Author: Stacey Feeney

Apartment Brand Design—Behind the Scenes

Written by Stacey Feeney on January 28, 2024. Posted in All Articles, Branding. 1 Comment on Apartment Brand Design—Behind the Scenes

Apartment brand design is a perfect combination of creative magic and being meticulous. From research to concepts to construction, your careful apartment brand design will help your company inspire while it innovates. And, with any luck, you’ll have fun doing it.

Bring function, creativity and artistry to your apartment community through the precise steps of brand conceptualization.

In one creative call, we listened to our client tell the history of the company’s late founder—his family’s background, his passions, his sayings. As we asked more questions, each of these details that we helped draw out created a well of inspiration. Of course, before we landed on a name that referenced the founder’s family ties, which makes for great storytelling, we had to ensure the rest of the brand could keep up. We’ll show behind-the-scenes of every step, so you can see what this looks like in a real-life brand.

Research & Discovery

LET THE IRP INFORM IT

Without research, you’re walking blind. Without discovery, you’re taking chances. Do the work not just behind the scenes—but even deeper. Find out who you want to attract by determining your IRP, your ideal resident profile. When you can identify who you want to reach, and get to know “who” they really are, you can tailor your brand to attract and retain them!

What does this research look like? Look at geographics, demographics, psychographics, and behavior.

CREATE BRAND VOICE CONCEPT

How are you speaking to your IRP, and how do you engage with them? The research you did to find their psychographics and demographics will help you choose properly here, too. What problem is your apartment community solving? Why do you exist? What are your mission, vision, and values statements?

When you create your brand voice, you also get to pick out the brand personality to help flesh out your brand, making everything about your brand easier to explain. Styles, habits, goals, priorities, and values all come to light with the mission and the personality outlined.

Logo Concepts

Collaborating on apartment brand design is a careful dance. Working with client preferences and using our expertise, we came up with a variety of logos for their team to review. (We’ll get to the corresponding color palettes, lifestyle stock photography, and textures/patterns in a second.) We always have our favorite apartment brand logo design—but we know we won’t make the final decision!

This concept had a solid, signet ring appeal to it. Classy and classic.

This logo concept offered a softer touch, with a breezier angle.

This concept felt a bit like “conventional, with a twist.” It’s fun to color inside the lines for a time, go a little wild and come back to order. A touch of fun.

Situated in the city of Wheaton, the logomark called out the location while keeping the typography modern and stately.

This one says “expect much more from your apartments—and we’ll be ready.” Serious and stylish.

Light, simple, easy, and beautiful. A sans serif with sweet curves attracts those looking for ease of living.

Each of these logo concepts, paired with brand visuals and brand style concepts is created with a slightly different vibe.

This approach offers so much more than only a logo could. A logo cannot bring out a full color palette. A logo cannot give insight into the lifestyle that your apartment brand (and its) design offers.

Brand Visuals and Brand Style Concepts

Visually, brands have to make an impression. To accompany the logo concepts, our team put together beautiful stock photography, corresponding color palettes, and textures and patterns that work with the possible architecture, interior design, and typography details. Each concept works with the interior design—so the color palettes are a little bit similar. Additionally, every concept is created with the IRP in mind.

Each of the brand visual concepts that we created for the team at The Faywell was made to attract working professionals with discerning taste. With patterns and with photography, we further focused the vibe, whether eco-friendly, street chic, or totally hygge-homebody. See for yourself:

THE BRAND STYLE VIBES BREAKDOWN

Concept 1

The leaves and the bicycle and the natural sage green featured in this concept tell the viewer: Embracing the calm of nature is still possible in the suburbs of Chicago.

IRP factor: Our IRP desired the calm of outer city limits while still staying stylish.

Concept 2

The rich tones of this brand style concept are focused on enjoying friends, going for scenic drives, and sinking into velvet sofas. The repeating pattern of subtle, soft, geometric leaves feels equally mesmerizing and soothing.

IRP factor: Suburbs for city dwellers can feel like social isolation—turning the focus to gathering and experiencing nature reframed the idea of getting out of town.

Concept 3

Nothing to see here but cozy, creature comforts. With soft neutral tones, this warm concept is welcoming, cushy, and appealing in a Danish sort of way (pastry or country, you decide).

IRP factor: Our IRP is likely a city commuter. Home should be a haven for them.

Concept 4

Welcoming city-smart commuters and appreciators of strong, sturdy patterns and structure, this concept is as sleek as it is sweet. Muted earthy tones along with shiny steel train cars offer a perfect balance between city and home.

IRP factor: Predictability should come standard for the resident who needs the train to run on time and wants an unfussy home, so we kept things strong and clean.

Concept 5

Totally classic like a Fender hollow body electric guitar. White linens, wood walls, tailored pants all go together to create a scene that’s ideal for the keep-it-cool crowd.

IRP factor: Just because the IRP isn’t living in the city doesn’t mean they’ve lost all their street smarts. Creating a luxuriously beautiful.

Concept 6

An easy going, enjoy-every-day vibe is happening here. Planning out your day with podcasts and enjoying a small glass of wine with your new pageturner, simple joys are the foundation in this take on The Faywell.

IRP factor: The hustle and bustle of the city isn’t for everyone, but having a predictable, reliable, and comfortable home is for this IRP.

Conversations Around Concepts

COLLABORATE AND CONVERSATE

After we presented each brand concept with the team at The Faywell, there were plenty more conversations to be had. Using the concepts, visual or verbal learners among the stakeholders (VP, marketing director, or owner) could easily process each concept and collaborate in conversation with us, the creative agency.

After you speak with the stakeholders, you can unite behind a singular concept when you determine which one will speak to your target resident while you represent your company (and its vision) clearly. The name, the logo, the photos, the color palette, the typography, it must all work harmoniously to give your prospects the most idealized version of your brand and your company’s priorities for their future residents.

THE POINT OF APARTMENT BRAND DESIGN CONCEPTS

Everything you’re investing time into now is meant to be a shortcut for you in your marketing, and to help you become a fully fledged apartment brand. When you start with the idea behind the vibe, the trajectory of the brand you’re building is a lot less bumpy. Branding involves a lot. Put in the work now to create a solid brand today and in the future.

We look forward to seeing how The Faywell continues in their brand journey.

Naming Apartments for SEO and Intrigue

Written by Stacey Feeney on January 21, 2024. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Writing.

Naming apartments is a tricky game—and creating it to be one-of-a-kind is the NAME of the game, pun completely intended.

What Can an Apartment Name Do?

The purpose of a name? It’s shorthand for who your brand is. It gives a snippet of an idea. A name is the first thing that can grab attention (if it’s a good one), keep attention, and if it’s interesting enough, it can allow the prospect to ponder its meaning a little bit.

Your apartment name can tell a story, evoke a feeling, and emphasize your branding—when you follow our guidance.

TELL A STORY

Names that make for the most fun in the process are the ones with a story. If there isn’t one, we create it within the brand guidelines. Have you ever met someone with such a unique name that you wanted to say, “Wow, that’s cool! Can you tell me more about your name?” There’s typically something even more interesting than the name—and it’s the story behind it.

EVOKE A FEELING

The vibe of your community—whether for retirees or for young professionals—will be bolstered by a solid name. There are certain sounds, colors, words that create ideas and stir up emotions within us. The emotions that come to the surface should be positive. Positive and fun. Positive and elegant. Positive and avant-garde. Positive and peaceful. How you name it helps bring your reader/prospect/resident to that frame of mind.

EMPHASIZE BRANDING

The vibe of your community again can be paired up with your branding through your apartment name. The name is the starting point, and then the brand is built up around that. It’s likely that you’ve already had the ideas of the design, style, audience and more, but the name is the first piece of the verbal branding. This aspect is foundational, setting off the rest of the branding: your logo, your style, your voice, so it can be seen and appreciated in its ideal form.

Why One-of-a-Kind Names for Apartments?

Naming your apartment buildings is not a decision you can make easily and forget about. It will impact your brand perception, how prospects find you online (or don’t) and whether your brand will stand out among your competition. Be careful in your approach to naming apartments for both SEO and intrigue.

SEO

If you want to be found through search engines, consider how many other things, even beyond apartment communities, may be named the same. How much competition will you have? A lot? This is the time to get inventive, because it won’t always go the way it did in Field of Dreams (“If you build it, they will come.”)

Now, does it have to be a completely new word? Not necessarily. But for higher ranking in Google, it must be more creative and outside of the norm.

Please don’t call it Oakview or Oakhill or Oakridge or Oak Grove Apartments. It’s been done.

INTEREST

Look for something more interesting about the property to inspire its name. Perhaps the history of the area, the street names, important figures in the city’s community, or a particular vibe that you want to create with these apartments.

MEMORABILITY

If it’s top-of-mind status you want, you’ll have to go a little off the beaten path. Not too strange, and not too un-spell-able or un-pronounce-able, but something that’s creative. So instead of Oakhill Apartments, you could go for CenturyWood Place, for example.

Apartment Name Examples

Now that we gave you one example, you’re probably hoping for a few more. We got you. (Keep in mind that these are all made up and we aren’t picking on anyone with these examples, good or bad.)

BORING

That Oak Anything Apartments example falls into this boring category. Not imaginative. Sounds peaceful and completely…forgettable. Here are a few more apartment names that you can forget about completely after reading them:

31st St Apartments

Oak Glen
Shady Lane

Laurel Estates

We get it: There’s shade. You’re on a street. There’s trees. For the love, get more interesting!

UNIQUE

Take inspiration from the management’s founder. The history of the area. Or the style of the building. Don’t be too on the nose, like Brickhouse Lofts, but consider using a red color in the name, like Vermillion Views.

THE STRANGELY FAMILIAR

Today, there are plenty of made-up words that have become household names—even regular, daily verbs. Why? Because they’re memorable. Just Google it!

Google was a re-spelling (which was more phonetically appealing) of googol, which just means the highest number in existence. This works great for the vast number of search results you can receive with a few keystrokes.

Etsy was a made up spelling after the founder closely watched (and listened to) a Fellini film. Having heard “et si” multiple times, he decided this combo of words that means “oh, yes” was the perfect term for his new website.

Zillow is a little more out there. This massive house listing giant has combined the idea of comfort and vast amounts of options (“zillions” and “pillows”—where you lay your head) would be the ideal name for a space to find your next property.

What to Consider When Naming Apartments

As we’ve seen above, some brand names are more thought out than others. It’s okay if it’s stumbled upon, but it’s stronger and more relatable if there’s a good story to go with it.

MEANING

Why is it called that name? If it’s chosen at random, that’s not going to initiate very good conversations. If you can come up with history, inspiration, or reasoning, that will go a lot farther in your branding guidelines than “it sounded cool”. However, we know that sometimes, that does lead to success. But it might be easier to have a goal to create a name based on some deeper meaning—it’s at least an easier starting place.

BRAINSTORMING PROCESS

At Zipcode Creative, when we’re thinking through naming apartments, we go for broke. We write down anything and everything that comes to mind, and then have a thesaurus handy. (You never know when you’ll come up with something that will spark interest and be super-original.)

While we’re going about the naming process, we consider things like:

Your ideal resident profile (IRP): what are they looking for?
The type of apartment community it will be
The vibe of the surrounding area
The history of the town/city/area you’re in
The history of the building
The architecture style of the building
The names of the surrounding streets
The local flora and fauna

Take all of these into account, and we’re sure to find something that will strike a chord that will please the SEO gods and the future residents of your homes. We’ll also try out different sizes, lengths, and formats of the winsome ones to land on something worthy of your community. Most of all, we’ll aim for meaning and originality.

RESEARCH

However, before you get too deep into the weeds of apartment naming, make sure it’s actually viable. Look at your competitors. Consider your audience. Google the name and see what comes up. At Zipcode Creative, we have a few considerations (or tests, if you will) to find out whether the name could possibly work:

Business Name Search
Trademark Registry Search
Available URLs and social media handles
General Google search

Again, this is where due diligence and uniqueness will help you out. The hard work of building your apartment brand will be undercut by other brands if it’s not a standalone idea (or has too much competition).

Need help with your apartment naming? Reach out today.

Apartment Branding that Creates Culture and Movement

Written by Stacey Feeney on January 14, 2024. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing.

Creating culture and movement with apartment branding is easier said than done. A few tips can make a framework that’s a little easier to follow. Read on for the 7 ways to help bring your Class-A lease up or new construction apartment brand into the “mover and shaker” category.

#1 Brand Development

IT’S A WHOLE LIFESTYLE BRAND

Branding for apartment communities is far more than logos—you’ve heard us say this before. Brand development should go wider and deeper than just the visual. Since your apartment community is where your residents will live, make memories, enjoy hobbies, build friendships, and experience so much—you should lean into this.

A lifestyle brand (or luxury brand) is one thing. It sets out to market a particular lifestyle that’s attainable through using the products or services the brand offers.

When you introduce an apartment brand as a lifestyle brand, you show your prospects what they can have (and enjoy!) and the problems they’ll solve once they begin living in your apartment community.

For example, when branding a 55+ apartment community, you will likely be focused on the ease and relaxation that’s involved with your no-maintenance homes. Your branding should also be tailored to show a well-connected life of residents in your community. Again—you’re selling the well-connected, social, and easy way of life after retirement

#2 Brand Personality

Don’t be vanilla (with no fudge?!) in a world of strawberry-balsamic and lavender-lemon ice cream. Get your personality pinned down.

WHAT’S BRAND PERSONALITY?

In short, it’s the same as with people. Some are eccentric. Some are unoriginal. Some are just plain fun.

Quick exercise for you, reader.
Think of the most boring person in your life for a second. Nothing stands out. They’re just…there. Not particularly memorable.
Now, think of one of the most interesting person in your life. What makes them leave an impression like that? The way they:

Dress
Speak
Interact
Pursue life

Every bit of them makes an impact.

Find a way to have your brand make an impact in the same way. Leave an impression with the way your brand is presented: online, in print, and in-person.

Now that you know what brand personality is, next is how to create one for your apartment.

HOW TO CREATE AN APARTMENT BRAND PERSONALITY

Step 1: Ask the right questions.

Kind of like a personality quiz. (See this design sprint brand personality slider for more inspo.)

Step 2: Be honest and authentic.

A little bit of aspiration is okay here, but keep it in line with what you can honestly and authentically achieve and offer.

Step 3: Get buy-in.

Your staff have to get it and they have to be willing to reflect the vibe. This means it can’t be unrelatable (see Step 2 in terms of authenticity)

Step 4: Allow that personality to influence visual, verbal and marketing decisions.

(WWYCD: What Would Your Community Do?) Your brand personality is part of your guidelines for how you look and sound. Before you okay that ad, consider your personality and whether it aligns.

#3 Create FOMO

The ol’ Fear Of Missing Out! To be clear, are we asking you to incite jealousy and covetousness with your apartment brand? A little bit, yes. Enough to get your prospects and leads to research a little more and maybe even schedule a tour. If they want it, they’ll pursue it. But how do you create an “I’ve gotta live there” mentality? Three ways that we can think of (just off the top of our heads):

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

How does your apartment brand interact with the neighborhood around it? Are you at street fairs? Are you showing off local coffee shops and partnering with local spots for cross promotion? Are you helping raise money or supplies for local shelters? What is your apartment brand doing that puts it above the rest in terms of “doing good”? If you take care of the neighborhood you’re in, they may end of taking better care of you with referrals and general positive vibe and word of mouth.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES FOR ALL

Whether a person is a resident or a member of the visiting public, there should be something to offer them. Are you hosting a craft fair? Do you have an “open swim day”? Will you have a holiday door decoration competition that you invite the public to judge (and/or enjoy)? Carve out a niche for your apartment brand by creating something that you’re well known for—and that folks would hate to miss out on, just because they didn’t live there.

SWAG

Yet another acronym…Stuff We All Get—yet, it’s not for everyone! The swag that you give out has to be equal parts clever and wantable. Useful is great, but also consider your ideal resident and their wants and needs (along with current trends). If you can find swag that works well with your apartment brand, even better!

Bottom line here: Visibility is far more than ad impression rates.

#4 Philanthropy

This falls in line with brand authenticity and community involvement. Philanthropy is a vital piece to any community. When your apartment brand is involved in making the neighborhood better, it’s a great way to make connections.

AUTHENTICITY

No philanthropy should be done out of a feeling of obligation. Generate a giving spirit from the top of your community brand and it will flow down through a healthy workplace culture. Soon, you’ll be known as the apartments that “always have a canned food drive” or “winter coat drive” or put together a volunteer group to serve at a shelter. (It’s better to give than to receive!)

INVITATION TO ALL

When you engage in community programming and assist your neighbors, it can create a positive culture within your staff, but also with your residents and those who are thinking of living in your community. When you’re involved, it’s like an invitation to everyone else to do better and be the change! Along with you, they too can make their mark in the world.

#5 Be Health and Wellness-Minded

THE MEANING OF HOME

Home is where the heart and hearth is. It exudes warmth and comfort. It’s focused on doing and feeling your best. Finding the balance between relaxation and energy. Similar to how you can focus your apartment brand into a lifestyle brand, you can exude the feeling of home to your prospects and your residents by focusing on the amenities that they want most: Safety with smart locks and doorbell cameras, health with fitness classes in the gym, and an on-site juice bar tells your residents what you value most: their health and well-being.

RETREAT!

Home is your residents’ own personal retreat. This means you should prioritize giving an ample heads up when there are maintenance calls, ensure new residents are comfortable after they move in, and that they have everything they need with their welcome packet—and feel confident that this is going to be a great living experience.

#6 Connection with Authenticity

WITH LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES

It’s not just lip service. Walk the walk and connect with other small businesses in the area. Become acquainted with the bookstore down the road, the brunch place next door, and the sweet gift shop across the street. Making those connections leaves a positive impression on the neighborhood and opens the way for better word-of-mouth marketing, possibly from folks who don’t even live there!

GET INTERPERSONAL

Whether we’re connecting residents to residents or residents to staff, it’s vital that they feel like home is a place of rest and connection. We’re not quite going to sing “Where everybody knows your name” at you, but that’s kind of what we’re driving at. The more familiar and comfortable your residents are, the more likely they are to renew a lease. How can you do this? Resident events. Transparency in your social media posts and your About Us page.

CONCIERGE-LIKE SERVICE

Consider how it feels to be catered to. Kind of nice, right? When your needs are anticipated and your problems are solved with a smile, it just makes your day a little bit better. A hotel concierge does exactly that—opening doors, figuratively. At your leasing office, you can help open doors (physical, literal, all of the above) and ensure your residents have everything they need. Being open to feedback and offering above-and-beyond service is certainly a way to stand out among the competition.

#7 Apartment Branding Must Be Memorable

Everything we’ve listed out above is a clear path to sticking in your prospects’ and residents’ minds. But how can you stay top of mind? Two ways.

CONSISTENT AND THOROUGH BRANDING

Everything you touch, everything that goes through your office, from corporate to on-site leasing office, should have something to do with your brand, and be recognizable as only yours. Logos, colors, fonts, brand voice—using the brand guidelines is a great shortcut to getting everything aligned and looking and sounding like your apartment community.

GO BIG BRANDS

Creating excitement through going big is a fun way to make your brand larger than life! Think: huge wall murals, full-length window coverings, and really cool wall art throughout the clubhouse. If you’re able to use an interior designer to select the right finishes from the start on a new construction or Class-A lease up, you’ll be able to make your brand a priority from the start.

Drive your brand straight to the heart of your ideal resident with sincerity and consistency.

2024 Multifamily Marketing Budget – The Creative Guide

Written by Stacey Feeney on January 10, 2024. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing. 1 Comment on 2024 Multifamily Marketing Budget – The Creative Guide

New Year, New Budget!

Peace out, 2023. Same with last year’s budget? That’s in the rear view mirror, too.

But the lessons you learned from last year’s budget and spending and results…should be front and center as you prepare for spending for multifamily marketing in 2024.

With a new year comes a new budget. Can’t you just smell it? First off, you got through another budget review season. Congrats. It’s approved and you know what to do next. Right?

First, you’ve got to take a look at your goals. What creative endeavors are you tackling first for your apartment brands?

We’d like to make a few simple suggestions.
1) Better branding for multifamily.

2) More branding for multifamily.

Basically…increase quality and quantity—they’re not mutually exclusive.) Especially now that you have the money to spend in 2024!

How to Spend Your 2024 Multifamily Marketing Budget

Think bigger, think better. Your branding has to be up to snuff and catch up with your competition this year (and with the ever-changing technology around us). You won’t see growth in your leasing rates unless you address your out-of-date logos and inconsistent brand. Perhaps you’ve got some branding under your belt—you could always do more. Keep sharpening and keep growing.

BETTER BRANDING

Our first bit of advice around your apartment brand: Make it personable, relatable, imaginative, and innovative.

Our second? Hire professionals. Especially the ones that know multifamily inside and out—Zipcode Creative has been at this for years, and is ready to help you with any multifamily project, of any size.

MORE BRANDING

Logo? That’s not all!
Don’t rely on your logo to do it all. Your logo is one piece. An important piece, but not the end all, be all. There’s plenty a logo won’t do—it won’t capture attention, increase engagement, and it certainly won’t lease up more units…on its own.

Think bigger.
Add brand identity.

Add brand messaging.
Add brand-cohesive copy.

And how does your role fit into this “more branding” idea? Read about your branding responsibilities broken down by role:

BRAND VOICE

Find your apartment brand voice and use it everywhere you can.

What’s Your Brand Voice?

Is it serious? Playful? Mature? Young? Does it make jokes every chance it gets? Hire a professional to help you both develop this brand voice and make it shine in every bit of copy you (or they) create. When you craft the perception of your brand through your words (and tell people who you are by what you say) you can start building up your brand in their minds. They’ll be thinking about you—finally.

Your 2024 Vision Board

Do you ever miss those inspirational posters that were highly popular in the 90s? Do we even dare to tell you to “Be the bridge” and “Strive for excellence”? Get beyond the black and white words and the cheesy photo and begin to envision what your year could look like. Think about the results you could create with a little more calculated effort AND with your 2024 multifamily marketing budget at the ready

On our vision board…for you, we are seeing:

Websites
Whether you go fully custom or use templates is totally up to you. Even though you could choose either option, make them work well for you by maintaining brand consistency with your color palette, fonts, and brand voice.

Your website is your digital domain; it’s where the newest leads will look for your community, searching for the information they need—availability, interior renderings or photos, and contact information. Make sure it looks and sounds like you—and attracts rather than deters.

Using website templates for your multifamily community isn’t all bad. Templates aren’t perfect, though. Boost your template usage with better branding. Make sure your color palette is accurate and used throughout, creatively. Ensure your fonts are populating the way you expect. Add in a little more about your team or about your management company to give a fuller view of your company from the inside out.

Better Copy

Step one: Get all the good words. Step two: Use the good words. If only!
With your brand voice settled, now you can spin the threads of your community with one engaging idea after another. Why you exist—what you offer—what issues you solve for your residents. Getting professional help with copywriting for apartments will help everything go more smoothly, too.

Video Marketing

Video content helps increase engagement on social media. According to LinkedIn, videos on social media are shared 1200% more than text and image posts. So: Don’t sleep on it. It’s among our favorite trend predictions for multifamily marketing in 2024, and it could help boost your views on instagram or facebook!

Keep in mind while you’re creating:
1) Know “why” you’re making the video. (what’s the point?) Is it education, entertainment, or broader engagement?
2) Know the desired length of your video.
3) Have a plan that details your point, the length, and what should show up in the video.

Ensure your video is accessible, relatable and clear, and you’ll be well on your way to crafting a video marketing strategy that will help secure more leases.

(See also our blog post about apartment brand social media strategies here.)

Now that your 2024 multifamily marketing budget is set and ready to go, advocate for better (and more) branding. This is the best time of the year to do it! Whatever your setting your sights on for 2024, ensure your multifamily brand is ready to take it all on.

Multifamily Marketing in 2024 –Trends Galore

Written by Stacey Feeney on January 2, 2024. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing.

Plenty of trends are coming for multifamily marketing in 2024—get ready with the list straight from the apartment branding experts at Zipcode Creative!

Mortgage costs have been going up with steep interest rates across the nation. Most homeowners aren’t selling, making for fewer houses on the market. And many cannot afford a down payment needed in order to buy a home. This means apartment home rentals are becoming more and more in demand. In order to stay competitive, you need to know what the trends in apartment marketing are.

If you haven’t already invested in excellent branding for your apartment community, make your resolution to do so now! Branding could be the very thing that causes your community to be remembered, propelling its culture and vibe to the forefront for the ideal resident you’re targeting.

#1 Target Residents’ Top Desired Amenities

Your residents could live anywhere they can lay their head. But they choose their home because they want the amenities being offered. Make sure they know all about them. Consider the top trending amenities across the nation today:

Creative working spaces
Pickleball courts
Deliveries
Wellness
Smart home tech
EV chargers

But what’s the best way to do this? Create culture and nail down your vibe through branding, make your physical spaces awesome, use events to have fun and show off amenities and build campaigns around your best offerings.

CREATE CULTURE THROUGH BRANDING

Your Ideal Resident Profile (IRP)
Find your ideal resident profile (IRP) through research. Create a culture with your brand that is tailored to who they are and what they want in their home life. The culture you create can be sporty and active, cozy and comfortable, social and spunky, or whatever you think will help create a great home vibe for your IRP.

For example, sports are always a great way to have a little friendly competition and bring people together. When you show off your pickleball courts, pit residents against staff or create teams and tournaments (with prizes)!

BRING EXCITEMENT TO PHYSICAL SPACES

Branding doesn’t have to stay in the 2D spaces. Bring your brand to the physical world! By weaving your brand through the building, you create another level of engagement with your brand for all visitors, prospects, and residents.

Murals
Murals are a breath of fresh air. Instead of bricks—a blast of color. Adding murals that fit into your branding and evoke a feeling are a fantastic way to up the ante visually in your less-exciting spaces. Find a wall that needs sprucing, and figure out what will work—whether it’s a repeating pattern from your brand guidelines, or an artistic rendition of a dog near the entrance to the doggy spa.

Directional Signage
Much like a mural, it’s nice for residents to have indications of where they are in the building. “Meet me by the pool” is a lot easier when you have clear signage that gets residents exactly where they need to go. Of course, ensuring the colors and font coordinate and work within your brand guidelines is a must. Additionally, having directional signage is like a tiny little advertisement for other amenities around the space, and can initiate a little curiosity in your residents. “I forgot we have a working space—I need to check that out!”

Working Space
Speaking of…these are still popular for the hordes of people continuing to solopreneur or work-from-home—even part-time. It’s nice to “get out of the apartment” every so often, and strike up a friendly conversation or two when you’re working to make every day a little less “same old, same old” and much more “Nice seeing you here again.” Market the space, what it offers, and call out all the things that make the space amazing in a campaign. When you call attention to the awesome design and useful space as some of the best things you offer, you’re answering the ever-present “why do I need to live here?,” confirming for your residents that you have their best interests, needs, wants, and desires at heart.

MARKETING THROUGH EVENTS

Host happenings in your amenity spaces. Think different, go unique—ditch the tired old events and people will come!

A workspace mixer—but for entrepreneurs? Cool.
A pool party that includes both current residents and prospective residents? Hold it at the height of summer, where people need to cool off!

When you create events based around the amenities that you offer, you’re utilizing your spaces well, and showing off (or marketing!) exactly how awesome your amenities are. Not only are you listing it as an option in your brochure, but you’re including it in your flyers for events. This doubling down will help spread the word twice as fast.

MULTIFAMILY MARKETING IN 2024: CAMPAIGNS

There are a million ways to go when it comes to marketing your amenities. But which one will work best for your brand? Try campaigning your best features. You can craft your messaging to be so much more than “Now Leasing “Luxury” Apartments, friends!

Always start with your audience. Where will they be?
And always A/B test. And keep doing it.

Multi-platform Campaigns
Using print, digital, ads, emails, and signage in a combination that makes sense for your brand is a great way to spread out your budget and find the way that best works to reach your audience. And get creative to grab attention. If you’re able, creating a related but different style for each channel can help keep it interesting, especially if your audience will be seeing ads for your community on multiple channels. For example, if you’re showing off your smart home technology, you could create a multi-layered graphic to portray each piece of your smart home offerings, your digital ad can swap through the options, your emails can include bullet point benefits of smart home technology, and a video for social media ads can show someone getting into their building no problem, using a touchless entry system.

The more creative you are—the more likely it is to grab attention!

#2 Go Hyper Local when Branding Apartments

Because apartments are businesses (you know this!) it’s easy to forget that it’s your resident’s home where they’re making memories and enjoying their community. It’s where they are growing up, with their job nearby (or near their favorite attractions). This means that leaning into local and learning the best around the block can be a gamechanger for your branding.

MAPPING OUT YOUR BRANDING

Branding, if heavily influenced by your location can give you a leg up on the competition as a differentiator. It’s not a coincidence that you’re in this neighborhood and the same group of people that are headed to the local book store or coffee shop are also attracted to your building. Look around you and be inspired. Your branding should simultaneously consider the ideal resident profile (IRP) and the demographics of your area. Find something that is relatable for your ideal resident and zero in on it to create something that will feel like it’s created just for them.

Being aware of the area’s high points and low points and local knowledge gives you insider information, and helps you better tell the story through your branding and marketing. Your story can include the highlights of the area, why you are the right choice of community, and why your apartments fit right in with the rest of the neighborhood. When you know what’s “going on” locally or historically—or both—your story becomes so much more compelling.

#3 Using Branding to Capture Your Audience

DIGITAL DOMINANCE

Utter digital domination is the only way to go. What do we mean? Hopefully things you’re already doing online: a website, digital ads, email marketing, and social. In fact, a study by Shelter Realty revealed that 72% of respondents generally turn to the Internet first when searching for an apartment. They’re looking for the easiest, most streamlined way to find their next home.

Website
Your website is your biggest marketing tool. Certainly branding is vital in creating a website that is representative of your community—and is consistent—but the website must be useful. It should offer more about your community, your location, your events, and plenty of photos of the inside, the outside, and what units are available. If you don’t have a website (or a good one), you will lose out on a lot of leads. This is the hub of your online presence, and everything else that you put out should direct leads there. You can even create landing pages specific to digital ads you create to track the results. Make sure your website is recognizable as your brand—many website builders backends even have brand toolsets to upload color palettes and fonts.

Digital Ads
Placing ads on social media, as search ads, or even using retargeting can be an amazing way to capture
leads and drive them to—yes, you guessed it—your website. Work with a designer to ensure you have everything you need on the ad and that it fits within your brand guidelines.

Email Marketing
Grand openings, offers, and announcements should all flow through email. They can certainly end up on the website, but should be sent out to your email list—the emails should be worth opening and apply to the readers. Email marketing is the one way you have control over who sees it, so you can stay top-of-mind for your ideal resident. It’s also useful for your current residents for any reminders of events coming up, helping keep them connected and looped in.

Social Media
If you’re not on social media, you’re missing out! It’s fun, organic social is free (except for time) and it’s a fairly important piece of the puzzle for many prospects. Seeing what you post and recognizing your brand (and brand voice through the captions) is one more thing you can do to help engage with your residents and prospects.

Go where the people are—online. Target them with your ads. Speak to them with your perfectly branded emails. It’s a lot of work to be everywhere, but the digital landscape requires you to find your residents through every channel. When you’re in front of them regularly, with consistent branding, and marketing your best and most desired amenities, and giving them the inside scoop on what’s best around the block, you’ll shoot to the top of their list this year.

Multifamily Branding – How to Get an Edge in 2024

Written by Stacey Feeney on December 18, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing. 1 Comment on Multifamily Branding – How to Get an Edge in 2024

Maybe you’re working on wrapping up Q4 and your numbers weren’t what you’d hoped. Maybe they’re better and you want to keep that momentum—good on you!

If you truly want to get an edge in 2024 in your community, turn your focus to multifamily branding, the beautiful, well structured sister to marketing.

Where to begin?

Start here.

Reality: Brand Consistency Aligned with Property [Class]

We’ve written a lot about brand consistency. We’ve also written about aligning brand with your property class. It’s imperative that you’re realistic about how you present your community via your brand. Your prospects can’t be set up to fail right off the bat if you overdo it on the brand (or if you under-do it). Get your branding in order and keep it consistent.

How: Take your property class and figure out how best to brand it according to the quality and offerings of the community and the pricing and budget you’ll have. Our shortcut for how much branding for what level of property class is covered here, too!

Relatability: Creating a Personable Brand Through and With Its People

When we create brand guidelines for apartment communities, we like to ask: if your brand was a celebrity, who would they be and why? When you make your brand into something that feels more tangible, it’s easier to see what choices should be made next. And then, it’s easier to create a brand persona that is relatable.

Another way to inject personality into your brand is to use actual people. Your staff. Your on-site management team. Your marketing crew. Even your CEO. A little transparency through a few fun facts, and you’ll find people jiving with the experiences you’re sharing. Behind it all, humans are running the show. It’s okay to let them know that.

How: Do super-short form interviews with the people behind the scenes. Revealing the faces (and personalities!) behind the names is always a good move.

Memorability: Market the Experience

How can you market an experience? There’s a whole thing called experiential marketing. It’s exactly what it sounds like. But if that’s not clear enough, experiential marketing is when a group creates an experience that can leave a long-lasting impression on the resident (or prospect). The hope is that it’s talked about, and remembered for a long while.

You know what’s fun about memories? They’re better when they’re shared. That means when your prospect or customer experiences something out of the ordinary (positive or negative) they’re going to tell their friends and family. That’s immediate word-of-mouth marketing too. So: Make sure the memory is going to be positive.

How: Throw a prospect party! Include something different and creative. Invite anyone who’s interested and have a fun bash together.

Imagination: Tell the Best Story

Storytelling is vital to an impressive brand. Pick a topic and run with it. One of our favorites is location—why is your community such a game changer for the area? Who does it benefit, how does it make a difference, and why was it set in this precise spot? If you don’t have a good story—like any friend would have told you after you get a cast put on for tripping over your own feet—MAKE one.

Next, tell the story of your company. How it got its name. What you’re passionate about and why.

Then, create a story around the culture of your residents. They’re living life in your community, there’s plenty of fodder there. Include their positive experience, testimonials, and reviews in your marketing materials. Don’t have any? Ask for it! When your prospects see the real-life goodness that stems from signing a lease at your community, they’ll be one step closer to moving in.

How: Hire a content writer to really bring the story to life. Make your staff available for questions, since research and experience will plug directly into how real the story is. Get creative and communicate well.

Innovation: Using Unique Branded Moments to Make Connections

Going with some giveaways? Decide what would appeal to a fair percentage of your population and lean into a branded giveaway that will connect—something they would actually want or find clever.

Vibe check. What kind of space has your community set up shop in? Who would likely live in your apartment community?

And then: are your residents eco-minded? Go for reusable branded cutlery.
Retro-loving? Seek out cute pins of your brand elements.

Luxe above all else? Leather keychains for new residents (think a classic hotel experience)

How: Think about what branded items connected most with you—and why. Then translate that into an experience for your residents and prospects.

Loyalty: Award Ambassadors and Foster Lease Renewals

Speaking of hotels and airlines—they love to point out and thank their Golden Super Special Star Loyalty Members with all kinds of deals and points and special offers. At the end of the day, it was created to foster brand loyalty (we’ve got to rack up those points and use them) and to make their customers feel special.

When you can foster lease renewals, this will help keep turnover down, because you’re creating a desire to stay in the community through rewards. Plus, it can create excitement for those seeking out a place to live—benefits galore.

How: With your residents, you can replicate this kind of program. Create brand ambassadors by offering special access to certain areas at specific times. You could also create a referral reward program.

This year, armed with a variety of new ideas to try (or keep doing), 2024 Multifamily Branding is going to be yours—all yours.

Social Media Apartment Marketing—Three Ways

Written by Stacey Feeney on December 10, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

Social Media Apartment Marketing—Three Ways

It’s time to post on social media to market your apartment community. But you’re not feeling it. Here are three social media content pillars that you can go to every single time.

Before prospects tour, they’re probably checking out your social media accounts. Get it cleaned up and consistent (with your brand) with high-quality photos and interesting content.

1- Show the Property on Social

First step: Show off the property on social media. This is what they really, truly want to see. (There’s so much content here!) Keep it real and authentic, though!

TYPES OF PHOTOS

It’s likely you already have oodles of professional photography of your space. Use those photos. Put in creative captions. Using what you already have will help with quality control, and will give your followers a (beautiful) idea of the spaces.

Taking photos with your phone is also fine—make sure they’re in focus, clear, and well-lit.

Capture photos of the following to vary the textures, colors, and content in your posts:

Inside common spaces (the gym, the lounge, the leasing office)
Outside areas (barbecue area, pool)
Inside various apartments—you can get up close to beautiful countertops, drawer pulls, updated shower fixtures, pretty lighting, and plenty more that will show your attention to detail, and the modern selections or updates you’ve chosen for your residents)
The surrounding neighborhood hot spots

SHORT TOURS (SNEAK PEEKS)

It’s always fun to watch a quick video of something you’re interested in. With the average person now glued to their phones, video content is a great way to capture attention and keep it. Keep every video short and sweet, and consider making content only for one space at a time (the pool) or for one room at a time (the primary bathroom of a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment) for example. Quick tours can leave the prospect wanting more—and may help bring them in for a full tour soon enough.

Camera-shy? No problem. You don’t have to be filmed performing a junior high dance on camera. The trick here, again, is to be real and show the property off.

2 – Share the Culture on Social

An apartment community, with an emphasis on community, is an intriguing and appealing concept to prospects. Get them on site by showing off the culture of the community through your social media posts.

DAY IN THE LIFE

Show off what it’s like to live at This Place. Friendly neighbors? Fun events each week or month? Easy lease payments? Smooth maintenance requests and service? Tell it all! (All the good stuff, of course.) This could include a quick walk to a local coffee shop, or setting up a doggy play date at the dog park!

INSIDE EDITION

For easy content, do a quick Q&A and with some of your staff. This makes things personal and creates heartwarming content that helps prospects and residents connect with staff at the community that they may interact with.

TESTIFY

Having testimonials be part of the regular content rotation is a great idea. It’s like boosting a five-star review on your google page—only you can shorten it, tighten it and pick your favorites. When your prospects are scrolling, they’ll be able to see the best of the best from your happy residents. This can be particularly good or effective if you use an example from an efficiently resolved maintenance request.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Show off your events, parties, and contests. There’s likely always something going on, so be sure to advertise it well. Use your logo and craft a clear caption. When the prospect heads to your profile to scroll, they’ll be able to see just how fun it could be to live there!

3 – Lean into Local on Social

Don’t be afraid to go “beyond your borders” and get out into your community’s neighborhood. There’s so much to do and see—right? Pick a few restaurants, shops, and parks to show off. If you can, rent a bike and ride around to make a fun reel on IG. By visiting these local places and showing them off on social media, you’ll also get a feel for what your favorite spots are. This makes your recommendations to new residents that much more authentic. For example, you could say, “Yes, this is my favorite groomer in the area!” and it would be accurate information (instead of just a Yelp-based answer.) Pretend you’re Rick Steves for a second, but be a tourist in your own town, hunting down the best cup of coffee and the perfect spot for a picnic.

Showing all these places and activities can give prospects a clearer understanding of the local vibe.

Final Social Media Apartment Marketing Tips

BE SEASONAL ABOUT IT

Don’t be afraid to decorate for fall. And post about it. (Everyone else is, so you’ll fit right in.) In summer, you can pot a tomato plant on your patio. In fall, you can create some fun soup recipes to share, perfect for anytime your residents have an autumn gathering. Quick reminder: Doing seasonal stuff sometimes makes us lose our heads and our focus on the brand. So…

DON’T FORGET YOUR BRAND

You thought we might get through this whole post without talking about Your Brand? No way. Make sure you’re still maintaining every bit of your brand guidelines with your posts. Colors, fonts, and brand voice in the captions will help associate you with your brand again and again. When you create a community brand as a lifestyle brand, it can drive signed leases because your prospects want to be a part of something that looks like THAT! Everything should stay aligned—beautiful social graphic templates are a great place to start for your regular content, like testimonials and “around town” type posts.

Whatever you do, have fun with it and that will come through in your posts.

Owners and Developers and Apartment Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on December 2, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing.

Why Should Owners and Developers Be Involved in Apartment Branding?

Good business sense will help us let owners and developers in on a little secret: branding is a huge component of how your community is perceived. And if we know anything about reviews, testimonials, websites and logos, perception accounts for a whole lot of decision-making. The owner is the one with the hands on the pursestrings. This is their “baby” and they must have a say in the branding.

In short, it’s their company and it’s their money, so if the branding fails to impress, your community may not meet its goals in obtaining and retaining residents.

Why is branding important? Owners create a community with your blood, sweat, and tears. The branding is a prospect’s shortcut to how they’ll identify that hard work in building this branded community. But ultimately, the customer (prospective resident) will determine if it’s visit-worthy—based on the branding you put out there—and it will leave a lasting impression, good or bad.

Why’s Branding Important for Multifamily Owners and Developers?

The company behind the apartment building should be reflected in every bit of its branding. Represent your community well with branding that looks good and sounds good and makes residents feel good about where they live (or where prospects might live).

WHAT MAKES GOOD BRANDING?

Branding’s more than a logo. It creates recognition within your neighborhood, it builds trust and loyalty with your customers, and it creates a sense of community with your residents—particularly when you lean into location and understand the audience you’re trying to attract and the vibe you’re trying to fit in with. You can bump up your branding even further when you marry it with architecture and interior design.

This is particularly true when you’re building a new construction or doing renovations, but you can also take cues from the existing design and patterns to help form a brand around something that’s recognizable. If your community has gorgeous Doric-style columns, see if you can incorporate a roundness to your fonts, and make your community stand out in a way that only you can.

NEW CONSTRUCTION VS. VALUE ADD

As we mentioned new construction properties above, branding is vital in the different phases of construction. Make sure you have outlined the brand before it all begins, because it should all work together, seamlessly. As far as your budget, tread carefully. It’s always a good idea to identify your property class and brand accordingly. Your C-class property doesn’t need everything the A-class property requires.

However, if you’re doing a value-add through renovations, you may be able to consider a bigger branding effort. Anytime you’re updating a property, that’s a great opportunity to dive in and rebrand or do a refresh of your brand. It may even be expected from some of your residents and in-the-know prospects. (Kind of like an “Under New Management” sign, or “Pardon our Dust” sign—this signifies that something better is coming.)

How Involved Should They Be?

GIVE THE VISION

When the owner or developer of a new community starts on their journey of construction or renovation—they have a vision. Of quality and appeal. Of full occupancy. And most of all: a vision of profits. To get there, branding will help. Most owners and developers have been in the market for some time, and they know what needs the community meets. They understand the market and how to angle the branding to differentiate the community from other competitors. By sharing the vision with your managers, and everyone who’s on the journey with you, you can create a brand that feels authentic instead of totally derived.

INVESTMENT

Investing in apartment branding is absolutely worth it and typically falls to ownership to foot the bill. It doesn’t cost $0 but when developed thoughtfully will provide great ROI even though it may be hard to track. How so?

Great branding sets you apart from your competitors.

Great branding helps gain trust and credibility with your prospective residents.

Great branding helps keep current residents through loyalty and culture-making.

Great branding can increase perceived value (making a higher price point seem reasonable).

When your branding’s on point, you can generate more signed leases and diminish turnover. As an owner or operator, that’s more than worth it. Ensure branding is in the budget this year and every year—because you’ll see if affect your bottom line either way. It might as well be in the good way. (Spend money, make money.)

When Should Owners and Developers Deal with Branding?

EARLY

At the beginning, owners and developers cast the vision, as we’ve said. It must start early in the process of the community, particularly if it’s a new construction, or if it’s a brand repositioning of an asset that they’re trying to revamp or get more leases in.

If a new construction—this branding should be dealt with before the groundbreaking event. (We’ve even broken down our branding by construction phase to make it easy for you.) If you don’t have time to read the full blog, here’s the general gist of it:

Construction drives timelines, so be prepared with your branding from the outset.
There are four phases:

Early Construction – This is when you come up with the foundational branding aspects and your apartment community’s name
Coming Soon – Get the marketing startup items in line with the branding!
Pre-Leasing – Business cards and other stationery should be ready to go now.
Now Open – Banners and signage should let everyone know they can move in!

OFTEN

Along with establishing your mission and vision, it’s good to do a little community brand check up every once in a while. Help your corporate-level operators all the way down to your on-site leasing agents know what to use and when to use it. Consistency is key because consistency fosters recognition in the larger community. Be clear about what is and isn’t your brand. Having your marketing team outline bad examples could be just as useful as good ones. The more specific, the less excuse there is for putting something out that’s off-brand.

Apartment Branding for Corporate-Level Operators and Marketers

Written by Stacey Feeney on November 25, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing.

Apartment branding for corporate-level operators and marketers can have a huge impact. Much of the branding that’s used in the community comes from the top down, and it’s your responsibility to create and keep a positive brand reputation. And that’s not all, really. Picture this: You’ve invested in professional branding development with a creative agency (like Zipcode Creative) or your talented in-house design has crafted a killer apartment brand. But what’s next?

Well, you’re also responsible for ensuring the branding tools are being used correctly and consistently by the on-site managers and agents. Put that beautiful new apartment brand to work!

Why Should Corporate Care about Apartment Branding?

REPUTATION

We’ve already mentioned reputation. In order to see growth in your community, you’ll need to create a brand that your residents can identify with. Branding is necessary to create something recognizable. In working with owners and stakeholders, branding can create something that’s achievable—something that can be grasped, even if only in parts at a time (logo, colors, etc.)

INVESTOR-READY

Your branding, if used effectively, can help sell your community as a package to investors. Seeing professionalism through a full branding package gives the impression that you’re ready to roll, and will help the investors trust you, and put a little more faith in you.

LEASING

Alternately, whatever you’re doing for this apartment building is about getting leases and keeping leases. And before that? Marketing and generating leads. Creating benefits for the property management company is the impetus for all that you do. Branding can help you get closer to getting the place leased up.

Bottom line: Branding creates a vision you can share with anyone—whether they’ll live there, or want to make a profit with a successful business.

Helping Teams Get Set

NEW PROPERTY MARKETING SET UP

Your team needs a lot of help, particularly with setting up property marketing. This is true of both new constructions or of takeovers. Branding items, from business cards to stationery to brochures to digital versions of the logo are necessary so everyone can do their job and do it well.

ON-SITE WORK

It’s a bustling community—and branding guidelines for your on-site leasing agents and managers will keep up appearances like no other tool in your belt.

Take a pulse and go through our mini-checklist here:

Stationery
Brochures
Welcome packets
Event Invites
Announcements
Email blasts
Mailers
Signage

Struggling to keep brand consistency with your onsite teams? Check out our blog on implementing on-site branding guidelines here.

Chain of Command in Brand Consistency

TOP TO BOTTOM

If regionals are the deputies of brand “policing” (well, consistency) then you’re the chief of police! You have to, from the corporate marketing level, control as much as you can. All the outputs that require design should be ready to go, with the tools you provide. The bottom—or, the on-site management team, should be getting their marching orders from you. Make it easy for you and for them by using the brand assets and guidelines to allow them to DIY the things they’re responsible for, like social media, or last-minute flyers.

You’re at the top. And from the top down, there has to be clear, consistent branding for your community.

AT THE CORPORATE MARKETING LEVEL

Everything that goes out design-wise should have your go-ahead. Onsite, use brand assets, DIY as necessary, and make it easy for everyone on your team. The tools come from the top, and the brand look and feel should be aligned all the way down.

When you make it easier on everyone with solid, beautiful branding, you’ll be surprised at how well everyone falls in line. Easy color palette, easy fonts, consistency and clarity add up to brand development and recognition—something that will set you apart among other apartment communities.

Regional Property Managers and Multifamily Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on November 19, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing. 1 Comment on Regional Property Managers and Multifamily Branding

Regional managers have a lot on their plate, from budgets to facility maintenance to resident satisfaction. But is branding really part of your job description as well? Absolutely, because marketing is. Read on about how multifamily branding should be one of your concerns as regional manager, to help create a robustly branded community.

Curb Appeal

For multifamily and far beyond, signage is the perfect way to capture traffic going by—whether on foot or in a car (or on a bike) and branding your curb appeal. Through using your marketing message on your signage you can get attention. At the root of your signs—is your brand. Make it a real showstopper.

MARKETING SIGNAGE

What kind of exterior signs work best for curb appeal? Well-designed and thoughtfully positioned ones. As a regional property manager, you may be responsible for determining what type of signage would help drive leads to your properties during site visits.

Flags – Single or double-sided, this style of sign works well as a quick call-out to get attention. A row of 2-3 flag signs can help display even more information, used more as a series.

Banners – Elegance! Capture the attention of passersby with banners on your building, fence or garages—whichever surfaces face the major roads.

Bootlegs – Yard signs are short and sweet and best for walkers-by since they’re on the smaller side. Be sure to get to the point.

Boulevard Banners – Light pole signs are a great way to show off who you are with permanent exterior signage that tells your brand story as they drive in.

SIGNAGE DESIGN

Make sure everything you put out is on brand! Signage should be these three things to fully capture the attention of passersby:

Well-Placed – Strategic placement is key. Likely exterior marketing signs will be viewed at a distance as people pass by in a vehicle. Make sure they can see and read it well.

Clear Messaging – Don’t share too much on one sign; it has to get the point across quickly and concisely.

Brand Consistency – Use the same typography, textures, and color palettes from your brand guide – even signage is an opportunity for establishing brand recognition (so they remember you!)

Marketing Needs and Implementation

The regional property manager has much to do with identifying needs for the community. This includes determining marketing needs or problems and the best ways to solve them.

FOR THE LEASING AGENT

Helping out with the sales process means you’re going to provide a lot of guidance for the onsite leasing agent. Marketing collateral: print outs, brochures, floor plans, help with ordering business cards and “Thank you” notecards will probably need a little extra oversight from you. Get the brand guidelines in order and provide them to your supervisees. Look at what your onsite agents most need and help them get those designed and printed to be on-brand.

DIGITAL MARKETING

Driving leads through digital marketing is an important aspect of your “marketing mix.” Use digital marketing with your brand guidelines handy so you don’t stray far from what’s recognizable as Your Community. Social media graphics should reflect it well. Google Ads should clearly communicate your brand. Digital ads should look like your brand, and no other. Using fonts and colors and stock photography that are drawn from your brand guidelines is a foolproof way to keep the brand intact, even when you have multiple marketing channels running at once. Email marketing will require a close review, too.

BRAND ACCURACY

As the regional manager, you’re the enforcer of the community brand as the liaison between corporate and the on-site teams. We’re not calling for micromanagement, but ensure you’re providing the brand guidelines (and easy ways to use them) for your on-site leasing managers.

You’re the gatekeeper of the brand—keep an eye out for cohesion and appropriate logo use. And don’t be afraid to give compliments to an on-site manager for following the guidelines to a “T”!

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Leasing Agents Onsite and Multifamily Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on November 12, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Graphic Design, Marketing.

What does multifamily branding have to do with leasing agents onsite? Loyalty built on trust built on recognition. Your branding has to be dialed in for that to happen. Where does branding show up for onsite leasing agents? Marketing collateral, signage and any printed hand out given to prospects and new residents.

Leasing agents onsite have a fair amount of DIY to their job. There are tons of pieces and plenty of marketing collateral that rely on strong branding. If these pieces aren’t consistent, the multifamily brand can lose out on brand recognition, trust, and loyalty.

Let’s break it down by the process of lead to lease. Every step in the leasing “funnel” has something to do with your ability to maintain brand consistency.

Start with Signage

This is your first chance at a good impression. Leave a good one. Signage should reflect your brand with its colors, font choices, and messaging.

WALK BY OR DRIVE-BY

Curb appeal is a thing with multifamily communities as well. When someone walks by or drives by, they should know exactly what you’re offering, and what your style is.

DIRECTIONAL (LEASING OFFICE THIS WAY)

Make sure visitors can get to where they need to go. And ensure that the directional signage aligns with your other branded items, too. We don’t need any brand whiplash to happen as they’re walking to the leasing office!

INFORMATIONAL (ON THE INSIDE)

Clubhouse? This way. Leasing Office? Over here. Rules for the clubhouse? Here they are. Make sure posted rules, informational signage and other interior pieces look official, like they’re from the front desk. Easy way to do this? Use your colors, your fonts, and your brand voice to communicate all those rules.

SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF MODEL UNIT

Letting your prospects go on a self-guided tour? Ensure you have all your ducks in a row. Place table tents near special features. Put up framed designs that show off your smart home features, for example. Call out boutique countertops. Identify where the in-unit washer and dryer are located.

Next Up, Marketing Collateral

TOURING PROSPECTS

Your prospect has now told you they’re interested! Great. Now is the time to hand them an info packet. This will have your business card, brochure, a rack card, an amenity sheet, and floor plan sheets—either all in a branded folder, or clipped together. The beauty of this packet is seeing how everything looks all together. These collateral handouts are essential for the touring prospect sales process. It shows you have everything they need while you answer any other questions they may have.

P.S. If you’ve gone fully digital—that still requires great design! We can help make sure your designs for your floor plans and e-brochures are good to go, wherever and however they’ll be viewed.

WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS

“Welcome to our community, here’s our gorgeous welcome packet with maintenance contact, policies and procedures, and a little “welcome” note (on our very own branded stationery).” When you brand everything well, it just works. Again, this is one more signal to the resident confirming their correct choice in signing the lease. If done well, it helps answer any lingering questions, too.

Staying On Brand—Now That They’re Here

All this work to stay consistent isn’t just for prospects and future residents. It’s for current residents, too. Enabling loyalty through consistency and predictability can help your residents feel more comfortable renewing their lease and staying at your community.

If it’s not provided from corporate, use the tools that you have at your disposal to create items that work within your brand guidelines. Using Canva, you can upload your specific color palette, your fonts, and your logos to use in pre-made designs. If you’re rusty on your design rules, check out our post on the basics of multifamily graphic design here.

That—or you can hire a pro to help you with different pieces. Whatever you need, we can help. There are so many things that you’ll need design and branding on—and not just once, but every time you have a resident event!

RESIDENT EVENTS

You’re going to want to stick with your branding—even in the smallest ways—for any resident events you’re planning—and then advertising with flyers and email marketing. Place your logo in the corner, use some of your brand colors. A potluck, a pool party, an ice cream social—all of these should look like something you’re putting on.

ANNOUNCEMENT AND NOTICES

Speaking of being official—when you change the regulations around swimming hours, or if there is a planned water shut off for maintenance, ensure the letterhead yells “This is serious and official business” without yelling. Logo and proper colors will tell your residents just that however you are delivering the announcement.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Posting about resident events, planned water shut offs, and doing a few giveaways here and there? Again: keep it all on brand. Check in to see if corporate has created social templates that you can tailor—maybe an agency (like use at Zipcode Creative) has designed them. If these aren’t available (which are preferable) you may be able to use a program like Canva to create quick social posts and maintain your brand on Instagram and Facebook.

Last Thing About Brand Guidelines

You’re not a designer, but you’re expected to do a lot on-site. Sometimes it’s last minute. What are brand guidelines and what’s the best way to use them as an onsite leasing agent?

Get comfortable with the use of your logo—the one-color, the logomark, or just the name. Of course, branding is more than a logo—it’s visual and verbal; try to understand both.
The visual elements of brand guidelines will be used more than any other parts when you need to create something:
- Logo
- Colors
- Typography
- Imagery

We know as an onsite leasing agent, your job isn’t easy. But you’re the boots-on-the-ground guard of the community’s brand. Stay within the guidelines and you’ll reap the benefits.

Implementing Brand Guidelines for Multifamily On-Site

Written by Stacey Feeney on November 6, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Graphic Design. 2 Comments on Implementing Brand Guidelines for Multifamily On-Site

What are Brand Guidelines?

Apartment brand guidelines are like a road map to your apartment community’s brand. You’ll be able to get where you want to go with this map in hand!

Breakdown of Apartment Brand Guidelines

Everything you ever wanted to know about apartment brand guidelines is here. But you might also be wondering how to apply it at the on-site level. So much to do, so little time. (If you want a broader take, check out our branding basics for apartments.) We’ll get right to it

BRAND POSITIONING

Brand positioning, defined:
A short, sweet brand statement about your community that communicates what you are and what you’re known for in the industry, market, and to your ideal resident.

How to implement brand positioning:

Use the brand positioning statement as an internal guiding light for everything you’re doing. Everything should measure up to it, especially if you’re concerned about brand loyalty and brand authenticity, and creating a brand that’s based on a lifestyle.

BRAND ATTRIBUTES

Brand attributes, defined:
These are the descriptors that embody your brand, as if it were a person. We like to do the “which celebrity would your brand be and why?” to get closer to the heart behind your community.

How to implement brand attributes:
On-site managers can use brand attributes to verbalize the difference of the community (useful for any social media captions) and help embody the spirit of the culture while they give tours.

IDEAL RESIDENT PROFILE

Ideal Resident Profile (IRP), defined:
Your community’s key audience. Age, Gender, Race, Income, there are plenty of things that you can identify as the “ideal” when it comes to the resident you’d like in your community.

How to implement the IRP:
Use your knowledge and data from your IRP to communicate better. It’s like a platonic version of “The Five Love Languages.” You can alter how you speak to the type of prospect you’re selling when you know more about them—resident demographics must influence your branding.

BRAND VOICE & TONE

Brand voice, defined:
Your brand, in words—showcasing your community’s personality and style. This is how others perceive you and hear you in written word. This will show up in your brand identity statement, your tagline, your headlines, and your general brand vocabulary.

Brand tone, defined:

Using your brand voice in different settings, as it’s called for. Informative tone, descriptive tone, it all depends on the occasion and audience.

How to implement brand voice and tone:
The tone you use in flyers for upcoming resident events should be a little different than your brochures for touring prospects. Use your brand voice across all your collateral, but tilt your tone to angle to the right part of the customer “funnel.” Resident announcements will also require a slightly different tone, too—a little more casual, warm, and excited…rather than 100% informative.

LOGO MARK

Logo mark, defined:

Your community’s logo with the name, or a symbol, or both. There’s typically a primary and secondary logo mark.

How to implement logo marks:

This should go on everything! The logo is the face of your brand and often what a prospect will notice first and remember last. If you’re DIY-ing any sort of design, make sure the logo is on it and used appropriately. More on that next…

LOGO MARK USAGE

Logo usage, defined:
Rules for how you can use the logo—spacing, angles, and combo rules so you don’t have crowding, stretching or skewing of something that should always be recognizable.

How to implement a logo:
Rules are rules. Follow them when you make anything with the logo included! Consistency is the name of the game. The brand guidelines are your rule book.

COLOR PALETTE

Color palette, defined:
The color palette is the exact colors that are to be used in your branding materials and not meant to be strayed from. It’s between 3-6 colors, typically, and all four color codes will be identified so you can color match no matter the program or medium (RGB, CMYK, PMS, AND HEX).

How to implement color palettes:
Royal blue isn’t the same everywhere. Use the codes to look up the exact match. Close enough isn’t good enough. Find the right one in the assortment in your email newsletter builder. Type in the code in Canva. Save it. (After all, you’ll definitely use it again.) Ordering swag? Use the codes.

TYPOGRAPHY

Typography, defined:

The fonts or typefaces chosen (usually 2-4 kinds) for your brand. This will show up in your logo, your headlines, your subheaders, and your body text.

How to implement typography:
Reference your brand guidelines for the hierarchy of the fonts being used, you can determine which one should be used where on your next flyer.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Lifestyle photography, defined:
These are the photos that reflect the lifestyle vibe that your residents could live out in your community. They are intended to evoke a feeling in the viewer to help them imagine themselves living there.

How to implement lifestyle photography:
If you need to find additional images to supplement the ones provided with your branding, or if there aren’t any—use the color palette as your guide. Take the tones from that to select photos that will “play nice” in any marketing collateral you’re creating.

ICONOGRAPHY

Iconography, defined:
Icons that help your audience get the gist without reading. They can be used to represent amenities, especially.

How to implement iconography:
Don’t want to crowd your design with so many words? Use icons to get to the point.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustrations, defined:
Brand illustrations are an additional visual cue for your residents and can be powerful aids in showing your brand’s personality. They’re less of exact representations or stand-ins like icons, but they help get an idea across more artistically.

How to implement illustrations:

Pick a wall that could do with a mural. See if you can get something on the wall to spruce up the space that works within your brand.

BRAND EXAMPLES

Brand examples, defined:

The part of the brand guidelines where it all comes together. You’ll typically see examples of stationery, a social media feed, or how signage could look outside your building, for example.

How to implement brand examples:
Particularly the social media feed could be helpful to see how the fonts, colors, imagery and voice come through to create one super special brand. Use these examples as inspiration!

Keeping Brand Guidelines In Line

It’s incredibly tempting to go full red and green for Christmas. Or orange and black for halloween. But do these colors work with your brand’s color palette?

HOLIDAY

Instead, choose colors that work with your color palette by using color theory. Which shade of red works? Which shade of green? Color pairing can be difficult. But: Keep things dialed in with your brand and don’t use holidays as an excuse to create something unrecognizable as your brand, even if it is fun. Wondering how colors impact our thoughts? Check out our post on using color psychology to sell units.

EVENTS

Have a resident potluck coming up? Find the one-color version of your logo and start cooking up a design using Canva. You can create something that’s worth looking at. There are plenty of templates to start with. Change out the colors using your color codes, and change out your fonts with the ones that are in your brand guidelines. Pretty soon it will look and sound like your community, with very little effort.

Branding is important at every level of the community. Maybe that’s news to you, but it holds true.
On site, the responsibility to keep to the brand guidelines still holds—you’re the closest to the resident, after all.

What is Graphic Design?

Written by Stacey Feeney on October 19, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Graphic Design.

Graphic Design, Defined

You asked, we’re here to answer. Graphic design is the art of putting together text and/or images to communicate an idea. Designs are typically found on websites, in advertising, on marketing collateral, or through typography. Similarly to copywriting, graphic design is often used to promote or accompany some other content in order to persuade the viewer to take action—like buy, explore, or learn more.

WHAT MAKES IT GRAPHIC DESIGN?

It’s the arrangement of visual and text elements in a layout purposely created to direct the viewer’s eye to the content and information being presented, and includes colors, shapes and images. It’s used in media—both print and digital. There is a whole lot more that makes graphic design effective. Also similar to copywriting, there are a few things that the designer must keep in mind when creating. At its most basic, you might think of the 3 C’s:

Composition – this is how the items (images and text) are laid out in relation to one another

Components – this is the images (color, shape) and text that are used in the design

Concept – this is the idea that the designer wishes to convey to the viewer through the design

TYPES OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

There are different types of graphic design, from packaging design to game design. But the ones that we at Zipcode Creative use are more common. Zipcode Creative’s graphic design for multifamily includes: web design, advertising and marketing design, and typography design.

Most often, you’ll find us using advertising and marketing design for your apartment brand.

WHAT GRAPHIC DESIGN IS NOT

Some things aren’t graphic design:

Photography
Painting
Physical drawing
Fashion design
MARKETING

So about that last one. Graphic design isn’t marketing because it doesn’t analyze numbers and sift through data—it’s creative at its core. Now, design is there for a purpose, to communicate an idea, so it’s a marketing and branding tool. But it’s not all there is. And it’s not exactly the same as marketing.

Graphic Design for Multifamilies

All that explanation of what graphic design is, and you may still be wondering how graphic design is used in multifamily, specifically.

Graphic design is a big part of the brand, the visuals, and the overall vibe of your community. Like so:

BRANDING GUIDELINES

In our brand guidelines, we outline all kinds of goodies for your apartment community.
Among those that are graphic design items? Plenty. Here they are:

Logos – Primary logo, your secondary logo and any submarks (logo best practices here)

Colors – Your color palette, along with their identifying codes: Hex, RGB, CMYK and/or Pantone

Typography – Font styles, sizes, and spacing, as well as their specific hierarchy as titles, headings, subheadings, and body copy

Design Elements – Brand patterns, brand shapes, brand collage styles, and brand stamps

Imagery – Iconography (icons representing your amenities) and illustrations (large graphics meant for a website backdrop or large wall art) are helpful for residents to skim over your designs

SIGNAGE

Nothing like an attention-grabbing, big, beautiful sign. Apartments can benefit from an array of signage for branded curb appeal and attracting drive-by or walk-by traffic:

Yard/Bandit/Bootleg Signs
Banners

Table Tents

Posters

MDO Signs

Wall Murals

Window Clings

Honestly, that’s a lot, and amazingly, there are even more. Billboards, custom wraps, parking signs, A-Frames, your logo and name will be everywhere. Sounds like a lot of graphic design would come in handy, eh?

MARKETING COLLATERAL

So, is your community the epitome of modern-luxury-meets-classy-timelessness? Or are you going for more of a trendy-urban-upscale vibe?

Your graphic design pieces from your logo to your color palette to your typography should all underscore the idea that you’re going for. There are so many pieces that require graphic design—and if you only need one, that’s all you should pay for. That said, all the marketing collateral we provide includes:

Stationery (business cards, letterhead, envelopes!)
Rack Cards or Direct Mailers
Brochures
Price Sheets
Flyers

There’s plenty more where that came from, too. And don’t forget your event booth stuff, too (tablecloths, branded promo products, booth walls.) First impressions mean a lot—more on that later.

DIGITAL DESIGN

Graphic design covers everything online as well. Emails, websites, digital ads, graphics for social. You’ll want to make sure your website specifically (which is the biggest marketing tool you have) is aligned with your brand. The best way to do that is to hire a graphic designer to professionally design it—and then a copywriter to write it.

MAPS

This one gets forgotten sometimes. But honestly, where would we be without maps? (I’ll see myself out.) Graphic design is necessary for all your floorplans and maps. It ventures into architectural design territory, but we’ve got it covered. For the following, you’ll need graphic design:

Property Sitemaps
Location/Area Maps

Why is Graphic Design Important for Apartment Communities?

You might be hesitant to hire a pro graphic designer for all the needs at your community.

Isn’t a logo enough? Never. Logos can’t carry an entire brand on its shoulders—there’s plenty an apartment logos can’t do. We also want to make sure your community is branded according to your property class and we want to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. A la carte menu options for design? Sure thing.

We know that not all creative agencies work the way we do, so we’re ready to have you take the lead. We’ll guide as needed. Here’s why we think graphic design is important for apartment communities:

FIRST INTERACTION

It won’t be in-person, that first interaction. It’s more likely they’ll see a digital ad or a flyer. Whatever they see, it will be designed. And it will have one of three effects:

They’ll want to know more.
They’ll be meh.
They’ll never think of it again.

So make that design a good one. And make sure it lines up with the rest of your brand. (Handy thing is, if you hire a graphic designer to do it all, it will have a much better chance of being similar and aligning.) Tell one visual story.

BUILD CULTURE

Design elements can come together to tell a story and give a better sense of community. Similar to messaging that offers up the ways you’re different from your competitors, your visual identity helps build up your brand’s culture. Use it to attract your residents.

HIGHLIGHT REEL

We’re good at what we do, including graphic design for multifamily. We’re expert problem solvers, too—we are, after all, creative.

The idea that you should always be communicating with your graphic design:

HERE IS HOME.

Visually, you can do this through the message you convey and by offering up solutions to their problems and pain points. So, pick your best side and graphic design it up!

What is Copywriting and Why Does Multifamily Need It?

Written by Stacey Feeney on October 16, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Writing.

Copywriting, Defined

What is copywriting? Copywriting is promotion, through words. These words can be persuasive or interesting, and they prompt the reader to use a business, a service, or an organization. Copywriters have to create text that can be adapted for any number of channels: print, radio, website. Copywriters also need to be able to adapt the copy (also sometimes called content) to different audiences.

BRAND VOICE VS. BRAND TONE

Brand voice is your brand’s personality, through words. It can be mature or youthful, jovial or serious, succinct or verbose, mysterious or open-book. Every way you would describe a person, can usually be used to describe a brand as well. Your brand attributes help create your brand’s unique voice.

Your brand tone is how you approach different scenarios. Similar to what we said above, the copy should be able to be adapted to meet the requirements of that particular time and place. A press release versus a brochure will have a different tone. But your brand voice will still be tucked in there.

Brand voice is WHAT you say.

Brand tone is HOW you say it.

COPYWRITING VS. COPYRIGHTING?

We do get this question. No, we’re not in the business of copyright law—and we never will be! You’ll have to find a law firm for that.

Copywriting means using words to promote a business.

Copyrighting means to register and mark an original piece of work as your own, with the © symbol.

We don’t do that last bit at Zipcode Creative. But we do plenty of copywriting for multifamily.

Using Copywriting For Multifamily

How can multifamily benefit from copywriting? First let’s look at how it’s used.

COMMUNITY/APARTMENT/ASSET NAMING

Naming multifamily assets is fun, and has long-term impacts on your brand. Hire a place that can do the research and guide the decision. It sets the tone for the rest of your brand, since it’s how people will refer to you—and can steer the direction of your logo and style.

BRAND GUIDELINES IN MESSAGING

Brand guidelines will get you places you’ve never been before. It’s a little like a superhero power card as if your brand were a person (or a Pokemon?)—but everyone at the company can see it. Once your brand voice (alongside your brand statements) is established using research and discovery and determining your ideal resident profile (IRP), you can go on to create some pretty sweet things like:

Brand Tagline – Like a slogan for your community—garner interest with your words summed up in one short phrase.

Brand Headlines – More catchy things to say about the community that keep your prospects reading or scrolling.

Brand Vocabulary – Naming your amenities creatively or strategically can help create a sense of interest, intrigue, and brand loyalty among your residents.

Each of these are part of the brand guidelines that we’ll create to keep your brand on track. Our copywriters take care of the verbal parts. Our designers take care of the visual parts. We put it all together to create a singular, beautiful guide to everything Your Brand.

Also: Your taglines and headlines simply HAVE to grab attention. Sometimes that’s all anyone will ever read, of alllll the things you’ve written. Sad, but true. Make sure you’ve got a few of these up your sleeve: Tricks for Better Taglines and Headlines.

MULTIFAMILY COPYWRITING FOR EXTRA CREDIT

Hoping for a few bonus pieces of copy? There’s plenty more.

Website & Brochure Copy: Headlines, subheads, paragraphs, calls-to-action, it’s all copywriting. Make sure it’s good.

Campaign Copy: Whether it’s a moving campaign or pet-friendly campaign, ensure the words you’re using really sell the deal.

Email Copy: First your readers have to open the email—get them with a good subject line from your favorite copywriter.

Social Media Copy: Writing captions that fit in your brand voice is harder than it sounds.

CORPORATE COPY

Mission / Vision / Values: Writing these clearly and having them out in the open—it’s more for internal purposes, but will help guide your client-facing brand. (It’s not easy, but that’s why we’re the professionals.)

Team Bios: Your experience and personal approach to property management should shine in your bio—and help you connect with the reader.

Client/Owner/Investor Messaging: We’ll make certain your message is geared to your client. Seal the deal whether seeking investors or presenting your management acumen to owners.

Why is Copywriting Important for Communities?

Copywriting for community brands can = SUCCESS

Spell it with me: S-U-C-C-E-S-S. It has a nice little rhythm to it.

What do you most want from your efforts in your community?

Success…which comes from signed leases.

Which comes from prospects that turned into leads that turned into residents.
How do you get from prospects to residents? By connecting, showcasing, and converting.

Copywriting in multifamily communities is key to those three things.

CONNECT

Make an emotional connection by establishing your brand voice and telling a STORY.

SHOWCASE

Show what you have and how it’s the answer to their problems through clear and enticing communication.

CONVERT

Give them a reason to click the “Apply Now” button. You’ve gotten them this far, now convert leads with your brilliant copy (including amazing CTAs.)

When you have a resident—you want them to stay. A strong brand, which is BOLSTERED by excellent copywriting, will be able to maintain loyalty and retain residents—possibly even turning them into your own influencer-style, walking-word-of-mouth-ad brand advocates!

A Professional Copywriter vs. Your “Good Enough” Colleague

If we haven’t convinced you yet, now’s the moment. You’re considering having your colleague who’s “pretty good at writing” pen some copy. For your brochure, for your website, for your social. There are a few places where this could be…fine. Not great, but fine. Social media doesn’t require a huge amount of writing chops—but it could still impact your brand negatively if it’s not up to snuff.

If your colleague really is a good writer, great—use them. But also be aware that because “copywriter” isn’t likely their job position OR in their job description, they won’t be prioritizing the writing you’ve asked them to do (and all the research that has to go into it). Additionally, it’s not the best use of their (or of your) time and will take them longer than a pro.

A professional copywriter for multifamily, like the ones we have at Zipcode Creative offer three things that your “good enough” colleague may not:

EXPERIENCE

A professional copywriter is just that. They have processes that they’ve developed over years. They’re in the know with copywriting trends, as well as what is most likely needed for each job.

Your “good enough” colleague will probably know your audience’s challenges and pain points, but those can easily be communicated to the copywriter as part of their research prior to writing.

EFFICACY

A pro copywriter for multifamily can create an emotional connection. They know what builds bridges, what entertains, and what kind of copywriting grabs attention. Keeping it short, tight, and compelling are all in a day’s work.

Your colleague of “decent writing chops” may end up writing too formally or casually, or worse: ignore your brand voice completely. All that work on the brand guidelines, for nothing!?

EFFICIENCY

A copywriter working professionally for apartment communities can easily follow your requirements. You’re the client, they’re the hired help. Pros also tend to know what needs to be done without being asked—even in a niche field like multifamily copywriting.

Your colleague—bless their heart—might not know the basic rules of copywriting, and therefore, waste time and money and energy on something that falls flat.

The best kind of copywriting for apartments tells a story, creates emotional connections, and helps build up the brand’s value. That sounds like a happily-ever-after to us.

What is Branding for Multifamily?

Written by Stacey Feeney on October 10, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

If you read our Branding Basics post and wanted more—especially around multifamily branding, and how branding is different than marketing, we’re here to help.

Is Branding Just Logos?

Nope! Branding is a combination of identifying visuals (photos, images, icons, fonts, color palettes) and messaging (brand voice, mission/vision/values, website content, headlines/taglines) that define an entity (this could be a corporation, a company, a community and tell a story. That definition could very well be: the way that your audience, user, or the public perceives you.

Branding can also help create a movement, a culture, or a lifestyle. When we look at branding, it’s important to ask a lot of questions. The best ones to get to the heart of your brand is:

Who are you?
Who do you serve?
What do you have to offer (that’s special)?
Why do you exist?
What problem do you solve?

Multifamily Branding—What is It?

The entity we talked about above, in the branding section, could be a corporation, a company, or a community. Could be an apartment building or a property management company.

ACTUAL LIFESTYLE BRANDING

Branding in the context of multifamily is a little different than regular branding. Because you’re dealing with a lifestyle that is being offered—not in theory, but in reality. Because there are people that will LIVE at your apartment community, and that will be a huge part of their lifestyle. Ergo: apartments are lifestyle brands.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

Along with the literal lifestyle, branding is crafting the narrative for reputation. Ensure that you guide the perception rather than letting your ideal resident make up their mind about things. Things that are beyond the facts, anyway.

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

Multifamily branding has a hyper local sphere of influence. It’s not necessarily national (unless you have a multi-regional series-style brand of communities) but typically your focus is regional, and your branding takes into account (AKA research!) a few items that might be overlooked in any other company’s branding efforts:

The Neighborhood Vibe
What’s Up and Coming Nearby
All the Competition

Current Residents (if you’re taking over management)

Why Branding Multifamily is Important

COMPETITION

If you think you can get by without paying attention to your branding, think again. You have a lot of competition to beat out and stand out against. Besides quality service and an ideal location, your branding can help you rise to the top of your leads’ lists. According to Pew Research, more than one-third of all U.S. residents are renting their homes. More multifamily communities are being built to help curb the housing shortage—you won’t be the only option! This means apartment branding is worth the time and money and effort. Plus, working with an agency that knows how to break down the specifics, like branding broken out into the new construction lease-up phases, is solid gold.

COHESION

Trust and loyalty are rooted in consistency, predictability—knowing what to expect. Your branding, if cohesive, can help you be just that. With a set of branding guidelines that outlines your typography, color palette, stock photography style, and brand voice and messaging, it will be easier than ever to keep your team on the same page the next time you’re putting together ad copy or creating a new brochure. This way there will be no “brand whiplash” when they go from your website to your actual location—it all works together, from architecture to interior design to website to social media to brochures, thanks to good multifamily branding.

CONNECTION

Let’s tap into resident psychology. When you make an emotional connection, using the brand voice you’ve developed, you can help drive decisions. And when you drive decisions, you can see tangible results—like more signed leases. Consistent and authentic branding will drive that connection as well, because you’re offering something expected, predictable, and worthy of your residents’ trust.

Difference Between Branding vs. Marketing

Things that are the same about branding and marketing—they’re both used to accomplish the success of your business, and are based around research and best practices. Branding will always be part of marketing. But marketing won’t always be part of branding. They work together, but they’re absolutely not the same, especially for multifamily.

BRANDING VS. MARKETING

Branding connects through telling a story, whereas marketing gets that story to those who need to hear it most.

E.g. “Our 55+ apartment is the perfect place for your next chapter” is the branding message. Marketing that message means finding the right place to put the ad.

Branding is the vibe of your community (how you look—brand visuals, how you sound—brand voice, and how you behave—brand reputation). Marketing is getting your prospects to notice you, and every piece of the branding you’ve worked on.

E.g. Your mission, vision, and values are integral to your brand—and doing the research to see what would help you stand out beyond the competition…that’s smart marketing.

Branding is creating an emotional connection, and making people feel a certain way (remember psychology?). Marketing is what helps them make a decision, take an action, and move down the funnel.

E.g. You make your website deep, emotional, and moody—that’s branding. You create an irresistible call to action—that’s marketing.

Can you just do multifamily branding and scrap marketing? Nope.

Can you just do multifamily marketing and skimp on branding? Good luck…marketing a weak brand!

You have to have BOTH to create a leasing powerhouse of a community.

For more on how to create an apartment brand, read this, and partner with us. Set up a call with Zipcode Creative today.

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Multifamily Takeover Acquisition Rebrand—Made Easier

Written by Stacey Feeney on October 3, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

So your company is taking over a community’s management. Or you’ve purchased a building and are now going to be responsible for management.

There are so many moving pieces. In the midst of all the hectic days and stress, remember:

Apartments are brands, too.

Along with that idea, you’ll need to consider how you can make the takeover/acquisition rebrand portion easy. After all, once boots are on the ground, all your new branding and marketing collateral materials have to be ready to go.

When it comes time to rebrand apartments, it’s a good time to ask a couple questions, like, “Do you need a fresh start?” If you’re doing a takeover (which is on our list!), you almost certainly need to rebrand. Leave the old brand behind and start fresh—especially if you need to boost the reputation of the place.

Get Help With A Takeover Acquisition Rebrand

You just got word that you’re taking over the management of an asset. You have a limited time to get this community up and ready for leasing with good branded marketing collateral too, if you want it to be and look successful. (We imagine you do.) If your company is buying the building, you may have as little as 30 days in escrow to get everything done. Branding has to happen quickly. And we know you have a lot of other operational items that need to get aligned, too.

Sounds like you need help. If only there was a collection of things to think about, and a checklist of Takeover or Acquisition Branding Essentials!

Considerations When Rebranding a New Acquisition

When you’re working through a takeover or acquisition rebrand, pay attention to the details and keep everything organized. Your legwork on this now will pay off in the future.

MAKE A LIST

Most of the details below have to do with how much you’re changing. Are you renaming the brand? Are you doing a logo refresh? Those are two opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to a takeover. Create a list of everything you need, especially what you think you need for the rebrand (our list of essentials is down below!)

RENOVATION & INTERIOR DESIGN ALIGNMENT

If you’re renovating—how will this align with the brand? Does it still work? Maybe a logo refresh works here if the renos are smaller. Possibly not.

When you’re renovating, suddenly you’ll be making a lot of choices around flooring, paint, furniture, and textiles. So you’ll also be hiring an interior designer. Trust us: Interior design + branding are a match made in heaven. They should work together, lead from one to the other. Clearly related and connected. If you’ve hired an interior designer, it will be vital to have that design tie in well with your branding, from textures and colors and patterns, to “vibes.” Apartment branding inspired by interior design just sings.

If you’re renaming the community, you’ll want to consider how that will impact your interior design, what that will look like in your visual and verbal brand identity, and how many things you’ll need to add to the to-do list as well as the budget.

Likewise, pay attention to how a value-add (renovation) may impact your Property Class, as this should be reflected correctly in your branding, too. Keep reading.

PROPERTY CLASS-APPROPRIATE

This is so important, we wrote a whole blog about it. Make sure your branding is appropriate for your property class. Avoid false representation and don’t make your C-Class property appear to be an A-Class (luxury) property if it isn’t. Stay in your lane with the branding. If you need a guide on apartment branding by property class, we have one for that, too.

CREATE A BUDGET

Lots of things to consider. Lots of things added and subtracted from the list. Now that you have your list of to-dos and know what you likely need for the property’s rebrand, see how much those to-dos are going to cost. (Check out our super helpful multifamily marketing budget here). Transparent pricing and a la carte options make everything easier—you can see exactly how much a logo refresh will cost versus a new logo.

Acquisition Rebrand Essentials Checklist

If you just need a checklist for the apartment takeover rebrand around the corner, we get it. Here she is!

SAVE IMAGE:

NAMING
- Pick a Strong Apartment Name—(or keep the old one if it’s working)
LOGO / BRANDING
- Logo Modernization/Refresh (if you’re not renaming)
- Custom Logo Design (especially if you’re a Class A)
- Brand Visuals
- Brand Voice
FLOOR PLANS / SITE MAP
- Gather all digital files from the previous company including photography, floor plans, and site maps.
- None? Create site maps from scratch.
- Take it up a notch. Go from black & white to color, or from 2D to 3D floorplans!
MARKETING COLLATERAL
- Decide if you want printed handouts or digital (or both?)
- Ensure you have:
  - Brochure
  - Floor Plan Sheets
  - Rack Cards
  - Stationery
  - Business Cards
  - Folder (to hold it all)
- Still feel like you’re missing something? Check our post on Apartment Welcome Packets for more inspiration on what to provide a new resident you’re onboarding.
TEMPORARY SIGNAGE
- Announce a change in management, your new branding and a bump in curb appeal, use:
  - Building Banners
  - Bootleg / Bandit / Yard Signs
  - Flags
- Consider directional signage—all of the above can help.
WEBSITE
- Choose a Layout/Style:
  - Template – through your PMS or an industry provider (like Jonah Digital)
  - Custom – we can help!
- Copywriting – For a rebrand, make sure your brand voice comes shining through with custom copywriting from a pro
EXTRA CREDIT
- Stickers – turn up the fun and slap your brand on anything you can!
- Review/Referral Cards – This shows how much you care.
- Direct Mailer Campaign – Get leads from your comps.

Branding Apartments Based On Multifamily Property Class

Written by Stacey Feeney on September 26, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding. 2 Comments on Branding Apartments Based On Multifamily Property Class

Branding apartments in alignment with the multifamily property class designation just makes sense.

For example, do you think if one (very lucky) ad agency worked with Nissan and Mercedes-Benz they would try to sell them on the exact same branding package? Do you think Nissan has the same branding budget, needs, and goals as Mercedes-Benz? Sure, they might be similar in breakdown, but there’s likely a fair difference between their bottom lines and the line items.

Not only are their budgets and goals going to be a little different, the branding they need to work on is slightly different—to reach different audiences and portray two pretty distinctly different products.

So, what does the branding of luxury cars and regular cars have to do with branding apartments by property class?

Plenty.

What is a Multifamily Property Class?

Multifamily properties are classified in four levels: A, B, C, and D. They’re generally defined by the condition, quality and age of the apartment building. A classification may raise up a half-grade, from a B to a B+ or an A- for example, when the property undergoes renovations for a value-add. More info on multifamily property classifications here.

Be True to Your Class

A little trust goes a long way. It’s best if you relay the correct message (spoken and unspoken) about what class your community is. We as your branding guides would never want to misrepresent the product you’re selling when marketing to prospects. So, keep your brand refresh under control: When you’re finally getting around to modernizing a 1980s suburban garden style community, ensure the branding isn’t telling a “luxury urban high rise” kind of story.

Get Only the Branding You Need

Other creative agencies might (we’re not throwing shade, we’re just being realistic) try to get you on board for way more branding than you need. That’s not how we work. We know that our Class C properties don’t have as much change in their pocket to spend on branding and marketing—so we’ll only suggest what you need the most, and what will help you be more likely to reach your goals.

Guide to Branding Apartments by Multifamily Property Class

We offer a ton of branding and copywriting options for our apartment marketers at Zipcode Creative. But how do you know what you actually need, or where to start? (Don’t get stuck with one-size-fits-all branding packages, get what you actually need instead.)

Here’s what you really, truly need, at minimum, broken down by class.

CLASS A:

This is the top of the line. Higher cost rents. A full suite of amenities. Truly luxury apartments. Class A properties require something special, more bespoke, and the branding should touch every area, from the inside out.

We recommend a Full Scope Branding Package that includes:

Custom logo design – We’ll give you six lovely logo design concepts (based off of your goals/desires/audience) to choose from, and we’ll narrow down from there to find your perfect fit

Brand visuals – These are the big guns. (Appearances matter.) Included in our brand visuals:

- Brand Style Concepts – like a mood board!
- Color Palette Development – groups of colors we think work for your brand
- Brand Typography – fonts and weights (including title, subheading, and body text uses)
- Design Elements – textures and patterns
- Lifestyle Stock Imagery Curation – picking out the vibe through a photo collection
- Iconography – designed symbols for your amenities
- Sample Design Applications – How your brand will look in the wild (signage, mailers, business cards)

Brand voice – AKA how you communicate your vibe through your words. Are you youthful or mature? Verbose or cut-and-dried? It will also be impacted by your understanding of your Ideal Resident Profile [IRP]; we’ll write it towards them, in language that will attract and vocabulary that will entice. We’ll deliver brand voice with:

- Brand Positioning Statement – A sentence about what you want to be known for in your 1) industry 2) market 3) target audience
- Brand Attributes – Single words that better define your brand’s personality (e.g. “Edgy”)
- Ideal Resident Profile (IRP) – Defining your target audience through a tangible description
- Tagline Development – Slogans, essentially!
- Headline Library – On-brand headlines that you can use in your copy—on the website or in print
- Brand Phrases/Amenity Names – make your amenities a little more special with names that match the vibe

CLASS B:

Class B are nice apartments, but not necessarily luxury, and not new – maybe undergoing some value-add improvements with the change to new management. They bring in above average rent, but the clientele will still be looking for something clean and consistent.

We recommend a mid-level Brand Package that includes:

Custom Logo Design – We’ll give you 3 concepts to choose from and tailor it from there

Brand Visuals – Similar to Class A, but the approach is based on research and discovery.

- 3 Brand Style Concepts
- Color Palette Development
- Brand Typography
- Design Elements
- Lifestyle Stock Imagery Curation
- Iconography
- Sample Design Applications

Brand Voice – Enough to inform your copy, but not quite as in-depth as Class A properties:

- Tagline
- Headlines
- Brand Identity Statement

CLASS C:

Your Class C Property is older, probably 30+ years old and isn’t in the most happening part of town. You should still treat it as a brand, but your budget will be pretty tight, and your branding is less of a priority than a Class A.

We whittled our recommendations for branding to keep you on track:

Logo – a simple modernization (keep close to the original logo, but refresh the style to keep it timeless) will do wonders. If you’re changing your name, we highly recommend a proper custom logo design treatment with a new name.

Brand Visuals

- Color Palette
- Font Choices

Brand Voice

- Tagline

CLASS D

This is the lowest class of property and you’ll be spending your budget elsewhere. We wouldn’t recommend doing more than this for your branding (but you can do more if you desire):

Logo – A simple typeset style logo of the name will serve to identify your community
It’s worth a quick reminder here—the design style and direction should be in exact alignment (we’re talking lock-step) with the quality level of the property. Like we mentioned before, if you’re a Class C, pretending you’re a Class A will get a lot of leads and prospects upset. Don’t mislead, and keep things appropriate—AKA brand within your class. The location and the Ideal Resident Profile (IRP) will also inform the way we handle your branding (and the way you should handle your behavioral marketing).

Also of note: We still have an a la carte menu of apartment branding services, with transparent pricing (request pricing here). That’s easy on you and easy for us. This is just a guide of what we recommend for branding at minimum for different property classes.

Interested to see how we can help with your apartment branding—no matter which class?

Hit us up.

Multifamily Marketing Budget Season

Written by Stacey Feeney on September 19, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

OH MY GOURD, IT’S MARKETING BUDGET SEASON

Happy marketing budget season to all who observe! In multifamily marketing, our budget season isn’t necessarily the same as everyone else. What do you need to think about and what do you need to pay attention to?

As always, we’re here to help. So.

What to Consider During Budget Season

HISTORICAL ROI

Multifamily, marketers: What have you spent money on in the past? Did it serve you? Were you able to see results from those efforts? Some things are difficult to track or attribute, we’ll give you that. Nevertheless, it’s a great idea to go over your budget from the previous year and make determinations on what can stay, go, get boosted, or get lowered. Find the patterns in your data and adjust your spending. If you can focus on what works, that’s a good place to start—but make sure your position is flexible, and you’re willing to change things up if they’re not working like they did last year.

GROWTH AREAS ACCORDING TO GOALS

Knowing what you’ve done before and where you want to be in the future….now: What are your marketing goals for your company and for your apartment communities?

More leads?

More tours?

More leases signed?

More lease renewals?

Hint: All of those should be “yes” of course. But: Set your sights on something that you can achieve within 12 months, for next year and make room in the budget for it now. That’s what informs your budget numbers.

MAKING IMPROVEMENTS

When you’ve established your focus areas, then you can explore what is actually going to make a difference. A great place to start? Branding. Let your new-and-improved marketing efforts begin with a brand refresh so you can really capture your prospects, with both targeted visuals as well as messaging that “speaks their language.” When you’re able to create better branding, do it. (Visual and voice!) When you’re able to better position your brand through professional copywriting and set yourself apart, do it. When you’re able to market through new channels, whether it’s ads, social media, or direct mail, do it. Keep track of everything and record the results. Comparing the Before/After for your team will help you get better budget leverage the next time you ask.

Why Branding Needs to Be In Your Marketing Budget

PAST SPENDING

Because you’ve spent money on branding in the past, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re done. You may need to rebrand. Or you may need to reposition your brand. Look at what you’ve spent on branding in the past. One of our blogs, Is Apartment Branding Worth It? touches on the multiple reasons why investing in branding can help your business grow. It sets you apart. It helps you gain credibility and trust (which brings loyalty and resident retention). Besides setting you apart it can also help justify you charging a little more—because you’re a full-on brand, not just some random apartment community with mismatched colors and a blah website. Plus, brand recognition is like a success balloon—it keeps you growing with faster lease-ups and company expansion possibilities. UP UP AND AWAY!

INVESTIGATE YOUR GOALS

Whether you want more leases signed or simply a more streamlined look, a brand can help you get there. Also: who are you losing out to? Who is the competition, and what are they winning that you aren’t? Branding might help you get the edge. Renter preferences are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating your brand. Gentle, but firm reminder here, too: A brand is far more than a logo—it can’t do it all.

GETTING IT BETTER

Are you, or your team, or your execs asking to improve L2L, lease-up and keep it that way? It’s going to work best if you are able to point out areas for improvement, make suggestions for change, and bring the budget projections that you believe will get you there. This can include research on seasonal needs for events or a busy time of year, and should also account for consistent growth—it’s never ever a set-it-and-forget-it situation. There can always be tweaks made. And as you’re widening your marketing efforts, be sure to find the places you need to go deeper instead of wider.

Budgeting to Outsource Branding Creative

HOW WE HELP

At Zipcode Creative, we’re nothing if not helpful. In fact, we know that working in marketing isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. It can be hard. And we’re not even talking about budgeting season. Outsource the high-level creative to pros who understand the multifamily industry and apartment marketing—we can help with the little stuff too.

Do a little SWOT analysis of your team.
What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? How can you use your budget to build the strengths, overcome the weaknesses, grow your opportunities, and fight your threats?

For example, how will you get around the fact that you don’t have a full-time graphic designer? We know a few people that could help with that (us)! We’re here and ready to be the handy dandy extension of your marketing team. Whatever you need, we can help bridge the gap.

OUR SERVICES

What do you mean, “bridge the gap?” Zipcode Creative offers a ton of different services for apartment marketing when it comes to branding. Sometimes there may be a service that you don’t even know you need. (Hellooooo full brand development with visuals and voice!)

We offer:

branding and logo design
print collateral design
digital design
3d floor plans
community maps
signage design
copywriting
campaign development
corporate design

If you’re curious about more details on each of those, head to our services page.

Our Multifamily Marketing Budget Menu

Branding has a lot of different components. Visual and Verbal for starters. We specialize in copywriting and in graphic design. We can work with other agencies that you might have on deck for website design, but we can also help you create an apartment brand from start to finish.

To that end, we have a really (not cute but functional) google sheet that’s updated live for our common a la carte services. They all have a clear-cut flat rate cost and turnaround time. It’s nice to have something black and white when you’re trying to stay out of the red zone in your budget, right? We give this sheet to our clients and encourage them to bookmark it in their browser so they have a rate sheet ready to go when they’re assessing their needs during budgeting season. Want to get to know us as you’re prepping for next year’s marketing spend? Book a meeting with us today! (And then we’ll hand over that magically transparent pricing menu.)

As a multifamily marketer, it’s hard to oversee multiple projects—it’s also difficult on your budget to hire full-time help (along with corresponding salaries and benefits). Consider hiring an agency, like Zipcode Creative, to help you streamline your budget and get just what you need. We offer transparent pricing and a la carte menu option because we know you might not need it all. If you do, we’re also there for you! But if you just need a brochure, we’ll hook you up. Likely for faster than your in-house team and possibly for cheaper in the long run. Working with pros might be your new favorite budget line item.

Best part is: We might become friends, too.

BACK TO APARTMENT BRANDING BASICS

Written by Stacey Feeney on September 12, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

Let’s talk branding basics for your apartment. It’s the start of fall, and summer is over. Time to get back to school and back to basics. For your apartment community…

Why Branding?

Branding is needed. But why?

Perhaps you’ve just spent a ton of time and money on your community, from new construction to value adds beyond the initial cost to acquire.

If the apartment building is the body, the brand’s the face.

Brand brings your community to life—it’s animation! When someone looks you in the eye, you know they’re connecting with you. This is the opportunity to have the resident connect to your community, through its representation, not just its building. Home is more than a place. It’s far more than four walls.

They can get a 1bed/1bath anywhere in this district. But! When you have something that you can claim all your own—through your look, your feel, your personality, your culture—that’s a brand!

With something more attractive than just square footage, you can offer the character of your brand as a sticking point—not only for residents, but also for employees, which can improve your workplace culture and impact your customer service. Triple win.

What is Branding?

In order to get back to branding basics, we first need to understand – what is branding? Branding is a combination of identifying visuals and messaging that define an entity and tell a story. Brand also has the opportunity to create a movement, culture or way of life. How you brand your apartment community completely depends on how you’ll respond to each of the following prompts.

WHO? Who are you and who are you serving?

WHAT? What are you offering that’s special or different?

WHY? If you weren’t there, what would the neighborhood be missing? What problem do you solve?

What are the Branding Basics?

These 8 aspects of branding really are the basics – in today’s world you just can’t get by with only a logo and a couple of colors. Resident’s today have seen it all and need to be wowed from the start, from that first impression that is the brand, delivered through marketing.

1) DECIDE ON YOUR VIBE

Develop the vibe your apartment community will have. What will set it apart? Why is it a different choice than the place next door or across the street? Does it have a cozy, family-friendly feel or is it more a street-smart, urban hub? Creating and fully embodying your community’s personality is key to branding.

2) MAKE IT VISUALLY MEMORABLE

Your brand’s visual identity (logo, style, imagery) should reflect the essence of who you are and who you want to attract. These visual elements work to 1) grab attention, 2) create connection through relatability, and 3) foster recognition. And don’t forget the impact that location can have on your brand, too; lean into local!

3) CRAFT YOUR BRAND VOICE

What’s that mean? Your brand voices what your brand talks about. Your brand, put into words. It’s how you relay the core and foundation of your brand: mission, vision, values. It’s constant and reliable, and tells your audience who you are, what you do, what you believe, what you stand for, and what you have to offer. To that end—make sure it also comes through with your tone and your content. For example, snappy slogans are our favorite kinds of slogans—they tend to stick better in people’s minds. What is it that makes your community special? Be sure this makes it into your brand voice—be it welcoming, sultry, or relaxed.

4) AMENITIES ABOUND!

What you have to offer might be similar to your competition, but it can’t all be exactly the same. Focus on what makes you different, and go for the gold. Have a rooftop lounge? Prove it. Get beautiful photos, and talk about it in your website copy. Ensure that whatever you do, you’re not claiming something that isn’t true—like a “resort-style pool” or a “state-of-the-art fitness center”. Even if it’s true, it doesn’t sound that special anymore when everyone claims it. This is where brand voice is key to differentiating your marketing message.. Highlight what’s unique and awesome about your spot.

5) SHOW UP ONLINE AND IN PERSON

Websites.

Social media.

It’s the digital age, and you have to keep up. Make sure your website is beautiful and easy to navigate (don’t overwhelm with content) and keep things streamlined. Additionally, having a strong social media presence is helpful. It creates a proper place to showcase the many sides of your community, and highlight your staff, your amenities, and set yourself apart from other communities in the area. In addition to keeping up online, you’ll want to make sure your in-person, physical appearance gets as much attention (if not more). Curb appeal, brochures, mailers, everything that’s touchable should line up perfectly with the branding you’ve already done—the same look, the same message.

6) SOCIAL PROOF: RESIDENT STORIES AND REVIEWS

Be sure to share resident success stories and/or testimonials. This helps tell another version of the story you’ve already been telling. It adds to the proof that your community really is as awesome as you’ve been saying. When you let your residents be the voice of the community, they can become the best brand ambassadors – and we all know word of mouth is the most trusted source. If your brand has done its job to form a lifestyle culture, they’ll want to live there as much as they “have to hang” at the local brewery.

7) BE PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

When you collaborate with local businesses and organizations near you, it’s a win-win. Because you’re able to partner and bring exclusive deals to your residents, it’s a boost for your business (you’re seen as helpful) and it bolsters your community relationships with local spots. Getting involved in local events or charities can get you some brownie points too. Showing up in places that you care gives the idea that you’re not just a building on the street there—you’re actually in and there for the community—that you care. And with more people caring about social causes than ever, that can help bump you up over the competition, too.

8) HOST COMMUNITY EVENTS

Get out there and make friends.Organize fun events for your residents. This can boost community spirit and give visitors just a taste of the kind of lifestyle they can lead at your community.

Bottom line: Even branding basics are more than a logo. It’s who you are, who you want to serve, and why. Having a clear set of brand guidelines will keep you steadily on that path while you work on getting more leases signed. Happy branding!

Reach out to us to get beyond branding basics.

Creative Brand Messaging for Apartment Marketing

Written by Stacey Feeney on September 5, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Marketing, Writing.

Start injecting personality into your brand messaging. Make your marketing sing a little bit. There are so many run-of-the mill marketing messages. It’s all information and no spice. “Now Leasing” is like white rice without a hint of anything else. Certainly nutritious / informative. But basic. Friendly reminder: apartments are brands, too. Creative brand messaging is useful to help your community stand out and be different. So, grab some of our ideas to boost your marketing messages from boring to brilliant and you’ll find the best possible way to say “resort-style pool” instead of…that.

Let’s start with amenities.

Creative Brand Messaging for Apartment Amenities

When you craft your website, brochures, and online ads, you want to draw your prospective resident in with the way you solve their problem. What does this look like?

“Spacious Floorplans” vs.
“Your Netflix Account’s New BFF”

Introducing apartments so cozy, you might just cancel your plans and spend all day binge-watching. With a living room that’s practically begging for a popcorn bowl, it’s a staycation paradise where comfort and entertainment unite.

Why this works: Having enough space is a selling point. Connecting the dots for your prospect helps drive the point home.

“Walk-in Closets” vs.

“Where Wardrobes and Dreams Expand”

Our closets are like Narnia portals – step in, and you’re in a world of endless possibilities. With enough space to host a wardrobe party (if that’s your thing), your clothing collection will live its best life here.

Why this works: It gives color and excitement to…a closet.

“Gourmet Kitchens” vs.

“A Kitchen to Make Gordon Ramsay Jealous”

This isn’t just a kitchen; it’s a culinary playground. Whip up gourmet creations, sizzle like a master chef, and become the star of your own cooking show. Ol’ Gordy might just be begging for your secret recipe!

Why this works: Rather than finding a problem to solve (which is also helpful!), your apartments are a make-dreams-come-true opportunity.

“Comfortable Community Spaces” vs.

“Gravity-Defying Chill Zones”

Say goodbye to mundane sofas and hello to lounges that defy gravity—metaphorically, of course. Sink into cloud-like cushions that have been known to cause spontaneous naps. Warning: You might need a teleportation spell to leave.

Why this works: Making community spaces sound fun and comfortable could invite a little more action to the area.

“Endless Possibilities” vs.

“Art Gallery Meets Apartment – Your Canvas Awaits”

Your apartment isn’t just a place to sleep; it’s a canvas for your personal masterpiece. With walls crying out for your artistic touch, you’ll wake up to inspiration every day. Picasso who?

Why this works: They’ve heard “home” enough times at this point in their search. Hit ‘em with the one, two, paint!

“Patio or Balcony” vs.

“Sunrise Serenades and Moonlit Concerts”

Your personal outdoor space is more than just a pretty face. It’s a stage for your private concerts—whether serenading the sun in the morning or composing under the moonlight. Your patio or balcony, your arena!

Why this works: Patios or balconies may come standard, but give your prospects a few daydreams, too!

“Quiet Living” vs.

“Zen Garden Morning Strolls – With Coffee in Hand”

Skip the hustle, embrace the Zen. Imagine starting your day with a peaceful garden stroll, coffee in hand, and the world at bay. It’s not just an apartment; it’s a tranquil escape from the chaos.

Why this works: Your prospect doesn’t know what quiet living could look like. Paint the picture!

“Ample Amenities” vs.
“More Amenities Than Socks in Your Drawer”

Who needs 50 shades of socks when you have 50+ shades of amenities? From rooftop gardens to resident lounges worthy of a royal gathering, your apartment isn’t just a home; it’s a kingdom of indulgence.

Why this works: Humor catches us off guard, and it’s a great tool to connect emotionally. Use it.

“NOW LEASING” – You’re Always Leasing!

It’s important to let you know that you’re taking applications, putting folks on waitlists, or “now leasing.” Plus: Everyone is ALWAYS Now Leasing. They’re never not leasing, seems like. But let’s get creative with the brand messaging, shall we?

“Apartment Hunting Sucks. Our Tours Don’t.”
“Warning: Your Current Place Might Get Jealous. Come Compare!”
“Tour, Swoon, Lease: Your New Home Awaits!”
“Skip the FOMO: Book a Tour, Thank Me Later!”
“Tour Like You Mean It”

It’s good for your residents to know there’s a human behind the messaging, and that your brand has personality.

Messaging for your IRP

Fully researching your Ideal Resident Profile (IRP) and developing your brand voice will allow you to craft creative brand messaging that will reach them.

Need an example?
Let’s say your IRP is a 28-year-old single female in a mid-level office job. She works from home two days a week, has a creative side hustle with plants, and her cat is her fur baby. She loves to go to spin class, and frequents a Thursday happy hour with friends—in walking distance from her apartment.

Given this information, you know you can write something that will grab her attention unlike any other apartment community:

Designing Spaces as Unique as Your Cat’s Personality!

“We’re all about crafting spaces as unique as you and your feline friend’s quirks. From vibrant designs to cozy corners for your fur baby, we’ll help curate a home that celebrates your personal journey.”

Or you could do something about the amenities, like in-unit laundry:

Pawsitively Convenient In-Unit Laundry
“Between chasing deadlines and chasing your fitness goals, laundry can be a real boo-hiss situation. Having an in-unit laundry setup is like having a self-cleaning litter box for your laundry duties—convenient and fur-tastic!”

The bottom line here is: Take into account who you’re talking to. Get creative with your messaging. Don’t go off the rails—use the research on your IRP to fully inform your content. And then enjoy the connections that get made and the prospects that come in!

9 Ways Resident Demographics Influence Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 25, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing. 1 Comment on 9 Ways Resident Demographics Influence Branding

Discovering your ideal resident profile (IRP) is the best way to create a community that can align its branding with its audience—and be successful. But how can you determine your resident demographics? Why do you want to spend the time doing it? What’s the IRP really for?

How to Dive Into Resident Demographics

Ready to understand the thoughts behind every decision of your enigmatic residents? Behavioral demographics and psychographics during the Research & Discovery phase are the most important stats we can obtain from customers (residents in our case). It’s what drives your brand message—or should, at least.

However, resident demographics aren’t as easy or simple as a one-page report. You also need to learn about your ideal resident. This will allow you to profile them completely, and predict their next move so you can be two steps ahead.

SURVEYS GALORE

Write up some quirky surveys and toss them into the digital wild and see what happens. Quirky? Ask about hobbies, dreams, and whether they think their pet goldfish can read minds.

Survey Tools: We like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey.

STALK VIA SOCIAL MEDIA (LEGALLY!)

Time to really go for the gold. Plunge headfirst into the social media abyss. Take a look and see what they like, share, comment on, and don’t be creepy about it. Just take note and try to piece together patterns. Think of it this way: It’s like investigative journalism in the digital age—and it’s helping your business offer them something they want, eventually.

Social Media Shortcuts: Searching location pins for nearby attractions can help you locate the people you’re looking for!

GOOGLE ANALYTICS WIZARDRY

Abra-ca-dabra! Unleash the absolute magic of Google Analytics on your website. When you’ve got the data, you’ve got the power. You can peek into the pages they frequent, the mystical paths they tread, and the secrets they’re seeking out. This means you can up the ante on whatever pages you see they’re visiting, focus on providing the answers they’re looking for, and finding ways to guide them where you want them to go. A little A/B testing on your site (think different CTA buttons) could be useful as a little practical magic, too.

Google Analytics Tips: This Google page on Google Analytics for beginners will get you off on the right foot.

INDUSTRY REPORTS

You don’t have to do all the research on resident demographics yourself. Look for reports in the multifamily housing realm. You’ve just hit a treasure trove when you pore over those juicy industry insights. When you know you’ve got reputable sources, you know you’ve got something useful and helpful in narrowing down the best versions of your IRPs.

Our favorite industry report sources:

NMHC – Free Insights and Annual Renter Preferences Report
Cushman & Wakefield – Free Insights
Zillow – Data
U.S. Census Bureau
Prizm Premier/Claritas Segmentation – Behavioral Data

CUSTOMER INTERVIEWS

Like surveys, but less clicky and more chatty. Gather with your residents when you schedule some casual interviews. Find out more about their lives. Figure out what drives them, what their desires are. Ask about their favorite pizza toppings (keep it casual!) When you have a few customer interviews under your belt, you might see some patterns throughout the answers. It can help you determine how to reach your next group of prospects through targeted branding and messaging.

Tip: Our blog about stock photography use in branding cites a real-life focus group that led to some pretty interesting results.

ONLINE FORUMS AND GROUPS

If you thought social media was a weird little place, buckle up. Join online forums and groups to get an inside look where users bare their souls. Discussions will tell you a lot more than any one-sheet data page will.

Tools: Reddit and specialized forums on various sites, like Houzz are a treasure map.

PURCHASE DATA DELIGHT

Don’t duplicate efforts. You can go fancy and purchase resident demographic data from market research companies. It’s what they do, and their charts, graphs, and numbers will give you the special sauce for the branding efforts that will reach your IRP.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Don’t just research your audience, or your ideal residents. Take a look at what your competition is doing. Be a savvy entrepreneur, and match or exceed what they’re doing. If they’re effectively wooing those residents who are so elusive, take a page from their book! You’ll be able to see where you’re falling short, where you’re absolutely killing it, and how your market functions.

Mailchimp actually has a pretty good work flow here for competitor analysis. Happy competing!

HANG OUT WITH THEM

Suddenly business and pleasure actually do work well together. Be a party crasher at local events. Blend in, strike up conversations, and play detective. Learn more about the neighborhood by actually visiting the hot spots in the area, and enjoy the schmoozing while you go around (lightly) boozing. Talk about the inside edition!

See our post on the importance of location in branding. It’s so hot right now.

What’s the bottom line here with the ideal resident profile? Do the work. Do the research. Have fun doing it (and find a few shortcuts along the way). And then apply it to your branding. When you know your audience, you can tailor your branding and messaging to meet their preferences, hopes, and dreams—and whether they’re a fan of dogs or cats.

Designing A Lifestyle Brand Apartment Community

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 21, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

What if your apartment community could communicate to your residents the same way that LuluLemon or Dunkin Donuts reached and engaged their customers? People are loyal to brands because of the community they can create within a specific niche.

Your brand can and should do the same as lifestyle brands like Nike, LuluLemon, Burberry, and Rolex. Not necessarily luxury—but more about what life they’ll lead when they live at your apartments.

But how? More on that soon. First let’s address what makes a brand irresistible or attractive.

Attracting Residents to the Lifestyle at Your Apartments

People have a desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. Something that either reflects them or attracts them. This generally falls into one (or more) of a few camps: Trendy or Relatable or Representative or Aspirational. Get ready to head into lifestyle brand apartment community territory with these:

TRENDY

Brand pioneers know what’s coming around the bend. Or they’ll buck whatever that might be and offer something completely different than the competition. If their instincts are good, residents will be flocking to have just one piece of that brand for themselves—preferably before “the Joneses” next door get it.

Example: Whatever the next big idea Apple comes up with. Right?

RELATABLE

Bringing the answers and having a brand that touches something in your resident’s psyche? Ah, yes. Feels like home already. By being relatable and touching on something already in your residents, you can help them feel like you’ve got the answers to their questions, and you are the missing piece in the puzzle of their life.

Example: Converse sneakers. You’ve probably owned a pair. And they focus on user-generated content and casual marketing that’s not salesy.

REPRESENTATIVE

“This is who I am” is a motto we are hearing again and again. If one can find a brand that can also echo that sentiment and show the world that you’re: 1) an outdoorsy type; 2) a fashionista; 3) a bookish introvert; or 4) into the Dark Arts etc. then that brand will be a favorite—because it helps one assert their (seemingly) unique identity.

Example: Subaru Outback. All campers everywhere, all adventurers anywhere, and people who really love giving back and keeping their families safe. Their tagline is pretty sweet, too. LOVE. It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru. (You can just picture a group around a campfire, or a family pulling up to their big Christmas gathering—all warmth.)

ASPIRATIONAL

While it’s typically reserved for luxury brands, it can also be for outdoor brands, as well. Wish-I-actually-did-yoga pants from LuluLemon, for example. Or a keychain from a luxury car brand, like Aston Martin.

However, your apartment community can be something that is attainable. And is something that your residents can aspire to: downtown living or another such dream that they’re hoping to check off the list.

What Makes Customers Loyal?

Next, you need to figure out what makes them loyal. Leading brands today have zeroed in on these pieces to offer something specific to their customers. You can use these methods to create a lifestyle brand with your community, too. If your community has offered a full “lifestyle” to your residents, then there’s a much better chance that they’ll stay.

PRODUCTS

“We have what you want.”

If you have what they’re looking for (e.g. a pet-friendly studio in the Atlanta metro) they’ll be more likely to take a tour. Additionally, supply and demand rules apply here. Since there’s a limited number of apartments in a building, if you’re located in a more desirable neighborhood, then you know you’re in a great position. And your product (apartments!) could be extremely popular.

ATMOSPHERE, AESTHETIC, AND STYLE

“It’s a whole vibe.”

This is where you can get creative with your branding. Latch onto what is most interesting and fun and build up the community within that. Birds of a feather flock together. So if you’ve got something indie going, you’ll attract more hipsters. If you have something preppy, you’ll double down on popped collars. If you’re California Cool, you’ll get people that either reflect or aspire to that beachy, casual vibe.

CULTURE

“We don’t do that here.”

Brand values are a huge part of the culture. Patagonia comes to mind. “Doing no unnecessary harm” is one of their core values. They even have a portion of their site dedicated to Worn Wear—where you can purchase used Patagonia gear (plus a section on how to repair your pieces). Pretty clear connection between what they say and what they do there. With your apartment community, you can make clear the culture through your values and communicate that internally and watch how it grows externally. If your culture is curiosity and kindness, that will attract residents through your on-site staff.

BRAND PERCEPTION

“Why, what have you heard?”

Reputation is a big one. And sometimes it’s not word of mouth that makes the impact. It’s simply your prospects’ and residents’ feelings, experiences, and thoughts about your brand. You may say you stand for X, but they may already have preconceived notions that you stand for Y. If it’s positive, it could work in your favor. But don’t forget about brand authenticity: work towards making the first impressions match their last impressions. Reviews can’t do it all for you, since they’ll often span the spectrum from angry 1-star reviews to untrusted 5-star reviews. Create the buzz around town and boost your rep.

TAKE FINE DINING, FOR EXAMPLE

Take a page from the menu at your favorite restaurant and lean into your ambience, the quality of your offering, the complexity of your flavors, and the sweet vibe you’re putting out (with lighting, colors, and staff interactions). Every part of a dining experience can attract more eaters.

Think about it this way: You’re not going to a nice restaurant to simply get calories. You’re going for the full experience—delightful flavors, perfect service, great recommendations, and the satisfaction of not having to do any dishes when you get home. It’s more than a meal. Likewise, you’re selling more than an apartment.

Make Your Own Lifestyle Brand Apartment Community

When you can understand what drives decisions, you can position your brand to be in that prospect’s line of sight for what they most desire. Do this through research, marketing, and storytelling. Tap into the core of who your prospects are, and the things they most identify with when designing your brand.

RESEARCH

What kind of TV do they watch? What movies have they seen or love? What books are they reading and what podcasts do they listen to on the way to work? Seeing the full picture of your ideal resident profile’s (IRP) preferences helps understand what they most desire, and where their interests will lead them. Don’t skip your apartment brand research and discovery. It will give you the insight you need for every step after.

BEHAVIORAL MARKETING

Once you have a clear picture of your prospect (thanks, research!), you can create an IRP and begin marketing according to your prospects’ and current residents’ behavior. Meet them where they are and make it easier. Predict what they’ll be most interested in and deliver it on a platter. You are the solution.

STORYTELLING

You and I both know that words matter. Finding your brand’s voice and telling the story of your community will bring you one step closer to a signed lease. Storytelling in multifamily is a great connector, and one that will help prospects identify with your community’s brand.

BONUS: PHOTOS

Have you come all this way to realize that the stock photography you chose isn’t following the path that you’ve carved out for your apartment brand? It’s easy to forget about. Residents are visual. They want to put eyes on what you’re offering, as well as what kind of lifestyle they might be living (social, cozy, adventurous, etc.) while they’re a resident in your community. Several of our blogs touch on the importance of choosing the right photos, but particularly when it comes to stock photography—you want to choose the ones that align with the lifestyle you’re claiming to offer.

A lifestyle brand apartment community? It can be done. Hope you’re ready to do the work of research and connection.

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The Importance of Location in Apartment Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 14, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Marketing. 1 Comment on The Importance of Location in Apartment Branding

It’s way more than an address—understanding the location of your community is important for successful apartment branding. Location should be one of the external factors that influences your branding, more so than most other things.

Location can tell you: trends, culture, resident type, neighborhood vibe, attractions, destinations, and history. Consider each of these when you create a brand for your apartment community. Start paying attention.

Components of Location in Apartment Branding

AREA TRENDS

Where do people go on the weekends? What are the neighborhood hotspots? Which local spot is a must-brunch? Are there food trucks? Are there music nights in the summer? Is it bicycle-friendly? What are the most popular trends in the area? When you find something good, you can fold those trends into your brand messaging, your amenities (think bike storage) and what you mention on tours.

ATTRACTIONS

You’ll probably know these already based on the IRP you’ve developed after your market research. If not: Find the high points of your area. What’s bringing people in? Are there really good public schools or private schools? Is it an amazing food district? Are neighbors incredibly friendly? Is housing more affordable than neighborhoods close by? Is the art district thriving and interesting?

Who is being attracted by these things? Families? Individuals? Young professionals? Focus your messaging on them.

CULTURE OR VIBE

What kind of vibe is the neighborhood giving you? Is it a coffee mecca? Is it all about breweries? Are the streets filled with upscale boutiques? Are there plenty of family-friendly eateries? Is it quiet or sleepy? Depending on what the average person might be doing outside of the home in the neighborhood, you can factor this into the kinds of amenities you offer—or emphasize in your community’s marketing.

HISTORY

Is the area historic and proud of it? What things add flavor and interest about the spot you have in your community? Are there famous people from the area? If there was a tourist walking around, what would they find when googling the neighborhood? (And then which of those things would they visit?) It makes sense to look at your area like a tourist sometimes, just to take note of what could be included in your chats with prospective residents or what is a point of pride for the people that live there. (“The World’s Biggest…” is always a conversation starter.)

A city that comes to mind with all this history talk is Chicago. It seems every neighborhood has something interesting about it. Its Pilsen neighborhood, which is now home to a predominantly Hispanic/Latino population, was once filled with Polish immigrants. The area has also become somewhat of an artistic district, and murals are all over buildings throughout the neighborhood.

Knowing the history of your area gives apartment branding both a reality check and authenticity. Sharing the history of the area gives your residents something memorable to cling to.

Using Location in Apartment Branding

But now what? How to use this location information to better your apartment branding is next:

LOCAL HOT SPOT TOUR

Tours of your community, amenities, and units? Fine, but expected.
Self-guided tours of your local hot spots? Fun, exciting, interesting, helpful.

This gives your prospects a better idea of what they’re close to and what they have easy access to. You can even fit in some inside pointers, like which coffee drink is the best at the local cafe, or how far it is to the local library.

Tip: Think about what’s useful and/or fun, and share those spots through your area amenity/attraction map, but also: fold it into your prospect “extra self-guided tour” with a map or menu of all the stops.

VIBE CHECK

What are people dressing like in your neighborhood? What are their interests? What are the priorities of the city for this specific area? What are other apartment communities doing? Are they focused on eco-friendliness? Are the streets super quiet (and want to stay that way?) Are the neighbors friendly? Are there always “____ in the Park” events lined up every weekend?

Tip: Try to fit in a little and not break the mold too much. Your research around your IRP can either confirm this “blending in” or it will tell you that change is around the corner when you look at growth rates of particular sectors. Make observations, and use data.

Additionally, using the local historical buildings and architecture to create your style can help your community feel like “one of the rest.”

CROSS-PROMOTION

Is the neighborhood well-established? Depending on whether you’re a new construction or if you’re taking over management of an asset, you can reach out to local businesses and work something out (where you both get something good at the end!) Mutually beneficial deals are the best kind.

Tip: Create a special discount code for a local coffee shop or do some cross-promotion. Tradesies! For example, if you can put up your posters in their windows, they can give you a discount on their roasted coffee in your lobby. If there are new businesses coming to the neighborhood, help them thrive by including them in your suggestions, or by doing giveaways with gift cards to the spot.

An Example of Leaning into Location

We recently took a small group of marketers on a curated day away from the office in a neighborhood called Deep Ellum, just east of downtown Dallas. This area has been around for a long time and has gone through phases of gentrification, as well as ups and downs in terms of its liveliness and popularity. Today it is filled with unique restaurants and shops and has a big nightlife presence.

We spent the full day within a walkable radius and visited many of these local restaurants and shops. Below is a snapshot of how we spent our day:

Started with coffee & pastries at Merit Coffee Co
Went on a mural walk—the area is covered in intentional graffiti art!
Crafted our own plants at The Plant Bar in Jade and Clover
Enjoyed a sit down lunch at Ebb & Flow
Relaxed by the pool at Kimpton Pittman Hotel with a charcuterie board snack delivered from Amor y Queso (this could be your apartment’s pool instead)
Indulged in an upscale dinner at Harpers
Laughed a ton at the Dallas Comedy Club
Ended with cocktails and dancing at Truth & Alibi (had to get the password from FB)

Immersing ourselves in this neighborhood allowed us to understand the vibe and appeal of the area. The visit not only left us with great places to recommend to others, but also helped exemplify how a new apartment community in the area could brand themselves creatively.

Benefits of Location in Apartment Branding

The benefits to you, multifamily marketer—is that when you give location insights to your residents and prospects it does four awesome things:

Crowns you The Authority for neighborhood knowledge
Boosts website traffic via SEO (if you’re putting this knowledge in a blog!)
Creates easy-to-use social content
Communicates your care for every resident’s living experience, even outside of your property lines (a curated lists of things to do = a bonus amenity)

When you lean into the location instead of trying to carve a completely new path, you may find better lease renewal rates and a more integrated community feel from the beginning of your branding journey.

Multifamily Branding Example Shines on a Custom Website

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 7, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

Multifamily Branding Example Shines on a Custom Website

THE STORY

Branding development can be beautiful when you find the right mutual partnership, as we learned with our friends at Viking Residential.

Viking Residential is a real estate investment, development and management company specializing in the multi-family industry in the Philadelphia Metro Area. Though they’ve been around since 1982, with a portfolio of both residential and commercial property management, they were headed into new territory with a new construction asset and they needed a guide.

Enter: Zipcode.

We first met Viking Residential at NAA 2022 in San Diego at our booth. As first-time conference vendors, Zipcode Creative’s booth was in the New & Noteworthy section. After a few emails and zoom meetings after the conference that delved deeper into Viking Residential’s needs, we found that this new partner needed branding development for their first-ever new construction lease-up community.

We love ushering companies into new avenues to see how they can stretch more than they thought possible (and look good doing it).

THE GOALS

For the success of this new construction lease-up community, Viking Residential needed to nail its branding and showcase it everywhere, starting with a website landing page. In other words, Viking sought to build awareness around this brand-new community by clearly showcasing the property’s offerings and surrounding area benefits to the ideal residents best suited for Wexford.

So, Zipcode’s team set out to create conscious design, clear messaging, and consistent branding.

THE PROJECT

In order to properly build up the branding and create a website that spoke to the residents they most wanted to attract, Zipcode researched and developed the lifestyle vibe they set out to achieve for Viking Residential’s project: Wexford.

Wexford will be the first of its kind in rural New Jersey (Lumberton) just outside of Cherry Hill. The Class A level multifamily community solution (with proximity to Philly) has all the bells and whistles, and it’s set within a greater master planned community being built on historic farmland off of New Jersey’s Route 38.

THE PROCESS

This partnership was full of communication and collaboration and, most notably: trust. The teams worked together to determine the ideal resident and how best to speak to them through brand visuals and messaging. As the project progressed, Viking Residential leaned heavily on Zipcode’s team to advise in every area of creative design and branding, giving our team full creative reign within the process.

Research and Discovery

In order to develop the brand with informed strategy and an engaging story, Zipcode asked Viking to send over any and all collateral for Wexford, including full architectural plans, interior design concepts, applicable market research, and amenity details.

Tagline

Viking Residential’s team is highly communicative, and putting the tagline together for Wexford was no different. With their guidance on location and ideal residents along with their vision for Wexford, the process was more fun than it was work. After a little bit of collaboration, our teams landed on Sophisticated Comfort to echo the idea of higher-end touches meshing with the familiar.

Initial Design Concepts

Starting from scratch is almost always easier than pivoting a brand. That said, there’s still a science to it.

Based on market research and ideal resident profiling, our team worked toward a trendy, yet timeless vibe. The visuals/design and brand voice/messaging were all built to attract the IRP, who value small-town charm and traditions and are seeking an escape from bustling city life—while still staying close enough to go “into the city” whenever they wish. The aesthetic was aligned with the interior design plans, as well: simply modern, sophisticated comfort. We used clean lines and colors that paired with the modern simplicity of the interior design and communicated the balance between classic and trendy we were aiming for.

Success Secrets

Beyond the creative and messaging aspects of the project, we strongly recommended that Viking host the website with RESI, a platform specifically for multifamily hosted websites. RESI integrates with the client’s PMS to pull floor plan pricing and availability, and it’s easy to navigate the backend to make simple changes. When we work with RESI (our go-to partner for building custom websites like the one for Wexford) we oversee the direction of the design and look of the site to align with our created branding, while the RESI team develops, hosts, and manages the site.

Viking Residential also allowed us to take the lead in creative direction for Wexford’s permanent signage, which is being produced by a local sign company. With that connection, we’re able to ensure the branding stays on track and is implemented the way it was intended.

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Services provided:

Brand Development
Photo-Realistic Renderings
Floor Plans & Sitemap
Custom Website Design and Copywriting
Signage Design
Marketing Collateral and Digital Design
[Future:] High-end professional photography

MULTIFAMILY BRANDING RESULTS

Through Zipcode’s conscious design, clear message in the brand voice, and overall branding, future residents can see the value of Wexford living. As of Summer 2023, the community is in construction, and the project is progressing.

The landing page went live in great time, allowing Viking Residential to collect inquiries and gather an interest list to prepare for pre-leasing. The President of Viking Residential, Caroline Adillon, along with the rest of the Viking team, was impressed with our landing page—so much so, that she’s been giving our name to others in the multifamily space after our work on the project.

Sure, building a brand strategy can be done with just about any client. And the road goes both ways. But we’re glad Viking Residential chose us as a partner. Excellent communication and transparent trust from Viking’s team gave us space to make it pretty, fun and most importantly: effective.

Tailoring Your Branding and Messaging Around Renter Preferences

Written by Stacey Feeney on July 30, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding. 1 Comment on Tailoring Your Branding and Messaging Around Renter Preferences

Tailoring Your Branding and Messaging Around Renter Preferences

Residents and prospects are becoming choosier these days—both because they can pick and choose among all the options, and because so many may be “forever renters” rather than homeowners. They’re re-ordering their priorities for what they’d like in their community. Your branding and messaging should be tailored to meet renter preferences—and to clarify what you have to offer to attract them.

Location

Let’s start with where you are—are you urban, suburban, rural? Get a handle on what is nearby, what is special about your location, and become a resource for your residents.

NEIGHBORHOOD OFFERINGS

Is there a city bus around the corner? Is the grocery store just a couple blocks away? Identify them, so you can give your prospects and residents the inside scoop on why you’re ideally placed and accurately priced.

RELOCATING RESIDENTS

Using information from crowd-sourced reviews and information to listicles from local moving companies online like niche.com, you can use data to better attract residents who are relocating, whether individuals or families.

What this looks like in your branding and messaging:

With gathered data, you can tailor your messaging to offer up the most valuable information for precisely what they seek. When you have the info they’re in need of, you can ensure that your messaging hits all the high points for them. In addition to the Neighborhood page on your website, make sure you’re showing the highlights of living in the area on your social pages. If you have a variety of prospects, vary your front desk script for phone calls and tours with a customized focus on what each renter preference may be.

When you become a resource to both your residents and your prospects, you can build a relationship on trust and sweeten the leasing process.

Smart Home Technology

With smartphones in pretty much every hand in the U.S., the expectations for automated amenities have climbed the charts. If offered, these popular amenities may help your community beat out the competition. The NMHC 2022 Renter Preferences Survey revealed that 60% of renters surveyed want smart locks, while 70% desire smart thermostats to be placed in their units.

SMART THERMOSTATS

Smart thermostats, like the Nest, can be programmed from the resident’s phone.

DOORBELL CAMERA

Helpful to know who is there, and whether it’s likely safe to greet them, a doorbell camera is one more item that’s desired by this security-minded generation.

KEYLESS ENTRY / SMART LOCKS

These can be placed either on the main entrance to the building, or to the unit, or for both. No more changing locks, turning in keys, or losing them.

What this looks like in your branding and messaging:

Pick the top features you know your ideal residents are looking for (like these smart features) and create campaigns around them. In your messaging, you can also highlight the safety and security aspects of each of these offerings. This added control will help your resident feel more at home in your community.

Storage Space

Being a wholesale club member doesn’t always make sense when you’re renting. Where do the 24 rolls of toilet paper and year-supply of macaroni and cheese go? According to a 2023 Renter Consumer Survey from RCLCO, closets and kitchens have the most impact on a multifamily renter’s willingness to pay more for a rental.

WALK-IN CLOSETS

Extra space to store clothes and out-of-season items can make the rest of your home feel calm and collected and less cluttered.

LARGE KITCHEN PANTRY

Without a pantry, it’s a pain trying to figure out where to place cans and boxes. Having a large kitchen pantry keeps foodstuffs close at hand without making your home look messy.

PATIO STORAGE CLOSET

When you’ve got a patio storage closet, all your outdoor goods can stay clean-ish and out of sight.

ADDED STORAGE FOR RENT ON-SITE

It’s helpful to have a landing spot for your own seasonal equipment, bicycles, and other less-regularly-used items.

What this looks like in your branding and messaging:

Focus on space and storage in your messaging. Residents can bring their stuff with them when they come to the community—and can truly be themselves when they can take their hobbies, their fashion, whatever makes them them. Your brand should go along with this flow of things, and offer up plenty of photos of what you’re offering. Don’t forget to show it off on any tour—whether self-guided or not.

Working From Home

Post-pandemic, the working culture has changed dramatically. Corporate real estate has diminished and many are now working from home. According to the NMHC survey, 27% of the renters surveyed work from home every day, and another 23% work from home one or more days per week. With those numbers in mind, it’s no wonder that renter preferences are shifting for what “home” offers with a dual function as a workspace.

SOUNDPROOF WALLS

Barking dogs and noisy music make for poor concentration when you’re up against a deadline. Even for non-WFH residents, soundproof walls are a bonus. Some apartment communities are even designating areas, spaces, or entire buildings with more “quiet” in mind.

ADDED SPACE

Flex space for guests, for working out, or—most likely—for an office, is a big draw. Bonus points for a built-in desk, too.

CO-WORKING SPACES

If you can’t make office space in your apartment, individuals will likely be more interested than families in having easy co-working spaces where they can hold meetings and feel productive.

HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION

Choppy internet won’t work well for WFH residents’ regular online call check-ins and meetings.

COMMUNITY SPACE WiFi

Along with co-working spaces, WiFi in the community areas is helpful to have for when you decide to take a WFH break pool-side but need internet (just in case).

What this looks like in your branding and messaging:

Work is a big part of life—the biggest demographic for apartments is literally “young professionals.” Show your prospects and residents that you get it by offering them the best WFH options as a part of the package, and prioritizing the technology and space they need to get the job done.

Conveniences

Even if your residents may never own a house, it’s nice to feel like things are still streamlined and easy in their home

IN-UNIT WASHER/DRYER

A washer and dryer all their own is a luxury unto itself. They can change the load in a minute without ever having to leave their unit.

ON-SITE PACKAGE LOCKERS

Online shopping isn’t going away anytime soon. Protect your residents’ packages with lockers.
Also of note: Per NMHC, 80% of renters prefer storage lockers versus storage rooms for packages.

SELF-GUIDED TOURS

After COVID, plenty more prospects want to keep with the minimally invasive self-guided tour method. They can say their thoughts aloud, and exit the tour whenever they want.

ONLINE RENT PAYMENT

Almost all bills can be paid online these days. Make it easy and create a portal.

What this looks like in your branding and messaging:

Convenient and comfortable. If your community can offer these things, you may find less attrition in your lease rates. Your tagline can communicate as much, too.

Accentuate Renter Preferences in Branding

In your branding lies the unspoken methods that will direct your prospects to what they most desire, and could put your community at the top of their wishlist. To fold renter preferences into branding, there are four places to focus on.

ICONOGRAPHY

Draw attention to what you need them to see most. You can do this through visuals that pull out and separate their preferred amenities. For example, if you have a coworking space, you can use an icon that indicates as much—and use the same one across all platforms and collateral.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS

Extend your brand across an entire wall—like a branded mural on your fitness center. Use your colors, use your vibe, and get playful through your showcase of some of your best features. This makes the amenity space feel exciting, unique, and like they can’t get this experience anywhere else.

IMAGERY

Sometimes seeing is believing. And before the prospective resident can schedule a tour, they are looking at your imagery. The lifestyle stock photography should paint the picture of someone experiencing the very amenity they’re most interested in. Note: Choose the photos carefully so they can connect with it and “see” themselves in the space.

MESSAGING

Identify who you’re speaking to. Know what their preferences are. Tailor your brand message to speak directly to them and their desires (and how your community solves their problems or gives them what they’re looking for.

Knowing how important renter preferences are, along with showing how you are solving the modern problems they have will help your community stand out from the rest.

RIZE and Inwood Station signage examples are ©Fairfield Residential | Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.

Stock Photography in Branding and Its Impact Potential on Residents

Written by Stacey Feeney on July 22, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing. 1 Comment on Stock Photography in Branding and Its Impact Potential on Residents

Co-Authored by Martha Bader, Director of Marketing and Programming, Arden

Stock photography in branding and marketing has a significant impact on outcomes, connection, and inclusion. It’s natural to pick only the most beautiful, the most youthful, and the smiliest people for our brand’s imagery. But there’s a lot more to stock imagery than picking the shiniest, happiest people. It’s supposed to reflect your brand.

But what happens when the stock images you choose—that do reflect your brand, just don’t jive with the resident profile that’s supposed to be targeted?

Aspiration may—remarkably—turn into disconnection and frustration, and should be considered when selecting brand images.

A Deeper Dive into Stock Photography in Branding

We recently partnered with Martha Bader, Director of Marketing at Arden 55+ Living, who has worked with zipcode creative on multiple projects, particularly around brand voice and public relations. Perception is a huge part of stock imagery and we both wanted to know what really resonated with active adults and those that are 55+. The results have been eye opening!

We hosted an in-person gathering to show participants stock photography and obtain their feedback to better understand how our use of stock imagery could portray what we intended, and foster an ideal perception from the viewer. They were then encouraged to describe their initial reactions to and feelings around these images, which resulted in a lively discussion around some of the questions below.

The answers might be surprising to you, but Martha knew exactly what to expect, having spoken with thousands of people 55+ across the country over the last six years to better understand this growing demographic.

1) How old do you consider yourself (versus your actual age)?

Note: Participants were all 55+.

“At least 15 years younger, if not more!”

“I am not old, I think about what my parents looked and acted like at my age, and I feel so much younger than them.”

“It depends on the day, sometimes 15 and sometimes my age.”

2) What do these images make you feel?

“I know that these are not real residents and they look fake.”

“These people mean nothing to me.”

“I feel worse about myself because I don’t look like that.”

“I know that this is for senior living because of these posed pictures.”

“Please don’t use people in ads—it reminds me of my age.”

3) What is your initial perception of 55+ communities?

“They feel very exclusive.”

“I wonder what will happen to me if I am the oldest person there.”

“Great idea.”

4) What does being “active” mean to you?

“Taking care of my health.”

“I love doing things and going places.”

“Being social.”

When choosing images, Martha believes that they should be like a permission slip to dream of what life can look like and shouldn’t be overly prescriptive or overpromise things like ‘If you move here, you will then your life will look like this, and these will be your new friends.’ Martha says, “In the age of photoshopping, we want to continue to celebrate all walks of life, and make sure that we are not excluding people or they are not self-selecting out of exploring what a 55+ community has to offer because they don’t see themselves in the images portrayed.” While studies have previously shown that using faces in imagery builds connection, it may not be the type of attention that you want.

Another thing to keep in mind: Watch your third-party brands—they may use stock imagery that has a negative impact, such as an on-demand fitness app used in the fitness center, making health goals feel even harder or less likely to reach. Ask if their apps or AI can be modified to represent your residents and not exclusively young and extremely fit models that could be problematic or triggering to your 55+ residents. Take an extra minute to reflect on what the resident experience might be to ensure engagement and inclusivity for your residents!

Martha adds, “It is a fine line to walk of realism and possibility and we continue to engage with prospects on what grabs their attention and compels them to make decisions.”

Choosing Stock Photography in Branding and Marketing

There are five ideas that should be considered when selecting stock imagery for branding and marketing materials for your apartment community’s brochures, websites, signage, mailers (and plenty more).

Representation – Follow fair housing laws. Get diverse with your representation through your photos. This includes a variety of ethnicities, genders, ages, body types, abilities and cultural backgrounds. This will help show that your brand values everyone from everywhere—because you may not be sure who you’re excluding, even unintentionally, with your selection of stock imagery.

Stereotypes – Ensure the photos that you choose for your brand do not perpetuate stereotypes or biases. Choose visuals that allow for the full spectrum and breadth of abilities and e experiences. Keep in mind that stereotyping/bias could be conscious or not!

Accessibility – This is particularly true for stock imagery that you place on your website. Screen readers will need to be able to indicate to anyone with visual impairments or disabilities what is happening in the photo. For this reason, provide alternative text descriptions for your images. Beyond this, every image you choose should be clear and high-quality.

Authenticity – Make your photos relatable. Choose stock imagery in branding that will represent people accurately rather than being props for diversity. A stock photo that attempts to show an interesting story and perspective will have deeper meaning than a photo chosen simply because it fills in the gaps of your diversity spectrum.

Emotional Connection – Your audience—or ideal resident—will relate to your brand partially based on the stock images that you choose. Choose wisely, and you may be able to evoke emotions and create a connection to your brand. If you can offer up photos that remind your audience of themselves (ones that feature folks that look like they do) this can be the bridge to long-term loyalty.

Risks When Using Stock Imagery With People

It can be difficult to choose stock imagery with people in it. Keep these risks in mind when you choose to use stock imagery:

ACTIVE ADULTS

Depicted Too Old, They Feel Younger – “What? This isn’t for me. I’m still spry.” This might be what your 55+ community demographic is feeling when the pictures show elderly folks in wheelchairs. They’re not looking for a retirement home—they’re still active adults. Look out for the “too old” photo pitfall!

Depicted Too Young, They Can’t Relate – “Oh my, I can’t keep up with these youngins. I’m not going to like this place.” This might be what your 70+ residents may be thinking when they see an (attractive!) salt-and-pepper man backpacking up a mountain. Look out for the “young and having fun” pitfall, too.

STUDENTS

Ah, college students. This is possibly the most judgy age (besides tweens) that any person is at any point. Make sure you depict people that are a little beige. Not too preppy, edgy, lazy, or goodie-goodie. Find students that look pretty—to put it in terms you’ll understand: Normcore. Totally normal. Nothing particularly stand-out. (It does help if they’re attractive, though.)

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Where paths diverge: younger professionals. There’s a reason there is white collar and blue collar nomenclature. If you depict someone working remotely on their laptop in a coffee shop, the service worker may feel unconsidered. If you show only young couples enjoying a night out, a single mom may feel forgotten, because she never gets the opportunity to have a happy hour with friends. Share the love, consider the imagery that may get overlooked. Try to level the playing field with your images.

Inclusionary Practices

Images that are inclusive can help broaden your customer base because you’re reflecting a diverse target audience. Inclusion is good, all on its own. But it’s also helpful as a business move because you can connect with even more people who may be interested in becoming a resident in your community.

BOOST YOUR INCLUSION WITH THESE PRACTICES

1) Abstract Depictions

Get a little less specific and capture the feeling you want them to have while living the lifestyle that’s quintessential to your community. What do we mean? Instead of trying to figure out who exactly to include in your images, instead opt for photos of:

A close-up of a shimmering pool on a bright day
A linen curtain blowing in the breeze
A group of different cocktails on a tray
Dogs!

2) Groups of People

When it does make sense to include faces in your imagery—select carefully. Candid and natural shots will always win out over dated, posed shots. Get a group that has multiple ages and races in one photo to keep the diversity going.

3) The Property

If done well, you can’t go wrong with photos of the property, or beautiful, photo-realistic renderings for apartment marketing. This is the actual product that your ideal residents are looking into “purchasing” (okay, leasing), and by showing off the architectural lines, details, colors, and spaces, you let the community speak for itself!

All in all, it is absolutely impossible to find imagery that relates to everyone—and someone will inevitably feel excluded based on their perceptions of the stock imagery in branding that you’ve chosen. However, being aware of the risks (including with any third-party businesses you use) and conscientiously choosing imagery to be inclusive and best reflect your biggest target population or majority target renter demographic can help make a positive impact for your brand and for your number of signed leases.

Build to Rent Howard Hughes Corp Build to Rent Howard Hughes Corp Build to Rent Howard Hughes Corp Build to Rent Howard Hughes Corp Build to Rent Howard Hughes Corp

Build-To-Rent (BTR) Communities—Coming to a Town Near You

Written by Stacey Feeney on July 18, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

With less stock in the home market, and the rental market becoming pricier, housing is continuing to be difficult for both homebuyers and renters to come by. As a sort-of-solution, home builders and investors have now introduced “build-to-rent” (BTR) communities, also referred to as single family rentals. In fact, according to the U.S. News, the BTR sector is on the rise, and has grown a significant 42% from one year to the next, with 6% of all housing built between September 2021-September 2022 falling within the build-to-rent category. What counts as a build-to-rent community? Why are they important, and how can your company brand your next BTR community well enough to capitalize on the new BTR boom?

What’s a Build-To-Rent?

By definition, a build-to-rent is made of detached units that have been built specifically to lease out to long-term residents. Funnily enough, build-to-rent is also called BTR or B2R or built-to-rent, or built-for-rent, or even B2B. Just kidding about that last one.

The newer multi-family sub-industry offers communities of single-family homes that are constructed to be immediately leased out—but they’re handled just like an apartment community, with the exception of different looking phases of units delivered.

The community is close together, even though each home is typically a standalone place. There are amenities in the area, but the units aren’t necessarily vertically stacked—instead, they’re spread out and typically have some outside space—maybe their own building, and possibly their own lawn. They’re detached, but there’s a leasing office on-site, and you’ll likely find amenities typical of apartment communities, too, like a pool or a fitness center, or both, though they’ll be more spread out. This allows residents to live as if they are homeowners or have their standalone property, but behind-the scenes, the property functions more like a traditional multifamily community, where amenities abound and maintenance worries are assuaged.

TYPES OF BUILD-TO-RENT

What really counts as a build-to-rent community? A couple types of buildings could fall under this category:

Row houses – Build side-by-side, row homes can share a wall
Duplexes – Similar to row-houses, but really only two units that are attached
Horizontal apartments – Instead of building up, they’re built out and around
Small lot homes – Single-family homes that are built close together, with a lot as small as 600 square feet (for reference, a typical home lot could be closer to 5,000 square feet)
Factory built homes – Manufactured home communities

Is it a Good Investment?

BTRs offer plenty of benefits for both landlords and for residents. For one, the renewal rate is astonishingly high—close to 74%, according to licensed real estate salesperson Jack Richardson. The standalone units make renovation and correction of problems much easier to roll out, since you can do it one unit at a time, without disturbing other units. It also gives owners and managers easy access to systems, and the spaces are better equipped for turnover—even though turnover is a lot less frequent than average apartment communities. You could even turn one vacant home into a local cafe instead of renting it out again.

Because BTRs can be built more quickly than typical single-family homes, it can help address the lack of affordable housing for residents looking to lease a home. They’ll be built faster than a subdivision, and they’ll be much more welcomed by the existing neighborhood than a towering apartment complex that impedes views and impacts parking.

Branding Build-to-Rent Communities

There is the question of how exactly to brand your build-to-rent units so that you can attract the right residents. The key is knowing the difference between BTRs and typical apartments. There aren’t a ton of differences in branding, but there are enough to make it worth paying attention here.

INDEPENDENCE

Your own structure. Your own lawn. Your own address. It’s a sign of independence. Make sure this ends up in your messaging. (“Your own home—but better” kind of thing.)

ALL THE AMENITIES

Your basic HOA could never. WIth a BTR, you’ll have residents clamoring for all the amenities you’re offering. It’ll be far more than your typical suburb. A pool. Lawn maintenance. Home exterior upkeep.

EFFICIENT

Everything is designed to work all together, so residents are able to rely on the on-site management to handle exterior maintenance while they enjoy a little piece of land to call home.

COMMUNITY-ORIENTED

Good fences make good neighbors—and it also helps if your ceiling isn’t their floor. Depending on how things are laid out, the community may be a lot more neighborly than a very-closed-door apartment complex.

AFFORDABLE

This is an affordable way for residents to have comfort and community. If residents can’t save for a down payment or they’re not sure that they want to purchase a home, this is a great way to have the best of both worlds; amenities, community, and a little more privacy. Hit this hard in your messaging!

All in all, it will be best if you stay ahead of the burgeoning built-to-rent market. Don’t miss the bus, and make sure your branding lays out the direct benefits to your resident—in messaging and photos. If you need extra help, zipcode creative is just a click away, and we’ll get your BTR set up for success.

Images courtesy of Howard Hughes Corporation.

Is Apartment Branding Worth The Cost?

Written by Stacey Feeney on June 20, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

Apartment branding certainly costs money—but is branding worth it? Quick answer: Yes. Good branding is definitely worth the investment for apartment communities. Branding can help any business be more successful, especially in the multifamily business.

What’s Involved in Apartment Branding?

Apartment brand guidelines are a good place to start. Having an idea of what’s involved will help you get a head start—and it will help you better understand a cost that makes sense. (Plus, you’ll see what goes into it, so you know if an agency is putting together a full package that will work for your apartment community’s brand.)

How much does Apartment Branding Cost?

The cost of custom branding projects depends on exactly what you need and who you’re working with. Both of those factors can make the cost estimate vary wildly.

Let’s say you get a quote for $99. That’s cheap. And you’re going to get what you pay for.

Or, maybe you’ve found a high-end agency, and they’ve given you a quote for $100k. That’s going to get you something pretty spectacular, but realistically you don’t need that many bells and whistles – just enough to stand out above the competition.

Look for something in between. Perception counts for something—if the branding looks high-quality and intentional (consistent, a color palette that makes sense) then your prospective resident might still spring for a higher monthly lease cost over your competitor, because you look more put-together and attractive.

Since branding is how you look and how you make people feel, it’s completely worth the time and money spent, if done properly.

Why is Apartment Branding Worth It?

1. Branding sets you apart.

The demand for apartment living is at an all time high with ever-increasing rates in the housing market. And that means the competition is getting tougher. Set your community apart with a well-defined brand. Your unique identity should show the real you (or at least the most ideal version of you). This means that when you have competitors who are in the same market as you (with similar features, location, and target audience) you can begin to stand out through creating a lifestyle that speaks to how you’ll improve the lives of your residents. Creating a strong brand, you increase the chance of attracting and retaining your residents with culture and sense of community.

What it’s worth: Think about how much income you’ll receive from just one new lease being signed? In terms of ROI, it adds up.

2. Branding helps you gain trust and credibility.

A brand that’s well-built helps stack up trust and credibility with its residents—whether current or future. If your property has a positive reputation, you’re known for quality and reliability. People want to live there when they feel like they’re a part of something—it’s that culture thing again. That positive word-of-mouth marketing stemming from online reviews and friendly recommendations come from satisfied residents. That’s all part of who you are (remember: how you make them feel!)

What it’s worth: You don’t have to pay for word-of-mouth. Free benefits add up.

3. Branding helps establish loyalty and keep current residents.

When more people want to live there, it becomes an attractive option to everyone, including the people who already live there. (Ooh, people want in? Well, I have it, so I should hang on to this valuable thing!) The only thing better than a signed lease is a renewed lease. It’s a lot easier to keep the residents you already have (as long as they’re current on their payments) than one that you have to go out and pound the pavement for.

What it’s worth: Lease renewals cost significantly less than acquiring a new resident.

4.Branding can help justify premium pricing.

Luxury lofts, eh? That won’t be believable if your branding work is all over the place: inconsistent, unprofessional, and downright outdated. Keep things classy and make sure your branding is telling your ideal resident that “You’re Worth It.” Because if they’re not convinced of your status, they’re not going to be willing to pay a premium for it. Turn their desires into reality with exceptional branding that targets your ideal resident.

What it’s worth: Perception is everything, branding can justify higher rents when quality is matched with the property’s features and amenities.

5. Branding helps keep a good thing going.

We also like to call this success inertia. Branding is the initial burst of energy that helps you onto the scene. After that positive word-of-mouth goes around, you’ll spend a lot less time attracting leads because of your loyal current residents’ referrals to friends. Brand recognition will also help reduce marketing costs and efforts over time when brand presence establishes in the market.

Now, you’ll be able to spend more time growing the portfolio. Show your lease-up rates to investors interested in reputable property management, and you’ll find a pattern of growth and expansion to develop or acquire additional properties.

What it’s worth: Brand recognition leads to better reputation, which leads to faster lease-ups and company expansion.

Multifamily developers and owners like you can establish a strong market presence, generate higher returns, and position their properties for long-term success in the competitive rental market, all because you decided apartment branding was worth the cost.

Using Renderings for Apartment Marketing

Written by Stacey Feeney on June 9, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

Using Renderings for Apartment Marketing

Renderings for apartment marketing could be the difference between scrolling past the website and a signed lease. Learn more about why using renderings for apartment marketing is important—and how best to put them to use.

What are renderings?

Renderings are realistic images of a building or space, generally prior to its construction or completion. It also offers up a visualization of what a unit may be filled with (i.e. a master bedroom with a king size bed, dresser, and nightstands.)

Renderings are extremely helpful for new construction lease-up properties since there won’t be a building to show off—or they can be useful in a property that has been remodeled or rebranded.

Types of Rendering Services

There are a few different types of renderings for apartment marketing. Each one serves a slightly different purpose. These services can include:

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR STILLS

These types of renderings show the outside of your buildings as well as what the interior could look like. Generally, you’ll want renderings of the community spaces as well as the residential buildings, if different. It’s extremely important to have interior stills of the clubhouse and exterior stills of any pools, game courts, and dog parks, if applicable.

360 VIRTUAL TOURS

360 virtual tours are meant to allow prospects to feel like they’re in the middle of the spaces you’re offering. They may choose to use these 360 virtual tours if they’re moving into town from far away and can’t take an in-person tour, or this may be something you offer before construction is complete so you can attract more interest.

VIDEO FLY-OVERS

Stills are great to visualize. 360 virtual tours drop you into the place. But video fly-over renderings will give your prospects the full picture and the full layout of the design, and fully wow them. Seeing how it all fits together and what the landscaping around the area may look like is one more way to get them interested.

Why Do Renderings for Apartment Marketing?

SHOWCASE BEFORE COMPLETION

If you’ve tried to sell something without using visual aides, you know: it’s important for the final decision. Any new construction should be able to showcase the community before it’s completed. You can use the renderings on your website, your brochures, in your ads, on your signage. Any place you might have typically put a photo, you could place a rendering. This helps push the idea of the lifestyle you’re selling—because we both know that words can’t do everything.

HELP WITH PRE-LEASING

Rendering for apartment marketing should be on your checklist. It helps with pre-leasing if it’s done well: beautiful, photo realistic, high quality. And in that sense, it’s completely worth the investment.

SUPPLEMENT TO PHOTOGRAPHY

Once you’ve completed construction and you book photography for your units, your common spaces and some pretty architectural shots, the renderings you have can still work as your “hero image”. Why? Because it will always be perfect weather in the virtual world, and all of your plants are alive. And sometimes a photographer might not get the exact shot you want—but the renderings can give you precisely the angle you’d hoped for. Use renderings for apartment marketing before that photo sesh and after.

VISUALIZE YOURSELF HERE

Seeing is believing—without a building to show off, it’s harder to get leases signed. The renderings also tell the prospective resident that you’re highly invested in attracting them, and they’ll be more attracted if the rendering is done well. Helping them easily envision themselves there gets them to sign a lease to live there for real.

Renderings with zipcode creative

Imagine it and be it! Our founder, Stacey, has a background in architectural photography. She knows that visuals are vital to securing a signed lease and building your apartment’s brand. She is passionate about renderings that are high-quality and photorealistic. If you have a rendering, it’s best if the viewer is asking, “Wait, is this real?” That’s when you know you’ve hit the nail on the head.

When you look for a marketing partner to get renderings for your apartment community, make sure you see what they’ve done in the past. Decide whether you want only floor plans, or if you need the whole deal with renderings from top-to-bottom. If you’re in the process of rebranding or remodeling, a decent rendering could change the game (in your favor).

What’s Included in Apartment Brand Guidelines?

Written by Stacey Feeney on June 5, 2023. Posted in All Articles, Branding.

Ever wish there was a roadmap for apartment branding? Meet apartment brand guidelines.

This…map won’t look like anyone else’s. Except for the main elements that are required for any map: scale, latitude, longitude, compass.

And When you have every piece of your brand guidelines all laid out in front of you, it’s going to be a lot easier to get where you want to go (the land of sweet success, the true treasure.)

Brand Positioning

WHAT’S BRAND POSITIONING?

Brand positioning is a quick statement about your apartment brand that tells the reader: This is what we are known for—or wish to be known for—in our industry, market, and to our target audience.

WHAT’S BRAND POSITIONING FOR?

Brand positioning is your company’s compass. Or, if you’re even more old-fashioned, your North Star. It reminds you of the direction you’re headed, and gives you something to measure up to, which could be business decisions, ad copy, partnerships, you name it. If it doesn’t align, it shouldn’t be considered the right choice, and it won’t feel authentic to your brand, either..

Brand Attributes

WHAT ARE BRAND ATTRIBUTES?

Brand attributes are characteristics that distinguish your brand. By using words that display the best parts of your brand’s personality, you can embody who you are, and put your best side in the spotlight. A fun way to think about this is choosing a celebrity that most embodies your brand—and why. (e.g. Julia Roberts—she has a sense of humor, is gorgeous, and is, in our minds, a spicier twist on classic.)

WHAT DO BRAND ATTRIBUTES DO?

Brand attributes are meant to set your brand apart. (You’re not like everyone else, right?) This puts the hard-to-define soul of your brand into literal words and ideas. By choosing 4-6 words, with a brief rationale for each, we can get a little closer to the heart of your apartment community’s brand.

Ideal Resident Profile

WHAT IS AN IDEAL RESIDENT PROFILE (IRP)?

An ideal resident profile is your key audience. It will help your brand speak directly to the very residents it wants to attract. By taking in the data from your product offering (luxury apartments? 55+ condos?) and from the market you’ve placed yourself in (bustling city life vs. quiet suburbs) you can better identify exactly who your brand sets out to serve. The IRP is based on data

WHY DO I NEED AN IRP?

An IRP gives you a resource when you’re determining your best targeting or marketing strategies. In the same way that your apartment’s brand positioning statement is your compass, your IRP is where X marks the spot. Your goal. Your target. Who you’re reaching for.

Brand Voice & Tone

WHAT IS BRAND VOICE AND TONE?

Now that you know who you’re taking to (IRP) you’ll have an easier time getting your brand voice and tone tightened up. Channel your brand attributes when speaking to your ideal resident profile while you recall your brand positioning (you remember, right?: what you want to be known for). Bring it all together in your content and you’ve got a brand voice and tone.

HOW DO I IDENTIFY MY COMMUNITY’S BRAND VOICE AND TONE?

A few ways.
Brand identity statement:
Summarize your brand’s full identity with statements that tell who you are and what you offer, in a few paragraphs. Write your brand identity statements in a way that will appeal to your IRP, keeping in mind their biggest desires, fears, and hopes—that you fulfill.

Tagline:

Grab attention with something short and snappy that sums up who your brand is—kind of like a slogan.

Headlines:

Keep that attention with shorter phrases that can be sprinkled throughout your content to intrigue your current and future residents with more hints of who your brand really is.

Brand Vocabulary:

Distinct to you, it’s your own language—a set of phrases and words that are in your brand’s go-to dictionary. With interesting names for your amenities, you create a culture all your own for every piece of your community.

Logo Mark

What’s a logo mark?

A logo. With a few variations—mostly there will be a dark background and light background version of a primary and a secondary. Primary logo marks should be used most often. When needed, the secondary can fit in smaller spaces or simpler applications.

WHY IS A LOGO MARK IMPORTANT?

This allows you to have your logo be consistent and recognizable. When you do something good, you’ll get recognition—because your logo was on it.

Logo Usage

WHAT’S LOGO USAGE?

This is the rule book for how your apartment community logo may be used. It usually includes rules against tight spacing, strange angles, stretched or skewed logo marks, and incorrect combinations of the primary and secondary being used at the same time.

WHY IS LOGO USAGE IMPORTANT?

The rules are there for a reason. Keep things consistent, and appealing—the graphic designer knows best and has worked with the marketing portion of your team to dial in your brand visually, for the best chance at brand recognition and loyalty. Don’t touch the dials.

Color Palette

WHAT’S A BRAND COLOR PALETTE?

A brand color palette in your apartment brand guidelines indicates precisely which colors are to be used in your marketing—your website, your mailers, your banners. It will typically include 3-6 colors, all with the four color codes included for exact matching (RGB, CMYK, PMS, AND HEX).

WHY DO I NEED A BRAND COLOR PALETTE?

Consistency through color is a major precursor to brand recognition and loyalty. Your colors are another visual reflection of your brand—color psychology is definitely a thing. Keeping them consistent means that you are predictable and reliable—to your residents.

Typography

WHAT’S TYPOGRAPHY?

Fonts. Typefaces. You can choose 2-4 fonts for different purposes. For example: headings, large text, small long text, and callout fonts can all be different. This is also called “typeface hierarchy”: a general guideline that helps your designers and marketing team ensure the content they’re publishing and/or printing is clear and easily understood, thanks to the fonts used for each section (i.e. heading, subhead, body, an accent uses).

WHY IS BRAND TYPOGRAPHY IMPORTANT?

Every typeface that your brand uses (again, ideally no more than 4) is another way to reflect your brand visually. When you use fonts consistently, it will help reinforce your brand to your IRP, especially if you’re in tune with how fonts make us feel.

Design Elements

WHAT ARE APARTMENT DESIGN ELEMENTS?

Apartment design elements are additional visual cues to clue your resident into the fact that you’re here, and you’re you. These design elements can include brand patterns, brand shapes, brand collage styles, and brand stamps.

WHY DO I NEED APARTMENT DESIGN ELEMENTS?

Community brand design elements are icing on the cake. It’s additional guidance for designers who want to do a little something extra for your website or printed materials. It makes it clear what is permissible in terms of design styles.

Brand patterns can help evoke emotion and recognition with patterns that repeat through the website background and on the borders or printed materials.

Brand shapes help create intrigue in brand graphics—a way to break up too much text or photos for better readability or scannability.

Brand collage styles are a suggestion of how to lay out photos and brand elements together in a way that works in tandem with the rest of the brand guideline choices. It can be used as a background or a design overlay.

Brand stamps are similar to logo marks. They should be used sparingly, and are generally useful for a hit of attention to strut your stuff where you most need it.

Lifestyle Photography

WHAT’S BRAND LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY?

“It’s a whole vibe.” Choosing the right style of stock photography for your brand is vital for an audience that is highly visual. They’ll want to see photos that inspire them, and photos that reflect the most aspirational parts of their psyche.

HOW SHOULD I CHOOSE PHOTOS FOR MY BRAND?

Choosing photos that fall within a specific color palette will help keep everything cohesive. Each photo you pick out should emphasize the attributes you identified early on in your brand guidelines.

Iconography

WHAT’S ICONOGRAPHY?

Who reads anymore? Hopefully you. But your ideal resident may not read that closely or carefully. Having icons is helpful—like a shortcut to an idea.

HOW SHOULD I PICK ICONS?

Make sure your brand iconography vibes with your content and copy, and clearly indicate what they are. Place them in your designs to help your residents (current and future) skim through your content to find what they’re looking for.

Illustrations

WHAT ARE ILLUSTRATIONS?

We’re talking brand illustrations. But they’re not wildly different from book illustrations in their purpose—they can be fun and playful to use for your community’s features and amenities.

WHERE SHOULD I USE BRAND ILLUSTRATIONS?

Large applications are best for these very specific brand illustrations, like wall art or on the background of a webpage.

Brand Examples

The preview is here. In your brand guidelines, having a visual that shows how your stationery will look, what your signage displays, and how your instagram feed can be laid out, helps you fully visualize the ideal version of your brand. Guidance is key—and we think you’ll rise to the occasion.

Need a boost to figure out your brand? Reach out to zipcode creative today to set up a call.

Author: Stacey Feeney

Research & Discovery

LET THE IRP INFORM IT

CREATE BRAND VOICE CONCEPT

Logo Concepts

Brand Visuals and Brand Style Concepts

THE BRAND STYLE VIBES BREAKDOWN

Concept 1

Concept 2

Concept 3

Concept 4

Concept 5

Concept 6

Conversations Around Concepts

COLLABORATE AND CONVERSATE

THE POINT OF APARTMENT BRAND DESIGN CONCEPTS

What Can an Apartment Name Do?

TELL A STORY

EVOKE A FEELING

EMPHASIZE BRANDING

Why One-of-a-Kind Names for Apartments?

SEO

INTEREST

MEMORABILITY

Apartment Name Examples

BORING

UNIQUE

THE STRANGELY FAMILIAR

What to Consider When Naming Apartments

MEANING

BRAINSTORMING PROCESS

RESEARCH

#1 Brand Development

IT’S A WHOLE LIFESTYLE BRAND

#2 Brand Personality

WHAT’S BRAND PERSONALITY?

HOW TO CREATE AN APARTMENT BRAND PERSONALITY

Step 1: Ask the right questions.

Step 2: Be honest and authentic.

Step 3: Get buy-in.

Step 4: Allow that personality to influence visual, verbal and marketing decisions.

#3 Create FOMO

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES FOR ALL

SWAG

#4 Philanthropy

AUTHENTICITY

INVITATION TO ALL

#5 Be Health and Wellness-MindedTHE MEANING OF HOME

RETREAT!

#6 Connection with Authenticity

WITH LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES

GET INTERPERSONAL

CONCIERGE-LIKE SERVICE

#7 Apartment Branding Must Be Memorable

CONSISTENT AND THOROUGH BRANDING

GO BIG BRANDS

New Year, New Budget!

How to Spend Your 2024 Multifamily Marketing Budget

BETTER BRANDING

MORE BRANDING

BRAND VOICE

Your 2024 Vision Board

#1 Target Residents’ Top Desired Amenities

CREATE CULTURE THROUGH BRANDING

BRING EXCITEMENT TO PHYSICAL SPACES

MARKETING THROUGH EVENTS

MULTIFAMILY MARKETING IN 2024: CAMPAIGNS

#2 Go Hyper Local when Branding Apartments

MAPPING OUT YOUR BRANDING

#3 Using Branding to Capture Your Audience

DIGITAL DOMINANCE

Reality: Brand Consistency Aligned with Property [Class]

Relatability: Creating a Personable Brand Through and With Its People

Memorability: Market the Experience

Imagination: Tell the Best Story

Innovation: Using Unique Branded Moments to Make Connections

Loyalty: Award Ambassadors and Foster Lease Renewals

Social Media Apartment Marketing—Three Ways

1- Show the Property on Social

#5 Be Health and Wellness-Minded

THE MEANING OF HOME