygroup.com/).