Jennifer Marko of Jacksonville, Florida writes:
“I represent a luxury high-rise community, which is almost sold out, but we don’t want to lose momentum on our publicity efforts about the community itself. Our target market is retired or almost-retired empty nesters looking to downsize their lifestyle so they can travel. The 12-story building is on the St. Johns River. It has 64 units that start at about $1 million. The website is at http://www.villariva.com
“What tips do your Hounds have for how we can create even more publicity for this development?”
Get involved with a local charity and have a fundraiser in your foyer of the condo. This would generate great buzz for your condo, and the chairity and you would get press about how beautiful your foyer is.
Hi Jennifer,
I guess the most obvious approach is to pitch a story on the fact that Villariva is now nearly full up! Did it sell out in record time? Can you make the sale of the very last apartment a special event? Are there any notables living there who might be willing to help spice up the story?
It’s not my part of the world (I’m in Melbourne, Australia) but Villariva looks like a nice place, right there on the river. Since part of your selling proposition is aimed at empty-nesters who want to travel, why not tie in the building’s easy water access to a travel story?
Where can the St John’s River take you? Don’t forget to set up photo ops on the river which will also show off the building in the background!
Dean Felton
Director, Media & Public Affairs
Northern Health
Melbourne, Australia
Create entertaining events that will appeal to your target demographics. A large high-end housing community in my area recently produced a craft show on their premises. Crafters purchased tables for a reasonable fee. The development promoted the event and held it under tents out doors. It was all done to have a reason to continue to promote the facilities and to get people to come for a visit. You could also host other events – depending on your facility- such as a vintage car show, classical music concert, gallery art show. Perhaps if you have a lobby with wall space – hosting rotating gallery exhibits by good local artists may work. Each event would probably appeal to your demographic and have media appeal. Good luck!
How about decorating? From the budget conscious, or uniqueness, to the luxurious. Ask some tenant if they would be willing to open their home.
What new things do you have for your homeowners? Security? Planned activities for when they are there…. other services, efficiency, or uman interest stories about some of the tenants, something about their life..current or past…just a few off the top of my head…
How about writing a short “how to” article, “How To Live Like a Florida Millionaire,” about all the lifestyle amenities your targeted audience will find in a community like yours. Use a testimonial from a happy resident as well as a comment from your builder about what millionaires expect in a very upscale community. Make sure all contact information is part of the article or byline, and send to newspaper editors (especially in realty, business and lifestyle sections) in targeted, affluent communities around the country.
Sharon Sultan Cutler, Certifed Senior Advisor, Publisher/Editor
http://www.MatureResources.org, a monthly Boomer/Senior Ezine and Business Directory
People will not care that your community is full of wealthy empty-nesters, but they do love good human interest stories. MOst of the folks that can afford such comfortable “nests” probably have a TON of business and social
savvy and connections that they could use to help mentor disadvantaged youth. Try for some real hook such as that and the media should beat down your door.
Jennifer: I looked at your company’s website, and the property is beautiful. However, I think your models look young for whom you are hoping for as a target market — retirees and almost retired empty nesters. My perception is that it looks like “The Young and The Beautiful who have money.” True, with the units selling for $1M, they will have to have money. But since it is the units that you are wanting to sell, how about showing people inside their beautiful unit enjoying “the life” that living there offers?
Since your target customers are sophisticated people who like to travel why not host an elegant “Around The World” type of event to attract them to your facility. Foods from various countries could be served (by local chefs if possible) and maybe a few themed musicians/bands (Morrocan music, Latin, Classical French, Opera Singer, etc.) and offer up a trip as a door prize or even raffle it off for a local charity. You could even have a travel agent onsite or a speaker offering some sort of travel tips. Your local travel reporter may be available to address the audience…
Stage a good-natured revolution, just in time for July 4th. Establish a place where people can donate their old lawnmowers (and yard care equipment) for charity. Lawnmowers would certainly represent all the work that goes into owning a house, but bill it as a revolt against a summer tyrant. Enlist reporters to help you get the word out. At the end of the drive, give a freedom party for your community; give the lawnmowers to the local charity. You might even find a local high school shop teacher or community college mechanics instructor who could round up kids to “tune up” the equipment before you give it away.
Why not organize a luxury home tour, with proceeds to benefit a local cause like habitat for humanity — you could work a nice community theme in, maybe play with the nesting theme. Empty nesters help families feather their own nests, for example. I’d also try to pitch Coastal Living or one of the other fine lifestyle magazines, and see if they would be interested in doing a spread on one of the most beautifully decorated units — especially if a celebrity of some sort lives there.
Some of the empty-nesters may not have children at home, but many have pets. Does the condo association have or have access to a service that will care for pets when residents travel? Quote a resident or two that speaks about how valuable that is. Other angles may be travel-related: what special accomodations does such a property provide for those who would like to travel — stress free? (Cleaning, shopping for when residents return, plant care?)
Other ongoing angles may include “how-to’s” of downsizing (how to decide what to sell, give away); the emotional impact of downsizing: regardless of how much money you have, becoming an empty-nester and changing the way you live is stressful.
I live in such a community, and we all are always ready to know about a new cruise, train, any kind of exciting travel…many of us have been hundreds of places internationally. So Why not have the travel agents in your area present a travel night when each one gives a preview of a brand new never before commbined destinations just for your new owners to g o on together? Big party for departure, as well as for return with perhaps newest buyers moved in and welcoming the travelers home to meet their new neighbors.
The Publicity hound says:
I think the most obvious angle is the red-hot real estate market, even for high-end properties. Pitch local business reporters, and help them by rounding up residents who would agree to be interviewed.