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Apartment Photography Checklist Optimized for Marketing

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

You know the whole “golden hour” perfect lighting part of the day? Well, the summer months are the “golden hour” season of the year—the time when everything looks a little better, a little dreamier. Use our property photography checklist to get the best photography of your communities, optimized for marketing.

The goal is always to lease-up your community. Well, having a collection of beautiful photos (the best possible ones) will make marketing’s job way easier.

Property Photoshoot Prep Checklist

You’ll want to check off every one of these property photoshoot checklist items before your photographer arrives (not while they’re trying to capture the perfect shot). You’ll both save time and headaches if you prepare ahead of time:

Zipcode-Creative-Photography-Property-Photoshoot-Prep-Checklist

Quality Property Photography’s Important

LONG SHELF LIFE

When you invest in high-quality images, you’re not throwing money down the drain. By choosing the proper season (summer) and preparing in advance (with our checklist) you’ll be that much closer to taking photos that will stay useful in your marketing for a good, long while. Since the gallery is one of the most viewed pages on your website, having a great photo of your clubhouse or pool creates a longer lasting impression than any amenities list ever could. (Think of it this way: Would you rather see a photo of a pool with all the umbrellas and chaises around it, or would you rather read “large pool” in the list of amenities?)

BUILD THE BRAND

Quality apartment photography captures beautiful images—but also so much more: the lifestyle and the experience your property offers. Your space is unique, your ambiance is different, and your community isn’t the same, according to your brand. And your photos should reflect that. When you show off beautiful, well-composed photos that work within your brand guidelines, you set yourself apart. Images, or rather, photos, evoke emotion, tell your brand story, and lead to a more consistent brand image. Bottom line: Investing in quality property photos shows your prospects that you’re invested in your brand, and likewise: in them.

Apartment Photography Shot List Checklist

Capture multiple angles of the property for each of these areas in both wide/overview shots as well as tighter details when worthy. 

Zipcode-Creative-Photography-Checklist-Apartment-Shot-List

*Adjust this apartment photography shot list checklist to the specific spaces your community has to offer. Add or remove amenities as needed.

Get the Details

While you have a photographer there, take a closer look. By adding detail shots to your list (more interesting angles, photos of people at the clubhouse, closeups of feet in a pool, someone cooking dinner in their unit) you can create an unstoppable lifestyle image library that NO one else will have. And the photos will be authentic because they’re actually part of your community. Provide your photographer with your apartment brand guidelines so they know what kind of vibe and ambiance they should be looking for and helping capture.

When you get the photos back, you can use them to enhance your brand and make completely unique visuals for any number of your marketing materials.

The heart of summer is a lovely time to refresh your property photos, and it’s our favorite for when plants look their best. (But your brand may be an “autumn”—so you do you.) Follow our checklist, invest in high-quality, professional photography, and bump up the appeal of your property to your prospects (and likely your current residents, too). Your marketing efforts are about to get an extra shot of sunshine.

Branding Multifamily Value-Add Communities

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

New “luxury” style communities are coming into the market at break-neck pace. As they dominate the market, older multifamily communities are struggling to keep up and compete with their newer, more modern counterparts.

Even if your older communities aren’t the newest or the nicest on the block, you can leverage their unique strengths and employ smart marketing strategies to stand out as you figure out your best methods for branding multifamily value-add communities.. 

Spotlight Your Community’s Strengths

LUXURY IS OVER THE TOP

New “luxury” communities are pushing their neighbors to the limit. Offering unheard-of amenities that go a little farther than necessary: golf simulators, pickleball courts, speakeasy bars. Things that residents don’t necessarily need—but could be attracted by. There are a lot of “it’s like vacation, every day!” style places that may be going overboard, because they feel the need to have all the bells and whistles to snag their residents. 

ADVANTAGES OF OLDER COMMUNITIES

Just because the modern competition is bringing some wild apartment amenities to the table doesn’t mean you give up. As an older community, you’re established. You (may) offer:

  • An ideal or convenient location
  • A quiet, homey atmosphere
  • A mature setting with full trees, nearby parks, bike trails close by
  • Larger units compared to newer developments

Beyond these things (which are far better than most amenities) if you have a culture of close-knit community at your apartments, that’s huge. Long-term renters help create the family feel, and loyal employees help with familiarity, as well. Loyalty goes a long way!

Smart Marketing For Multifamily Value-Add Communities

WHADDAYA GOT?

Amplify what you have. We talked advantages. Take note of those things that make your community special, whether it’s a listed amenity, or just a feeling. Pro-tip: that vibe is part of your brand. That resident and staff loyalty is in direct correlation to how you present your brand and how you fulfill the promises you’re making.

That said, there are a few specific things you should focus on to market your older community.

MARKETING IDEAS

Emphasize location – Location matters. What are the area trends, the vibe, the history, the culture? Look into cross-promotion with another local spot, and consider offering a local hot spot tour for your newest residents.

Focus on the atmosphere and vibe – Feels like home? Easy to catch public transit? Big trees everywhere? Trails nearby? Everyone knows each other? These things are a BIG DEAL. Authentically brand your community by pointing these gems out. It’s not everyday you move into an apartment that feels welcoming and homey.

Be the neighborhood know-it-all – Get the inside scoop on everything. Even if you’re not a luxury hotel or apartment, you can still function as a concierge with pro-tips for your new residents. Throw neighborhood recommendations out like confetti, and bump the resident experience up a few notches.

Spoil residents in small ways – You don’t need to hand out golden retrievers as a party favor. Instead host events, like a movie viewing with popcorn. Or a pool party with lemonade. Give your residents small gifts, make them feel seen and valued, and bring about some community bonding in a natural way.

Branding-for-Lower-Property-Classes

Branding for Lower Property Classes

Branding is value made visible and tangible. Older communities may lack amenities but branding can make up for it, even if it’s on the simpler side—lower class apartments can still use branding. (Consistency accounts for a lot.) You can create culture with your apartment brand. Here’s how:

RESIDENT EXPERIENCE

How your brand makes your resident feel is directly tied to their living experience at your community. Ensure that you are communicative, friendly, and get your residents what they need. Your brand is not your offerings. It’s how you interact, engage, and grow your resident relationships over time. Your brand can encompass a whole lifestyle: of home. Of welcome. Of comfort. 

COMMUNITY CONTEXT

What does your community bring to the fabric of the neighborhood? What role do you play in the value you offer to your residents, neighbors, and the broader area? Consider how you interact with local shops and non-profits. Philanthropy and community engagement bring about a better neighborhood and make your brand more authentic and relatable to your residents, as well.

Older multifamily value-add communities can still compete.
Just leverage what you have to offer and get creative with your marketing. And use your branding! That will be your best tool to help underscore your value to your residents as they have a positive experience with your property.

Explore creative apartment branding and marketing strategies for your communities with us at Zipcode Creative—no matter the year your community was built.

NAA Apartmentalize 2024 Guide for Multifamily Marketers

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

Multifamily conference season is still going strong. Up next: NAA Apartmentalize 2024! This year it’s taking place in Philly, the city of brotherly love. Apartmentalize offers learning, networking, and solutions specifically for multifamily, and helps you stay current on industry trends and best practices.

We know that hitting every conference isn’t always an option, so if you’re going, we outlined some of the best ways to make the most of your time at NAA Apartmentalize 2024, with some scheduling tips, and top picks for sessions and speakers.

Given that we’re all up in the branding scene, we aimed to pick out our favorites for marketing and branding in multifamily. There are a ton of sessions, so we narrowed our picks to speakers we know or admire, and topics we think will be most helpful for your community branding and marketing efforts.

Organizing Your 2024 NAA Apartmentalize Schedule

 

With over 100 sessions and 10,000 attendees, you might feel a little lost. Take a deep breath and make a plan. Think of it as a Choose-Your-Own-NAA-Adventure.  Registration is open each day, beginning on late Tuesday morning. 

Expo Eats will get you a complimentary lunch on Thursday and Friday—be sure to find it.

Below are some important things you’ll want to take note of for your schedule (June 19-21):

WEDNESDAY

  • Education Sessions: 1-1:50pm, 2:05-2:55pm, 3:10-4pm, 
  • General Session: 4:15-5:30pm
  • Welcome Reception: 5:30-6:30pm

THURSDAY

  • Education Sessions: 8:30-9:30am, (Express: 12:30-2:30pm) 2:15-3:15pm, 3:30-4:30pm
  • General Session: 10-11:30am
  • Complimentary Lunch with Expo Eats
  • Thursday Night Party: 7-10pm

FRIDAY

  • Education Sessions: 9-9:50am, (Express: 10am-1:30pm) 11am-11:50am
  • Complimentary Lunch with Expo Eats
  • General Session: 1:45-3pm

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to take a break, get some water, go to your room for a few minutes when you need to have a little quiet to collect your thoughts. Making a plan will help. Find the sessions you care about most, and prioritize those.

NAA Apartmentalize Top Topics

 

There’s a lot to see at NAA Apartmentalize. We chose a handful of topics that looked good to us—from a marketing and branding perspective, of course. If you’re feeling extra on-top of things, you can even click “add to planner” next to your favorite sessions, so you can organize it through your MyNAA Planner Account!

 

What’s the Big Idea? Marketing Innovators Pitch Game-Changing Strategies

Wednesday, June 19

3:10-4pm
Location: 115ABC

Education Session

With: 

Esther Bonardi, VP, REACH by RentCafe

Israel Carunungan, Chief Marketing Officer at LCP Media

Josh Draughn, Vice President of Marketing & Customer Experience at Weidner

Anne Baum, Director of Marketing at Towne Properties

Expected Takeaway:

  • Discover how to realistically create an authentic brand that connects with potential and current renters while avoiding stock photos
  • Use data to assess marketing risks and rewards so you can reallocate spend and balance your marketing strategy
  • Learn how media assets can help improve your leasing experience, increasing engagement and conversions

Why It’s Our Pick:
Breaking open marketing norms and creating a sense of place? Yes. Learning how to use media assets to better your leases, engagement and conversions? Also yes.

Open Space #5: Romancing Your Residents to Renew: (Pets, Amenities, Community Events and More)

With:
Maria Pietroforte
Katie Rigsby, President/Multifamily Consultant at Katie Rigsby Inspires, LLC

Why It’s Our Pick:
Be part of the conversation and learn from contemporaries at this Open Space. You can help guide the conversation and be part of the bigger picture in a peer-to-peer learning event—this one is particularly interesting because it’s all about focusing on amenities and making a community feel like home for your residents. Branding is part of that culture, too!

Additional Thursday sessions we’re interested in:

From Data to Decision: Are Your KPIs Actionable or Irrelevant?

Open Space #4: How Can Affordable Providers Compete with Market Rate (Leasing Rates/Incentives, Salaries)

The Power of Market Research: Positioning Properties for the NextGen

Friday, June 21
9-9:50 AM
Location: 108AB

With:
Marcus Armstrong, Research and Development Engineer at J Turner Research
Chelsea Kneeland, VP, Strategic Partnerships at J Turner Research
Tyler Marker, Director of Marketing & Professional Development at Zidan Management Group

Expected Takeaway:

  • Be able to identify different types of market research, and what needs and wants are on Gen Z prospects’ minds that impact your market.
  • Learn how to collect and analyze market research data for better decisions.
  • Develop better strategies for implementing their market research findings.

Why It’s Our Pick:
Gen Z is a big topic for us. They represent a huge market share, and we should be paying attention to their desires in order to be competitive. 

From Search to Signature: The Resident Experience

Friday, June 21
12:15 PM – 12:45 PM
Location: Booth 1165
Express Education

With:
Paula Munger, Vice President, Research at National Apartment Association

Carl Whitaker, Chief Economist at RealPage, Inc.

 

Expected Takeaway:

  • Explore survey results from residents who have recently searched for an apartment to learn their methods and motivations.
  • Consider how the survey results translate into potential future staffing models.
  • Discover which technologies industry professionals are using to improve the prospect experience and boost occupancies.

Why It’s Our Pick:
What’s the secret behind how prospects choose you? First they have to find you, then they have to narrow down their choices to you. With a new generation of renters, we have to meet them where they are. All IRP, all the time—using data to make decisions is smart. (Including in your branding, of course.)

Additional Friday sessions we’re interested in:

Breaking Barriers: The Impact of Adaptive Reuse Projects

Paid, Earned and Owned: The New Rules of Influence Marketing

NAA Apartmentalize 2024 Speaker Picks


The general sessions are full of award-winning stars, heroes, and actors. It can be fun to fawn over them with any fellow fans—so be sure to check out the general session schedule to see when you can catch vocalist/songwriter/author/actor Leslie Odom Jr., Medal of Honor hero and veteran Kyle Carpenter, and actor/producer/philanthropist Mark Wahlberg.

Beyond household names, we’re also interested in hearing from our own multifamily stars. 

NAA Apartmentalize 2024 has broken down the rest of their sessions into:

  • Game Changers – Inspiring speakers from three outside industries: Comedy, AI, and Workforce Strategy
  • Education Sessions – 90 sessions on all manner of multifamily topics (ops, leasing, affordable housing, marketing)
  • Express Education – 30-minute interactive sessions with Q&A and storytellin
  • Open Space Sessions – Small group discussions with a dedicated topic for creative conversations

So, there are a lot to choose from here. But these were the speakers that stood out to us (and the bios are straight from the NAA website):

Noel Carson, Vice President of Marketing, Creative Director at Bozzuto

Noel Carson is the VP of Marketing and Creative Director for Bozzuto. He is charged with championing the Bozzuto brand as a compelling voice in the multifamily category and leads the team responsible for the brand development, launch, and commercial performance the organization’s new development pipeline. With two decades of experience in brand and creative direction, his work has been the recipient of over 70 regional and national awards through the American Advertising Federation, Creativity International, among others. Noel graduated from the University of Notre Dame with majors in Marketing and Design and holds an MBA from Georgetown University.

SESSIONS:

Friday, 9-9:50AM: Static to Dynamic: Revolutionizing Apartment Websites in the Digital Era

Janet Rosseth, Founder and CMO at Cadence Marketing Solutions LLC

Janet Rosseth is the founder and CMO of Cadence Marketing Solutions, a Minneapolis-based boutique consulting agency specializing in pacing new initiatives and supporting multifamily marketing endeavors. Her career spans 25+ years serving multifamily developers and operators in roles directing marketing and leasing strategies. Her expertise lies in assessing needs and deploying both traditional and disruptive solutions that aid in asset performance, optimizing marketing infrastructure, extending the bandwidth of marketing teams, and removing the friction factor in the renter experience. She leads the Cadence Run Club online community for multifamily marketing influencers, connecting & supporting marketers, operators, and vendor partners who challenge the status quo in marketing. She’s a speaker and facilitator for large and small groups, local and national industry events, often sought on panels to represent the voice of the marketing teams and clients she serves.

SESSIONS:

Wednesday, 2:05-2:55pm: Take Control of Lead Generation with On-Demand Ad Strategy

Kim Boland, Director of Digital Marketing at Morgan Properties

Kim Boland is the Director of Digital Marketing at Morgan Properties, where she leads the development, implementation, and maintenance of digital marketing initiatives for the company’s expanding portfolio. With over a decade of experience, Kim has been a driving force in enhancing Morgan Properties’ online presence and supporting promotional efforts for both apartment communities and corporate ventures. Throughout her tenure at Morgan Properties since 2009, Kim has earned numerous accolades for her exceptional contributions to the company and the industry. Notably, she was honored as a national-level winner for Connect Media’s 2021 Women in Real Estate, recognizing her outstanding achievements and leadership in the field. In addition to her role at Morgan Properties, Kim is a sought-after speaker at industry events, sharing her expertise and insights with fellow professionals. She also serves on the Advisory Boards for AIMconf, G5, Rent. and BetterBot.

SESSIONS:

Wednesday, 1-1:50pm: Surf’s Up! Marketing Channels Making the Biggest Waves

Thursday, 8:30-9:30am: The ROI of Apartment Automation: Real-World Case Studies

Kristi Fickert, Vice President of Enterprise Growth at Realync

Kristi is the VP of Enterprise Growth at Realync. She spent 15 years in a senior marketing role for a Top 50 management company before working in the technology sector of the industry. She speaks at the industry’s largest conferences and has been a featured speaker for the Cincinnati Reds, Urban Land Institute and Commercial Real Estate Women. She’s been on numerous podcasts, published in UNITS magazine and spent two terms as a City Councilwoman.

SESSIONS:

Wednesday, 3:10-4pm: Open Space #3: How Does AI Fuel Your Everyday Workflow?

Thursday, 3:30-4:30pm: Leasing Across America: Insights and Impacts From 100 Shops

And there you have it! Your 2024 NAA Apartmentalize guide—from Zipcode Creative. (Don’t forget to have fun!)

MME Conference Recap: A Look Inside the Exclusive Multifamily Marketing Event

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

MME 2024 has just wrapped up! And we couldn’t be more excited for next year’s event

Multifamily Marketing East (MME) is an invite-only, limited-access conference. It’s less about being exclusive, and more about concentrated and focused. 

If you missed out, the content was top-notch and the topics (and speakers) were on point. Read on to find out more about this East Coast multifamily conference.

MME Welcomes YouMME Conference Recap

The MME Conference

FORMAT


The conference took place at The Pendry, a waterfront boutique hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The main thing at MME 2024: the breakout sessions.

For these breakout sessions, attendees joined their peers for small group discussions focused on topics they pre-selected at registration. Each of the 10 tables has a different topic, a sponsor expert on the topic, a moderator, and a presenter. What made this experience extra unique and special was the pre-planning that took place over virtual calls leading up to the day of the event. Sponsors and moderators got together to plan out their session topic to be prepared to lead the conversation with enticing questions and talking points. Our favorite, from Session #2 was “Scaling Branding with AI: Faster, Farther, Cohesive.”

After the breakout tables were complete, a presenter from each topic shared the group’s key insights and strategies on the main stage. In this way, attendees were able to participate in the topic they most wanted to discuss, while still reaping the benefits of gathered knowledge from the other 9 tables. Attendees gained a broader perspective, and left with actionable knowledge.

These breakout tables and reflections occurred twice, and both times, attendees came away with a wealth of knowledge. Like a book club at their own roundtable discussion—a deep dive, while the Reflections and Takeaways functioned more like nuggets out of Cliff Notes.

 

Breakout Sessions

Table #1

Topic 1: MarTech: Enhancing Customer Experience & Operations (Presenter: Jillian Fickert)
Topic 2: Emerging Trends: Proptech & AI (Moderator: Noel Carson)
Sponsor: Revyse

Revyse is a vendor discovery and review platform. They help multifamily professionals find their ideal proptech and vendor solutions.

Table #2

Topic 1: How AI can Help with Industry Pain Points (Presenter: Matthew Cummings)

Topic 2: Evolution of Marketing Metrics: Adapting to New Trends & Practices (Presenter: Michele Jose)
Sponsor: Hy.Ly

Hy.Ly is invested in the power of ‘Human + Machine’ to develop products as a multifamly marketing technology company that creates products to improve multifamily experiences.

 

Table #3

Topic 1: Unlocking Success: Mastering Conversion Ratio Optimization (Presenter: Ashleigh Dawson)

Topic 2: Maximizing Video Content: Ads and Beyond
Sponsor: Realync

Realync is a cloud-based, web and mobile platform that enables live virtual tours, live virtual open houses, and DIY pre-recorded videos of real estate—all to unlock authentic experiences to connect and convert.

Table #4

Topic 1: Maximizing Performance, Efficiency, and Timelines

Topic 2: Google Ads Unleashed: Maximizing Your PPC Potential including PMAX (Presenter: Sabrina Leckemby)
Sponsor: Digible

Digible offers seamless solutions for the multifamily industry: multifamily marketing services and technology build for apartments.

Table #5

Topic 1: Building Data- Powered Social Strategies

Topic 2: Mastering Influencer Marketing: Strategies for Success
Sponsor: Social Kapture

Social Kapture creates custom content and proven strategies for social media and digital advertising—specifically for multifamily.

Table #6

Topic 1: Apartment Branding for Marketing Success (Presenter: Jillian Letourneau)
Topic 2: Scaling Branding with AI: Faster, Farther, Cohesive (Presenter: Renee McIntyre)

Sponsor: Zipcode Creative

Zipcode Creative is a multifamily focused boutique creative agency that offers apartment branding and marketing design.

Table #7

Topic 1: Build Internal Partnerships Using Marketing Data
Topic 2: Uncovering Retention Trends in Resident Reviews

Sponsor: Widewail

Widewail is a reputation management company for local businesses, offering monitoring, review management, and review invitations.

Table #8

Topic 1: Streaming TV Advertising for Apartments
Topic 2: Mastering Geofencing: Market Rate to Affordable and Urban to Suburban

Sponsor: ApartmentGeofencing.com

Apartmentgeofencing.com offers location-based advertising technology so properties can reach prospects wherever they are.

Table #9

Topic 1: Understanding Prospect Preferences with Mobile Location History (Presenter: Elaine Delude)
Topic 2: Post Covid Rental Landscape – From Migration to Back to Work (Presenter: Eddie Vasquez, Jr.)

Sponsor: Placer.AI

Placer.AI helps properties make better business decisions through geolocation data: location intelligence and foot traffic data. Find your customers, find your opportunities.

Table #10

Topic 1: Staying Motivated and Efficient with Reduced Staff
Topic 2: Your Guide to Creating a World-Class Company Culture in 2024 (Presenter: Nicole Drayton)

Sponsor: ApartmenGeofencing.com

Apartmentgeofencing.com offers location-based advertising technology so properties can reach prospects wherever they are.

Stacey-Stage

KEYNOTES

The speakers at MME are all recognized in the industry—they’re experienced and invested in learning and engagement, which made them perfect for the MME conference.

“The Making of a Love Brand”
with Kelley Shannon, Senior VP, Marketing and Customer Experience, Bozzuto

“Gaining Traction for Your Brand”
With Matthew Kilmury, Founder & CEO, ApartmentGeofencing.com

Along with these sessions, the panel discussions also offered up plenty of opportunity to see things from a different angle, or take a deeper dive.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

“More With Less: Leveraging AI to Overcome Constraints”

Moderator: 

Elaine De Lude, Vice President, LIVEbe Communities
With Panelists:

Daniel Paulino, Vice President, Marketing, Bozzuto

Moshe Crane, Vice President, Branding & Strategic Initiatives, Sage Ventures                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Description:
In an era where “doing more with less” has transformed from a challenging necessity into an industry mantra, we delve into the pivotal role of AI as an empowering tool. Budgets and teams may not be growing, but expectations for performance are. The question remains: how can one amplify output and efficiency with the resources available?

This panel explores cutting-edge solutions within AI that address this perennial marketing quandary. With recent technological breakthroughs, AI has emerged not just as a means to compensate for resource limitations, but as a strategy to surpass even the highest of expectations. Join us as we unpack the transformative potential of AI, providing practical insights into maximizing performance.

Key takeaways:

  • Cutting-edge AI solutions
  • Practical insights into maximizing performance

“Marketing Metrics Are Changing—Are You Ready?”

Moderator:
Wendy Simpson, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Edgewood Management
With panelists: Kevin Wilson, Director of Marketing, Strategy and Planning, Southern Land Company                                                                                                                          

Michelle José, Vice President, Property Marketing, Mill Creek Residential

Xiyao Yang, Director of Marketing Analytics, Bozzuto       

Description:

Digital marketing metrics are changing, and they’re changing fast. Are you ready? In this session, we’ll explore how your marketing teams can adapt to recent regulations and innovations, and set themselves up for success in today’s rapidly-evolving digital landscape. With an eye on digital trends that transcend industry, but told through a multfamily marketing lens, we’ll dive into different marketing areas like branding/awareness, findability, and social engagement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Key Takeaways:

  • How to adapt to recent regulations and innovations
  • How to get set up for success while digital trends evolve

Our Insights

Since this was the first year of MME, we wanted to give you the full insider scoop. So we asked Zipcode Creative founder and creative director, Stacey Feeney, to give us the lowdown.

What was the best part of MME?

All the time we got to spend together networking and really getting to know each other was so different from other conferences where there feels like such a barrier between sponsors and attendees. Breakout tables were a nice way to bring the conversations into smaller groups and really connect to and relate with one another!.

What are some key nuggets that will stick with you as you get back to work, answering emails and working on apartment brands?

Strategy and discovery is a crucial step that should always precede brand creation and it’s too important to be skipped.

Invest in what makes a brand and tells its story.

A brand needs a narrative, and that comes from strategy. That narrative may need to pivot over time, like during a phase two lease-up, especially if the goals for the property or the resident persona have shifted –a brand should be a “responsive brand”

Brand strategy should continue throughout the resident journey, even after they are living in the community. The goal with brand should be to create an emotional connection with prospects and maintain that connection while they are residents. 

Educate your teams on the importance of a cohesive brand (and how to understand it), create a playbook for guidance and then empower them to create through the help of user friendly and AI tools like Canvas, chatGPT and MidJourney, for example.

Anything else?

Huge shoutout to Matthew Kilmurry, CEO at Apartment Geofencing. He and his team organized the whole MME conference. Along with the involvement of the sponsors and content committee, everyone had a part to play in this super-cool collaborative conference. Also, the Bozzuto marketing team really prioritized this event as a full-on retreat for their team. That made me feel warm and fuzzy inside!

Please stay tuned for more updates from the multifamily marketing east conference—can’t wait to see everyone next year!

Lessons-for-hospitality-multifamily

Lessons in Hospitality Branding—For Multifamily

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

Guest Post by Stephanie Shore, Director of Marketing and Brand Development, Bozzuto (formerly with Marriott International and Hilton)

Lessons in Hospitality—For Multifamily (1)-03

Multifamily branding and marketing could take some notes from other industries—like hospitality. In hospitality branding, the critical focus is the guest experience; customer loyalty and maintaining brand reputation are the keys to success.

Each of these principles can be easily, almost seamlessly, applied to multifamily.

At an apartment community, the resident experience is the key to retention—and that’s why you work hard on your branding, your marketing, and your resident services—to bring it all together so they renew their lease (AND tell their friends).

Before we get much further, let’s break down the hospitality experience, and what it really means to create exceptional guest experiences.

Understanding the Hospitality Experience

THE KEYS TO HOSPITALITY

The key components of hospitality branding are as follows:

  • Personalized Service
  • Attention to detail
  • Creating memorable moments

These each mean something a little different. 

Personalized service means you receive emails with a personal greeting; welcome cards in your room; and plentiful spa treatments, dining options, and room service items that are available to your guests.

Attention to detail means every single component of your guests’ experience matters. Cleaning the remote. Making sure that order gets to them on time. The TV isn’t too small. The bedding is noticeably soft.

Creating memorable moments is getting an inside track to what your guests want most. Understanding their desires leads you to bringing them the solution—while they’ve barely uttered “Do you have….” Short of reading minds, it means you’re anticipating their every need and making sure that experience wows them.

 

REAL-LIFE HOSPITALITY EXAMPLE:

For Exceptional Guest Experiences: The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton is synonymous with service. Arguably the best known in the industry for their standards of exceptional service, The Ritz-Carlton has founded its brand on the principle, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” Its Three Steps of Service are instilled in all team members, from front desk to housekeeping to management, and guide all guest interactions to create a noteworthy guest experience:

  1. A warm and sincere greeting. Use the guest’s name.
  2. Anticipation and fulfillment of each guest’s needs.
  3. Fond farewell. Give a warm good-bye and use the guest’s name.

Applying Hospitality Branding Principles to Multifamily


But how can multifamily properties adopt these principles to get improved resident satisfaction and thereby boost resident loyalty?

Use hospitality as the inspiration for your branding and marketing:

  • Equip your teams with training so they can serve your residents better.
  • Execute a brand strategy (think: brand messaging, brand differentiators) to deliver an excellent experience.
  • Make sure that brand is carried through every element of the customer journey, from the website to the tour to the resident experience.

But, it might be easier to show you with a few examples of stellar branding, amenity, and service.

REAL-LIFE COMMUNITY EXAMPLES:

1331

1331 in Washington D.C. is conceived to exceed expectations, and enables a lifestyle that is unattainable at any other residence in D.C. The level of service at 1331 is similar to a world-class hotel. Every need has been anticipated, beginning before a resident moves in with the Move-In Concierge to Away-From-Home Services assisting with pet or plant care while they are out of town to on-site event planning. The menu of options even extends beyond the building itself, through exclusive partnerships. Residents of 1331 enjoy access to Salamander’s spa, fitness center and restaurants, as well as catering and events. Those on the Penthouse Level receive elevated access to Salamander and an additional selection of personalized services to create an all-encompassing services experience.

The Barrett & The Claude at Chevy Chase Lake

At both The Barrett and The Claude at Chevy Chase Lake, your experience is everything.

That’s why, in addition to the world-class design and amenities, both apartments offer exceptional services for residents. Available services at The Barrett and The Claude include concierge services, Away-from-Home services, in-home customization services, grocery delivery, room service, a garage care center, exclusive retail partnerships, monthly fitness programming and events, and the Bozzuto Welcome Home commitment.

Heron at Water Street Tampa

Heron offers you every modern comfort to streamline your life and enhance your experience. From a state-of-the-art fitness studio to a green-roof viewing garden to direct access to the Tampa Riverwalk. A bike storage room even has a repair station equipped with tools so you can get back out onto the Riverwalk in no time. Life at Heron is enhanced by the bespoke services offered to residents; the24-hour concierge helps to coordinate a variety of personalized home care services for residents’ comfort and convenience, including pet care and housekeeping recommendations.

Branding Strategies Inspired by Hospitality

Hospitality is hyper-focused on branding. With good reason. A strong brand identity creates differentiation, highlights unique characteristics, and emphasizes the values of the hotel brand.

The same goes for a community. A brand that communicates why it exists through its storytelling (throughout its marketing) creates a more compelling emotional connection than any run-of-the-mill “Lease Today for 1 Month Free!” offers could ever manage.

VISUAL BRANDING

Branding’s more than a logo. But that’s certainly part of it. Brand visual identity can (and should) be used to convey the uniqueness of the community itself: its interior design, its level of service, its features and amenities.  Typefaces can help carve out your identity—for example, serif fonts can feel more elevated and refined, while sans serif fonts can lean into a more approachable brand feel. Color palette can be used strategically as well: High-contrast neutral colors  can feel more elegant than, say, bright, deeply saturated hues. Unique visual identifiers like design elements and imagery can aid these basics to solidify brand recognition.

Marketing Strategies Taken from Hospitality

When you know your ideal customer—guest or resident—you can attract them based on what you know about their motivations, pain points, preferences, and overall lifestyle. For someone with a dog, you can offer on-site grooming and a grass-filled, shaded dog park. For someone who works from home, you can ensure your messaging talks about flexible desk spaces and high-speed internet.

EMAIL DRIP CAMPAIGNS

Targeted marketing campaigns ensure that your messaging reaches the right audience at the right time—email drip campaigns are a great tactic to ensure your messaging is sent throughout relevant stages of the customer journey. Automation makes this kind of campaign even more frictionless. For example, if a prospect signs up for a tour of your community, you can automate an email that follows up confirming key details, and perhaps pairs brand messaging with any applicable concessions. Hospitality brands are great at this—always staying on top of their guest messaging with incentives to book another stay.

SOCIAL RAPPORT

Additionally, hospitality brands are highly active online: social channels are another lever to tell the brand story, while websites feature inspirational photography and clear booking capabilities. Communities can easily do this with desirable photography, a thoughtfully designed site, and clear calls-to-action. 

Pro tip: Dedicate sections of your website specifically to service. For example, creating special callouts for your Penthouse(s) shows your dedication to deliver on those top-notch services, and differentiates your community brand from competitors.

All in all, every community and hotel we’ve shown conveys the high level of service at the property—starting from the earliest point in the customer journey. 

When everything’s done in the service of the resident and in the service of the guest—the goals for multifamily and hospitality aren’t all that different. To create a successful community, keep your residents happy, and keep residents at the heart of everything you do – it’s what hospitality brands do, and it’s what we try to do in every Bozzuto community. 

Branding for East Coast

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

Multifamily Marketing East is the premier East Coast multifamily marketing event. Held in Baltimore, Maryland, it’s exclusive—invitation-only. This year it’s free for invited attendees, and includes access to all the sessions, plus breakfast, lunch, and refreshments during the conference. (Does branding for the East Coast get you as excited as we are?)


Why are we so excited about it? Two reasons:

  1. Zipcode Creative is sponsoring Multifamily Marketing East.
  2. Zipcode Creative helped brand this BRAND NEW conference for multifamily.

 

So you might say we’re a little invested and a LOT EXCITED!

Why’d we get involved? We know that there are a lot of multifamily conferences. They end up being in California, Las Vegas, and Texas—and plenty of others bounce around all over the country.

But what if there was a conference for multifamily that was on the East Coast, where the BULK of multifamily housing actually IS?

A few quick stats for you, reader:

→New York State has the highest number of existing homes classified as multifamily: 52.5%. Close on its heels are two other East Coast states: Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

We agree: It was time for an East Coast multifamily marketing event.

The Vision Behind MME’s Branding

Our expertise in branding, specifically for multifamily, led us to an opportunity to brand MME. We took our process, and we channeled it through the vision and purpose of MME to get the attendees we most wanted to attract.

VISION


The creators of the Multifamily Marketing East conference wanted to see a conference that was made to give everyone a voice and was more about passion over profit. Together, we envisioned an upscale retreat, not a huge, wild party with more entertainment than education and heard-it-before, recycled content.

PURPOSE

Multifamily Marketing East was made to bring people together, around good food, good drinks, and fun, intimate events. The content offered will be thoughtfully designed, and the tables will be set up to foster new relationships and solid networking.

USING MME BRANDING TO ATTRACT MARKETERS

We needed to convey the message that MME 2024 was built differently. We wanted to bring in multifamily digital marketers, and invited mid-level management up to senior level executives.

Branding is obviously our jam at Zipcode Creative, and so we were tapped to attract marketers with branding—this would help solidify trust in MME, even as a new venture, and would help portray the vision and purpose of the conference through its logo, colors, and messaging. And while it’s a little different than apartment brand design, we followed a similar process.

Branding for East Coast: Branding Development Process

RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY
The best way to get to know a brand? Ask a lot of questions. So, when we worked through the brand questionnaire, we asked fun questions like, if MME were a ______ (drink, car, celebrity, song—take your pick) what would it be? Taking those answers plus the rationale behind the choice informed where we would take the branding and why.

For example, the celebrity MME’s founders chose: Tom Hanks or Jennifer Lawrence. They’re down-to-earth and manage to take complex roles and make them easy to understand. In the same way, they want MME to be friendly, approachable, and distill complicated ideas into helpful resources.

UNDERSTANDING THE REGION


After we sifted through the brand questionnaire, we immersed ourselves in the look and feel of the east coast region, to deepen our understanding. The preferences of east coasters and the regional style not just of the east coast area, but the region of Baltimore began to take shape.

When we create branding for East Coast apartments or communities, we take a look at the local flavor. For example, Virginia is relatively colonial. Upstate New York, New Hampshire, and Maine—cape cods and coastal vibes (and probably lobster, if we’re talking local flavor.) A more industrial, yet historical feel is perfect for Boston. And then we get tropical (and sun-faded but still bright colors) if we’re in Miami. And Atlanta is the heart of and soul of good ol’ Southern hospitality.

The East Coast is about as diverse in associations and assumptions as the North, Central and South bits of California—in views, vibes, and architecture. It’s absolutely not one conglomerate that has one identity—and that’s why looking deeper into the specific area can offer up some entirely unique branding opportunities.

Creative Approach

THE PROCESS


As we moved toward Baltimore and homed in on the location of the conference, we began to get more granular with the location—just as we would with developing apartment branding.

CONTEXT IS KEY


The Pendry – The MME conference will be held at The Pendry, a luxe waterfront hotel in Baltimore. So we looked carefully at the architecture, colors, and style of the hotel, to keep every piece visually connected. To amplify what the space looks like, we leaned into the venue, with imagery of the Sagamore Pendry. We used filters to stylize for the brand vibe and the map of Baltimore became a prominent style piece in which we truly celebrated location. Additionally, the color palette was a more fun, vibrant play on the brick buildings of Baltimore, and the yellow found in Maryland’s state flower, the black-eyed susan.  All of this was dovetailed into the brand for MME. Plus, with the hotel being on the water, we added in both classy and fun elements.


Baltimore – The greater Baltimore area, the downtown skyline and a birds’-eye-view of Baltimore’s street grids both functioned as an additional visual motif.

MME-Branding (1)

Time of Year – Given that the conference is in May, positioned at the very start of summer, we wanted something cheerful, so we chose the aqua color for the MME’s classic logo. For each year, we may choose a different set of colors, and for 2024, we went with corals and burgundy, with a mustard to create contrast.

Additionally, the four corners of the MME logo function like a compass, with the directional arrow pointing East. The sharp corners give a feel of modernity while the angled letters inject a bit of playfulness.

The branding development process to create the Multifamily Marketing East conference was a labor of love—not unfamiliar, but still exciting to execute. Recognizing that regional branding is vital in the multifamily industry, we took the surroundings and allowed them to infiltrate the brand for MME on the surface and beneath it. The East Coast is where the United States began—it’s full of history and knowledge from those that came before us, and is the perfect place for the next gamechanging conference for multifamily to take place.

Learn more about Zipcode Creative’s branding projects and process.

 

The Power of Your Apartment’s Brand in PPC Advertising

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

Pay-per-click digital advertising is essential for multifamily marketers to promote their apartments on social media, websites, and, most notably, Google as the primary search engine, with targeted advertisements incorporating text, images, and videos highlighting a property’s appearance, units, and amenity features.

Digital ads aim to increase a community’s online visibility and brand awareness across multiple platforms toward renters genuinely interested in those apartments, as that helps improve the quality of the traffic to the community’s website and, ultimately, increase lease conversions.

Hey, I’m Michael from RentVision, an apartment marketing company that helps thousands of communities like yours get better-qualified leads with an automated pay-per-click solution called Predictive Advertising (shameless plug!).

While we’re not branding experts like Stacey and her team at Zipcode Creative, we believe that multifamily marketers who care about owning a strong, cohesive apartment brand can create a powerful online search presence that wows renters and benefits leasing by prioritizing PPC ads in their marketing strategy.

Your brand empowers your digital ad campaigns and overall online presentation, allowing you to leverage your property’s appearance, logos, color scheme, and more to resonate with prospective renters and keep your apartments in mind throughout their search. Let’s look at what combining brand and PPC advertising can do for you:

Strong Apartment Brand + Apartment PPC = Trust

Let’s start with the big picture. It’s sometimes easy to forget that choosing which apartment to live in is a life-changing, financially impactful decision for your renters. 

To feel confident about their selection, they must trust that your apartments meet their preferences and deliver the resident experience you promise.

Of course, your brand tells your community’s story by describing to renters how your apartment features and lifestyle benefit them and how they differ from your peers. Your brand, if done correctly, is a means by which you instill trust in renters. 

However, for your community’s brand to help renters develop more trust and impact leasing performance, it is best to pair it with a strong digital advertising strategy.  

Knowing initial impressions are huge, imagine someone’s reaction when, at the beginning stage of their apartment search, they go to Google looking for a community like yours. They see an ad for your community that ‘pops’ off the top of the search results page (and top rankings in the organic and local listings). 

You can gain that opportunity by pairing a strong apartment brand with pay-per-click advertisements targeting specific or relevant keywords your typical renters search for online.

That authoritative presence in Google establishes a strong level of trustworthiness that will make renters feel more confident about pursuing a lease in your community.

It also helps renters to feel better about selecting your apartments when you actively show you care about your community’s overall online presentation and make it easily discoverable with advertisements across Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok and other large PPC platforms.

From their perspective, they equate the care you put into your marketing presence to you also caring about their needs and living experience.

Plus, the more exposure you provide renters to your community’s name, colors, property images, and other assets of your brand online in photo or video display ads during their decision-making process, the more familiarity they gain in your community. And the more familiar they are to your apartments, the more they begin to trust that yours is best for them.

Establishing trust is the power you have when you put effort into your community’s brand and pay-per-click ads.

Apartment branding drives specialization

Communities intentionally curating their brand’s presence typically have a better definition of their ideal resident and thus develop messaging and a visual identity that resonates with those renters. 

This is what we mean by specialization—your brand makes you, well, you. You’re telling renters, “You can trust us to provide the lifestyle and resident experience you’re looking for.” 

A great apartment brand that achieves this specialization also elevates your PPC campaigns because, truthfully, many apartments are the same. 

Believe it or not, your community isn’t the only one with a pool or Pelotons in the clubhouse. While those are features you’d undoubtedly want prospective residents to know about, they don’t move the needle for everyone.

Prospective renters will choose to rent an apartment from a community that appears to know and understands their needs above amenities like a stationary bike. That is, in essence, the foundation and purpose of your brand, and utilizing such a brand throughout your marketing strategy—especially in your PPC campaigns—will drive home to renters the story about how your apartments meet their specific needs.

That is how your apartments, though they may be similar to other properties, stand out apart and above the competition in PPC advertisements.

Apartment PPC drives leasing performance

Since you’re also a multifamily marketer, and your ultimate objective is to generate leads and leases, you must also leverage your community’s brand to get it in front of renters at critical stages throughout their apartment search. 

That’s why PPC advertising is essential. You gain little from your apartment’s brand if it’s difficult for renters to discover it.

Every renter goes through three stages during their apartment search:

  1. The ‘Awareness’ stage, or “Hey, I need to move out and find an apartment.”

  2. The Consideration stage is when you say, “Okay, here are a couple of apartment communities available that meet what I’m looking for.”

  3. There’s the ‘Decision’ stage, where one final community has emerged as the favorite. At that point, the renter will contact the community and begin the touring, applying, and leasing process.

PPC advertisements drive visibility for your apartments throughout each distinct stage. 

Sometimes, you can expedite someone’s selection process with a powerful combination of targeted ads and strong apartment branding that meets the right renters at the right time. 

But since everyone’s leasing journey varies in time, you must also consider that you’ll need PPC campaigns running on multiple platforms simultaneously to maintain visibility and push more qualified traffic to your community website. 

Ad-Examples

Getting started with Apartment PPC campaigns

Now, we’ve gone long enough describing the positive impact of combining your apartment’s brand with pay-per-click advertising that you’re probably wondering, “Okay, so how do we actually do this?!”

Beginning (or just optimizing) a PPC strategy for your apartments is pretty hard, so I want to share a couple of other helpful resources that go into further detail and make the process seem less daunting:

Start there to get more depth into starting with PPC advertising. But while we’re here, let’s go over a couple of easy tips to remember as you combine brand and PPC into your apartment’s strategy:

  1. Know what search terms people use to discover your community’s website.

You can use Google Search Console for free to see what visitors to your website searched for in Google to find your apartment community’s website. This will help you establish a list of keywords to possibly target in your PPC campaigns. One tip is to avoid using branded descriptors in keywords you would target; truthfully, you won’t get many renters searching terms like ‘upscale apartments with chic amenities in downtown Denver’. However, those descriptors, like ‘upscale’, would be more effective in ad copy. 

  1. Use your display campaigns to highlight your community’s best offerings.

Your photo and video display ads are the time and place where you want to highlight the very best of your community. Your clubhouse, exteriors, Pelotons, and pool are great features that look great in your PPC display ads; don’t overcomplicate. That said, highlighting those features in your ad campaigns is fine as long as you’re using those things to drive traffic to a website that lets interested renters see the inside of your units. That content moves the needle for renters more than anything as the space they’re ultimately going to live in is essential information they need. 

  1. Have your apartment’s logo, name, and brand visuals in every display ad campaign.

Then, in your display ads, be sure they’re designed to feature your apartment’s name, logo, and brand visuals (even if the primary item displayed is the inside of a unit). This builds recognition for your brand—which sticks in renters’ minds throughout their search in a meaningful way.

  1. Utilize Google Performance Max Campaigns.

Lastly, one easy way to get started with PPC is by utilizing Google’s Performance Max Campaigns feature. Performance max campaigns do a lot of the hard work for you because they use whatever creative assets you give Google (photos/videos of your units, amenities, property, logo) and find the suitable variation of text/visuals that produces the most clicks and traffic to your website on both Google’s Search and Display networks (a.k.a. basically the whole Internet)! Google’s Performance Max Campaigns are excellent options for communities with great visuals and branding.

Conclusion

Ultimately, investing in your apartment’s brand and PPC advertising enhances its online presence, cultivates trust, and drives leasing performance, making it an indispensable component of your marketing strategy. 

AIM 2024 Guide: Get the Most from Attending, Multifamily Marketers

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

Multifamily marketers, the 2024 AIM (Apartment Innovation & Marketing) Conference is almost here! In Huntington Beach, CA, it’s one of our favorites to attend—and to sponsor. Heading to a conference is definitely a big chunk of your marketing budget, so it’s best to plan ahead, make your schedule work for you, and prioritize the things you need to see and the people you need to speak with.

And, as much as the CA coast is basically heaven, the pull of magical multifamily collaboration is only slightly stronger than the scent of the salty air. (Or is that In-N-Out we smell?)*

With that in mind, we pulled together our top topics, speakers, and sponsors we think you should add to your own list. It’s just our opinion, but we figured it’s at least a starting point for you!

With multiple sessions happening at the same time, you’ll want to stay focused on what you need to hear most. We went with marketing topics, because…that’s our jam! Without further ado:

AIM 2024 Top Topics

The AIM Conference (besides being fun!) is focused on helping attendees do their work better, helping make apartment living more valuable to residents.

This year, AIM 2024 falls on May 5-8, and has a big focus on customer experience, AI, innovation, and ethics. We also noted a few sessions on pulling inspiration from other industries—sounds like a win!

Here are our top topics at AIM 2024, broken down by day:

MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024


Breakfast Roundtable: What Multifamily Can (and Should!) Steal from Single Family — and Vice Versa

7:45 AM – 8:45 AM
Speaker(s):
Benjamin Burns, Vice President of Digital Marketing Amherst
Brianna Massas, Director, Digital MediaIrvine Company Apartments

Brian Miller, Director, Partner Experience and Engagement, Zillow Rentals

Discussion on:

  • How multifamily can think outside the box
  • What Multifamily is getting right
  • How Multifamily could do better with single-family industry strategies

Why It’s Our Pick:
We’re always harping on about pulling inspo from somewhere else. Keeping an open mind is key for growth.

Opening Keynote: The Investment Case for Branding and Customer Experience: Hotelier Lessons from Hampton by Hilton

1:10 PM – 1:50 PM
Speakers:
Shruti Buckley, Senior VP & Brand Leader, Hampton by Hilton
Michelle Moriello, GID/Windsor Communities, VP, Digital Marketing

Expected Takeaways:

  • Investing in branding in a real estate context: How Hampton Inn uses brand as a marketing differentiator, and how Hilton uses quantifiable metrics to induce owners to invest in their brand standards;
  • Making customer experience tangible: defining, limiting and proving out a desired customer experience – hard and soft items, training, value, feedback mechanisms;
  • Creating multi-stakeholder support for ongoing investment in brand and customer experience (and knowing when a company is off-track)
  • Market segmentation as a path to understanding how to create real value that is perceived and appreciated

Why It’s Our Pick:
Again, parallel industries have a wealth of knowledge that multifamily hasn’t quite tapped into. Investing in solid branding could be a huge way to create a differentiator for your communities.

Building a Differentiated Brand to Captivate Owners: Strategies for B2B Marketing

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Speakers:
Sydney Webber
Sharon George, MIG Real Estate, Director of Multifamily Asset Management

Tina Miserendino, Avenue5, Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications

Expected Takeaway:

  • Explore marketing and business development strategies from a NMHC Top 50 management company
  • Understand what owners are seeking in a management company partner
  • Learn how to attract, convert, and retain ownership groups as long-term partner

Why It’s Our Pick:
When you brand a property management company, the goal might be to attract ownership groups. Plus, when you know what they’re looking for, that can streamline your process. Get busy growing!

Branding…….It’s NOT a Game(show)

4:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Speaker:
Elizabeth Carton, Rangewater Real Estate, Vice President, Marketing
Jerry Norman, Pedcor Companies, Director of Multifamily Marketing
Barrie Buckner, GTMA, CEO
Sarah Johnson, Willow Bridge Property Company, National Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy

Expected Takeaways:

  • What goes into branding
  • Successful brands/rebrands
  • Timeline Guides

Why It’s Our Pick:

First: It’s a game show! Plus, they delve into branding for any and all scenarios, including property management companies. Sounds like a win-win-win to us. 

TUESDAY, MAY 7

Breakfast Roundtable: The Evolution and Anatomy of a Brand: Building a Compelling Brand in 45 Minutes

7:45 AM – 8:45 AM
Speaker: Stacey Feeney, Founder & Creative Director, Zipcode Creative

Discussion Around:

  • Branding is more than a logo
  • A new BFF in the Multifambam

Why It’s Our Pick:
We’re biased. Stacey, our founder, is pretty great at what she does. And she’s super fun. Plus, building a brand is our bread and butter—perfect for breakfast!

#2
Tuesday, May 7th

Jack, Barbie and Cinderella: Fluent Devices in Strategic Brand Marketing

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM

Speaker: Suzanne Schlundt, Cox Communications, Vice President of Marketing

Expected Takeaways:

  • The benefits of relatable brand personas
  • Attract customers, talent and investors with emotional brand strategy
  • How fluent devices (and their retirement) impact your insights
  • Learn how to elevate your brand’s impact

Why It’s Our Pick:
Learn from a Barbie marketer? Yes! Brands should get emotional. Otherwise, you won’t make an impact. We’re excited to hear about the ways charm and familiarity with your brand can be used to reach and retain.

 

Keynote: Using Humor to Sell

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Speaker: Jon Krevolin, Cronin Advertising Agency, President, Chief Creative Officer
Moderator: Tina Mortera, Bozzuto Management Company, Vice President, Business Development

Expected Takeaways:

  • Amplify your reach without spending MORE
  • Create a memory link between brand and audience
  • How to build a repeatable emotion-first story

Why It’s Our Pick:
Humor is one of our love languages at Zipcode Creative. So we’re curious to find out more about how our bad puns and knock-knock jokes can be turned into a lasting connection between brand and prospect.

Perception is Reality: Study Results on Leasing and Living

2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Speakers:
Margette Hepfner, Willow Bridge Property Company, Chief Operating Officer, Residential Management
Merideth Bunting, The Dinerstein Companies, Vice President of Marketing and Management Services

Expected Takeaways:

  • Prioritize data-driven decisions over gut feelings
  • Understand Gen Y’s vs. Gen Z’s preferences (and stop generalizing them)
  • Align strategies to current trends

Why It’s Our Pick:
The ideal resident for every brand is different. Having the facts (and changing your strategy) about renter preferences through data will get your brand further—to the audience it needs to reach most.

Roundtable: How to Stay Ahead of Generational Shifts in Apartment Marketing

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

Speakers:

Elizabeth Carton, Vice President, Marketing, Rangewater

Kasey Munsch, Vice President of Marketing, The Preiss Company

Sarah Gencarella, VP of Marketing, Olympus Property

CJ Edmonds, Chief Revenue Officer, Conversion Logix

Discussion Around:

  • Catering to unique generational preferences in marketing
  • Embracing technology to enhance apartment hunting/leasing
  • Building stronger connections with prospects and residents
  • Collaborating with all teams (marketing, leasing, management) to stay cohesive

Why It’s Our Pick:

The IRP (ideal resident profile) should dominate your marketing research. Find out who they are, and that will likely tell you what they like, don’t like and how they want to be approached. Can you say “marketing gold?”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8

 

Differentiating Your Communities in a Rapidly Evolving Market

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Speakers:
Kaley Rafferty, Olympus Property, Senior Marketing Manager

Kyra Lambo, EQR, AVP, National Marketing

Lauren Carpenter, UDR, Inc., Sales Initiatives Manager

Jesse Stein, Airbnb, Head of Real Estate

Carol Enoch, Enoch & Co., CEO

Expected Takeaways:

  • Explore vendor-driven strategies to stand out
  • Enhance resident satisfaction through rewards programs
  • Optimize space and amenity rentals
  • Boost loyalty through tech engagement

Why It’s Our Pick:

If you want to survive, you have to stand out. Differentiation isn’t just a fun word. It’s vital to stay in the game!

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Bees and Biodiversity: The Future of Multifamily ESG

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Speaker:
Noah Wilson-Rich, The Best Bees Company, Co-Founder and CEO

Expected Takeaways:

  • How to attract residents that care about sustainability and the environment—through bees
  • Bring ESG to life in commercial real estate
  • Honey from a hive maintained in commercial real estate (!)

Why It’s Our Pick:
The next generation of residents cares deeply about the earth. Bees are key in keeping it going, producing food, by pollinating our fruits/vegetables. Plus: HONEY!

AIM 2024 Speaker Picks

Michelle Moriello

Michelle Moriello – VP, Digital Marketing, GID/Windsor Communities

Speaking on:
May 6, 2024
1:10-1:50pm
Opening Keynote: “The Investment Case for Branding and Customer Experience: Hotelier Lessons from Hampton by Hilton”

Why we picked this speaker:

25 years in multifamily? Incredible. Michelle’s our pick not only because she’s one of the keynote speakers, but also because she’s making a case for branding. We’re stoked to see what she says!

Elizabeth-Carton

Elizabeth Carton – VP, Marketing, Rangewater Real Estate

Speaking on:
“Branding…….It’s NOT a Game(show)”
May 6, 2024
4:15-5:00pm

Why we picked this speaker:

As VP of Marketing for Rangewater, Elizabeth Carton is The Boss for creative and strategic marketing. Additionally, she’s worked in healthcare and property management, which gives her breadth of knowledge—from parallel and outside industries—a little more complexity.

2024 Must-Visit Sponsors

zipcode-icon

Zipcode Creative – Besides coming to see us at the Zipcode Creative lounge, there are few other folks we think you’d enjoy talking with—not only are they friendly, but they also have awesome solutions for apartment marketers. (P.S. Our services partner really well with theirs.)

*Will You Sign My Yearbook?!*

Our lounge at AIM is going to be totally boring. NOT!
​​???????????? Get ready to get 90s up in here! ????????????

Stop by our booth (25) at the Ocean Lounge to take an instant photo, paste it in the book, and sign your name with gel pens. Check your email or LinkedIn to nominate people for “most likely to” and other superlatives awards! We’ll be taking votes for awards through April 30!

OTHERS TO VISIT

Engrain – Their interactive sitemaps are awesome—many of our clients supply our beautiful 2D map files to them as a starting point. (It’s all coming together.) 

HyLy – Email and templates to reach your ideal resident? Hyly’s got it—and the branding we design for you is easy to fold in with their CRM system.

Connect
and
Apartment Geofencing – After we’re done making your branding beautiful, you can get on the advertising train with super-smart digital ads, getting in front of exactly who you want.

LCP Media – Visual branding—beyond your shiny new logo from us—needs beautiful photography to round out your marketing collateral. Enter: Show My Property.

Social Kapture – Steadily creating your community brand is easier with Social Kapture, with custom content and smart social media strategies. Establish your brand here and it will work hand-in-hand with your digital and physical collateral.

FOR WEBSITES

Branded sites (with brand style that we help you establish) can make way for gorgeous websites with any of these partners. Plus, they’ll play nice with PMS!

30 Lines

Digible

Resi – our go-to partner for *custom* sites (with our branding expertise)

Repli

Organizing Your 2024 AIM Schedule

Feel a little overwhelmed? Just grab a pen, and start circling what you need to see and who you need to talk to. It’ll be okay. 

  • If you’re a first-timer, go to the First Timer Meet Up (Sunday, 4-5pm and Monday, 7:45-8:45am) with Tamela Coval.

  • If you’re hungry, head to a breakfast roundtable each morning (7:45-8:45am) and grab lunch from 11:45am-1pm.

  • If you’re a night owl, definitely don’t miss the hosted vendor partner entertainment Monday evening (plus networking from 9-11pm)! 
  • If you’re itching for a connection, check out the networking breaks each day from 9:45-10:15am.

There are a few breaks built in, so you can gather your thoughts and check those emails in between sessions. Just pace yourself and make a plan!

Special Evening Events

ola

Sunday
Ola Mexican
Cinco de Mayo Celebration / Annual Open Networking Dinner
7pm
Seating Limited, Email or DM Kristi Fickert to RSVP

Within walking distance of the hotel, join in for a non-sponsored Cinco de Mayo networking dinner!

This is open to ANYONE attending AIM – supplier, marketer, trainer, operator, c-suite exec, owner…we have zero requirements to attend because we know the best conversations happen when we all have a seat at the table!

Bear

Monday

Bear Flag Fish Co
6-10pm
Come and go as you please, drop in for a drink and apps before your other events OR hang for the night with us at this low-key patio with a view of the beach!

Contact Stacey if interested in attending.

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Tuesday

Nautical Nights – Yacht Party

By Invite Only!
6-9pm
Contact Stacey if interested in attending.


Hop on and sail in style on the Motor Yacht Mojo, departing from Newport Beach. Enjoy passed appetizers and dinner, and don’t forget to pose for the perfect influencer photo while aboard the Mojo.

 

*There will be an In-N-Out Food Truck Tuesday for lunch at AIM from 12-1pm. Don’t miss it!!

Photorealistic Renderings—A Game Changer for New Development Leasing

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

On the back of a napkin, a quick sketch. In Microsoft Paint, a quick pixel-by-pixel outline of a future blueprint. A developed architectural drawing of the elevation. And today: A soft-ware generated, photorealistic rendering for multifamily marketing.

What does it all mean?

We’ve come a long way, for one! 

Photorealistic renderings create 3D images of a project design. Those images are based on 3D models. The computer software is used to first create a virtual model of the building structure(s) and then light, texture, and the environment around it is introduced—think plants, the sky, people.

Photorealistic renderings in multifamily marketing provide near-perfect ideals of interiors and exteriors of apartment communities. 

Because of Stacey’s (Zipcode Creative’s founder) background in professional architectural photography, photorealistic renderings are our jam. Not because they’re not real photos, but because they capture the ultimate for a project.

Photorealistic renderings have the capacity to bring a project fully to life, getting it out of the designer’s head, and in front of the residents’ eyes. It showcases the design, like never before—especially when you incorporate 360 views.

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Power of Photorealistic Renderings


Your prospective residents may just want to come “kick the tires”—but what if your building isn’t built yet? A new development can certainly gain some power of persuasion through photorealistic renderings thanks to both 1) accuracy and 2) efficacy.

ACCURACY

Remove uncertainty in your prospects’ minds by accurately displaying where they’ll eventually live—right down to the way the sun shines in the window on the tufted couch in the clubhouse.

CONTROL

What’s even better is the amount of control you can execute over the image. You control the lighting, the weather, and the surroundings. No random pieces of trash blowing by, or a hose that wasn’t put away. Ideal!

EFFICACY

With improved visualization (how’d you get that perfect shot?) you can use the images for any phase of your apartment marketing: pre-leasing? Check. Long-term marketing when you’re working on retention? Also check. The images you get through photorealistic renderings are the ideal shot.

With 2D drawings or plans, only a portion of your prospects can “see” it—sometimes it falls short or gives the wrong idea. But with photorealistic renderings, your prospective residents are able to visualize every piece of the community because it’s right in front of them.

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Building Trust Through Realism

Potential residents’ trust can increase when you use photorealistic renderings for your multifamily marketing. Blurring the line between real and fake, your residents feel more confident in leasing since what they see in the rendering is typically what they can truly expect.

Plus, if you’re seeking out investors for a new construction, photorealistic renderings are the icing on the cake. Investors love to see a finished product—and it shows how seriously you’re taking the construction and execution of your beautiful new community.

Enhance Online Search Experience

If you’re a prospect and you search for an apartment community in Plano, Texas, for example, and you see there’s a new community, that might pique your interest. If you click and there are no images whatsoever, that may be a problem. Or worse—a few photos of empty rooms and a lackluster clubhouse with a single folding chair.

Using a rendering can help the online search experience go far more smoothly. Add some visuals, and your resident will be able to picture themselves there—because it looks real!

TYPES OF RENDERINGS

There are a few different kinds of photorealistic renderings, each with a slightly different purpose.
 Photorealistic still renderings – These look like photographs of the interior or exterior. 

VR Walk through tours – Prospects can digitally tour the property in an online search.

Each of these types of renderings offer a powerful prospect experience. This is particularly true with pre-leasing new constructions. In your early branding efforts as well as in your pre-leasing marketing, these renderings can help you seal the deal. If you get a jump on your branding over a year in advance, and get your marketing up to snuff for pre-leasing, you could feasibly get the first units leased before they’re even delivered. Pure magic.

You can read more about apartment branding by development phase here.

Investment and Returns


Photorealistic renderings for multifamily are amazing—but they come with a significant cost: from $800-$3000 per image for large exterior rendering. The financial investment is likely worth it for your community, though. In seeing the dividends with how many ways you can use it (thanks to its long lifespan): in brochures, on your website, in your virtual tours, as hero images for your giant banners. Count up the number of leases you may be able to get signed by using this technology and take a long look at that marketing budget.

Our Experience with Photorealistic Images

As software improves and the line between real and fake gets blurrier, finding the best artists is necessary—at Zipcode, we handpick our photorealistic artists to ensure you get a top-quality results. With Stacey’s experience in architectural photography (who knows and hates a bad photo), photorealistic renderings in new development leasing are the next frontier. 

By investing in high-quality photorealistic renderings for multifamily—literally handing your residents the picture of their ideal community—could put you far ahead of your competitors.

Branding Adaptable Reuse Multifamily Developments

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

The advent of adaptive reuse multifamily developments is now. 

But what is adaptive reuse—and why is it suddenly popular? Adaptive reuse is redevelopment that takes an existing structure and adapts it for another use. In multifamily developments, this can look like a partially remodeled historic hospital converted into a mid-rise apartment community. (The project also employed new ground-up development.) Adaptive reuse has become more popular thanks to its sustainable ideals—reusing existing structures is practical both financially and ecologically. 

Mark Twain is often attributed with saying, “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” This can go two ways—use what you have or buy up more land. But…

“Use what you have” is behind this movement. That idea can also, luckily, be applied to branding—use the history of the building to create a brand story that will capture your residents.

 

Adaptive Reuse: Multifamily

Adaptive reuse for multifamily holds a few benefits over new construction in its ability to appeal to the newest wave of prospects along with residential developers—if you play it right.

AFTER SAVING TIME AND MONEY

By taking an existing building, you might avoid pouring footings, foundations, structural bits and (sometimes) masonry. This could cut down on construction time, allowing you to open for leasing sooner. Those same footings, foundations, and structural pieces that you’re not building could also save you some money. 

Remodeling and renovating certainly have costs associated (think rezoning, or a possible need to gut the building), but depending on the condition of the building you’re adapting to reuse, your multifamily community could be sitting in a comfier place. Any construction savings could be funneled into beautiful branding and over-the-top amenities to draw your residents in.

APPEAL TO GEN Z

Speaking of drawing residents in, the next wave of renters is here. Time to brand your multifamily community for Gen Z. The reasons Gen Z would like a space aligns pretty closely with how adaptive reuse functions:

 Eco-friendly – Taking what’s already there will cut down on fossil fuels needed—if you start from scratch, you’re redoing work that didn’t need to be done.

 Sustainable: Cities are getting more crowded with population growth as well as housing prices ever outpacing income levels. Going up instead of sprawling out makes sense. And using buildings that exist will be faster and more sustainable than building brand-new.

Meaning behind the Multifamily community: What was the building before? A hotel? A hospital? A school? Taking a building that’s served a separate purpose and using it for housing offers up so much meaning to a segment of prospective residents—meaning that deep is hard to resist.

APPEAL TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPERS

Remember when we talked about 2024 trends in multifamily? Was adaptive reuse on your bingo card?
“Adaptive reuse will be an ongoing build and design trend in 2024,” says Esther Sperber, founder and CEO of ST Architects. “It is more sustainable to reuse existing structures than building from the ground up. Reusing old warehouses, factories, etc., will continue to appeal to residential developers in 2024 and beyond.”

Traditional, new construction might take more time and more money to create. A residential developer is interested in how urban dwellers will interact with the space—because they’re the end-user. And when Gen Z is interested in sustainability and meaning, adaptive reuse fits the bill and makes more sense as an investment.

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History—the STORY behind the Brand

Meaning. It has to come from somewhere, whether it’s created, or simply needs to be tapped into. With adaptive reuse multifamily buildings, it’s not drawn out of the ether. It comes with the territory! The story is in the walls, lived a thousand different ways already. Finding the piece that connects with your ideal resident is what you’re missing. When you find it, draw it out into the branding (using it as the structure for your brand both literally and figuratively.)

TELL THE STORY OF ITS HISTORY

Telling the story you’ve uncovered in the building can enrapture your audience—your ideal resident. Learn more about the building’s previous use. Get information on the history. Identify the building’s architectural style. Read up on the current events of its hey-day. Use everything you can to create the story of your building’s brand.

Now, select the highlights of those historical elements and tie them into your branding. Architecture can inform the brand style. History can inform your amenity names. Your logos, your signage, everywhere your brand appears, you can take inspo from the building’s history. Be choosy with what you’re diving into—not everything is viable to be public-facing. But go deep and find out everything you can, so you have enough to go off of.

This is especially true of your apartment’s name. Find a name that can work with the history, not conflict with it, or ignore it. Lean in, and create intrigue. And when your residents do move in, give them a gift that goes with the building. Old hotel? Give them a hotel style keychain. Old school? Give them some branded No. 2 pencils. Previous warehouse? Do a giveaway based on what used to be produced or stored there.

STORYTELLING

Continue the thread through your community’s content and copy. Your tagline, headlines, mission, vision, values. Your website copy—this is where you storytelling gets to draw on history. While it doesn’t write itself, the structure is there, just like the building. The best part about using history to tell the story is the creativity and authenticity. When drawing inspiration from an actual place in the past, one can connect with the ideal residents to create a brand that’s never been seen before, and will never be seen again!

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Brand Vibe and Personality

How does one capture the vibe and personality of a historical building? What if it was a warehouse? Ask deeper, bigger questions: What time period was the building built in? When was it in use? What kinds of items did it store? Who worked there, and were there any stories told about them? What major events happened when it was open and functional? (Wars? Riots? Parades? World fairs?)

ADAPTIVE REUSE BRANDING EXAMPLE

Rather than continuing to talk about the how and why, let’s break for recess, and take a look at an example.

Ivywild, a Colorado Springs marketplace with eats, drinks, and shops, is housed in an elementary school that closed in 2009. The communal atmosphere that developed was supported by the neighborhood, especially because it maintained a historic facade and revitalized a structure that could have otherwise stood empty, or worse, become a public eyesore. Our favorite part? “The Principal’s Office” cocktail bar. Clever. The school’s roman-columned facade is part of the logomark. One of the restaurants was housed in a short yellow school bus out front.

Though this is an adjacent industry, the multifamily realm could just as easily rise to the occasion, to bring historical buildings back into the limelight. (Take inspiration where you can get it!)

Why Adaptive Reuse Multifamily Branding?

We’re very much of the thought that you should brand everything. When it comes to adaptable reuse, this is the best possible opportunity for a brand—it’s fun, intriguing and has an outline already. The history is there, waiting for you to spin it into a yarn. Getting creative with it, no one will have the same story as you. Adaptive reuse in multifamily could be the next big thing. Save money, save time, attract GenZ-ers, appeal to residential developers, and be a little greener.

Build it and they will come?
More like: Adapt it and they will come.

Reach out to Zipcode Creative: Storytelling experts with copywriting that converts and branding that beautifies.

Corporate Rebrand for Property Management Companies

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

Time for a property management corporate rebrand, multifamily marketer? Perhaps the whole marketing team is in on the idea. It’s been in the works, you’ve collected preliminary quotes, estimated a possible budget, but now: you need to get the rest of the team on board.

Let’s carefully talk through why and how to get them on board.
You’ll need to grab the people that matter, consider the competition, and present some proposals you’ve collected. But first, let’s do a quick overview of corporate branding.

Multifamily Corporate Branding Guide

WHAT IS CORPORATE BRANDING?

Your multifamily company’s corporate side is a brand, too. Corporate branding, at its simplest, is creating and adhering to a visual and verbal brand identity for owners and operators, developers, and third-party management.

WHY IS CORPORATE BRANDING IMPORTANT?

Do you want to:

  • Make a name for yourself?
  • Grow?
  • Attract investors?

With solid corporate branding, all of that will be a lot easier. Your reputation can grow (positively), your consistency will create a basis of trust for investors, and your apartment communities may become a well-oiled leasing machine.

According to G2, consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 10-20%. Capture that ROI with a rebrand that makes everything more streamlined for those inside your company—and those looking at it from the outside!

HOW DO WE EXECUTE A CORPORATE REBRAND?

 

Branding starts with asking the right questions:

  • Who is your primary target audience?
    • Investors?
    • Owners seeking third-party management?
    • Residents in your communities?

Your answer here determines your next branding steps; branding is built around who you’re serving—and why you’re the best one to serve them.

  • What is your company’s main goal?
    • Develop and manage communities until leased up and then sell?
    • Be resident-facing with a mini-ILS of your property portfolio?
    • Acquire properties and rehab them for long-term hold?

 

Your answer to this question will determine the tasks and steps you need to take to achieve your main goal.

  • How Much Attention Do You Want or Need?
    • Are you more behind-the-scenes?
    • Do you want to be known and recognized?

Depending on how you want to appear or want to be known, you’ll have to work on visibility and consistency more carefully if you’ll be more “out-front”. If you’re behind-the-scenes, you can turn down the amount of collateral you need. Any branding can still help with consistent company culture—which will come through in any interaction.

Take each of those bits and outline your next steps—do you need a new logo? A brand voice? A visual identity? A new mission and vision? Every branding guideline you cement now will help you stay clear and consistent in everything you choose to do for your brand in the future. (It definitely helps if you hire professionals, like Zipcode Creative.)

Now for the fun part: Getting everyone else on board. Grab your corporate branding “What, Why, and How” (see above!), and put it into a slide deck.

And THEN:

Steps To Get Your Team Onboard for A Corporate Rebrand

1. Gather Your Corporate Stakeholders

Everyone that’s necessary should be in the room where it happens. If they have decision-making power or vetoing power or both—they should be included in the process. A quick checklist of the most-wanted VIPs that should be invited to participate in your corporate rebranding:

  • Executives
  • Owners
  • Marketing Team (everyone!)

Executives have the ultimate power here. What they say goes. Of course, they’ve helped assemble the team, so they should be open to new ideas, especially when it’s backed by logic and possible ROI. (Plus—a better brand attracts better talent. According to Firstpost, 75% of job applicants say they evaluate employer brand and reputation before applying.)

The Marketing Team is the brains behind this corporate rebrand (yep, we’re heavy-handed with the flattery here). They see what’s going on in and outside of the industry, and they’re ready to make a move, but need a little more buy-in before they can sign the contract. They should be the main points of contact with any agency helping with the rebrand, too.

2. Showcase The Competition 

Next, find a competitor that has executed a successful rebrand—one that you like. Definitely choose one example inside the multifamily industry so it feels like you’re comparing apples to apples, and not something far beyond the achievable—and then choose one in an adjacent industry, like commercial real estate or hospitality to show some fresh ideas. 

When you showcase these branding strategies, highlight specific aspects and the reason behind its success. Then connect it with your corporate goals.

Employing visuals and case studies will also help bring home the point: If you were to rebrand your corporate side, you may be able to achieve the goals (higher retention) you’ve set out to accomplish. If nothing else, you’ve at least broached the topic, and this will set you up for further discussions around branding.

3. Prep For Next Steps

You’ve gathered the crew and you’ve shown off what thoughtful branding has done for the competition. When your stakeholders ask, “What now?” it’s your chance to jump into action.

Bring the proposals you’ve gathered from agencies you admire. Talk about their history, experience, and what they’ve said they can do for you—and at what cost. Outline how the investment in this now will help you reap dividends later.

Next, refer to relevant articles about rebranding. Send out links to webinars that outline the purpose, goals, and success from companies who have rebranded. Offer up our guide (see above!) with the what, how, and why of corporate branding.

Our team at Zipcode Creative helped Edison47 with a new custom corporate website with the goal of growth into third-party management. We enhanced the brand with clearer messaging and developed a visual identity, to better showcase their expanded offerings and capabilities and to build on the company culture they’d created. 

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A corporate rebrand is an all-hands-on-deck situation—we’re happy to help bring you to the discussion and decision zone with your stakeholders, and walk you through what a rebrand could look like (and do) for your corporate side. Reach out today!

Happy Maintenance Appreciation Month

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

It’s Maintenance Appreciation month! 

In the background of your apartment crew, and as the backbone of your community, your maintenance crew needs a little appreciation! They keep things running smoothly, often on call for your residents anytime there’s a repair needed. Thanks to their timely and tip-top service, your residents can keep calling home “home”. 

The time to celebrate them is today—make sure they’re credited for the hard work they do, and that your brand story isn’t told without them. (If you’re looking for resident appreciation, check here!)

Put a Face to the Maintenance Name

Are residents unfamiliar with your maintenance crew? Not anymore!

HIGHLIGHT MAINTENANCE IN MARKETING

If you haven’t already, start highlighting your maintenance staff with your leasing staff in your marketing. Everyone is part of the team, and they’re just as important to your community’s success. Showing them on your marketing, in brochures, or on the website as part of the team helps create familiarity for newer residents, prospects, or even for residents that haven’t needed maintenance repairs yet.

HUMANIZE YOUR MAINTENANCE CREW

Walking through the grounds of the community, residents will feel more comfortable when they recognize the folks who are taking care of the building and the grounds. It humanizes every one of your maintenance crew, and it helps them feel more accessible to your residents. They know who is likely coming to their apartment when they request service. That kind of connection can only be built up through authenticity and familiarity, which you can create by including them in your marketing.

Build Your Brand Story with Maintenance Appreciation

HELP TELL THE STORY

The story of your brand isn’t a single page. It’s a multitude of stories that all come together to create a tapestry of experiences. This includes your maintenance crew. Sharing about them firms up the story of your brand that you’re already telling. It shows what you value, and what you prioritize. When you connect their story with your history, mission, and/or values, you can get engagement from your prospects, and loyalty from your current residents. Telling a story is something that appeals to the masses—it’s not just about problems and solutions, it’s about the people who are helping solve those problems (and why they’re passionate about it).

SOLIDIFY YOUR BRAND PERCEPTION

If your brand is perceived positively, congratulations, you have a brand to protect and push forward. If your brand is thought of negatively, you have your work cut out for you. Either way, highlighting your maintenance shows where your priorities lie:

  • You care about the residents and their comfort
  • You value your staff (every one!) and want to keep everyone happy with quick maintenance fixes

How to Show Maintenance Appreciation

It’s not quite enough to post about maintenance staff on socials and include them on your team page or About Us page. Make sure you show your appreciation for maintenance with something tangible, too. (Think gifts!)

MAINTENANCE APPRECIATION GIFT IDEAS

Appreciating your maintenance team isn’t quite as simple as a thank you note—but a handwritten note of thanks would go really well with these gifts for your maintenance crew, who have gone above and beyond:

  • Branded swag (something they can use!)
  • Amazon gift cards to let them do the shopping
  • Beer or liquor to enjoy on their off days
  • Extra PTO—speaking of off days, this is a fantastic thanks for hard work or extra hours put in
  • New tools to make their work easier

If gifts aren’t really the best way to show it, then throw them a party! At the party, you can hand out awards, and even involve your residents to help show appreciation, since residents have the most to be thankful for when it comes to maintenance. Once you connect residents and maintenance, your community will be stronger for it—jokes exchanged and bonding over a party will help solidify the positive culture you’re working so hard to keep (or create).

MAINTENANCE AWARD IDEAS

In order to really recognize your crew going above and beyond—give out awards! Based on performance and dedication, you can determine the best categories and criteria. Here are a few of our ideas:

  • Jack of All Trades – A maintenance person who always goes above and beyond to resolve resident issues quickly and effectively
  • Handyman Hero – Someone who takes pride in their craftsmanship and shows exceptional skill
  • Customer Service Champ – Resident satisfaction scores always skyrocket after this maintenance staff member completes their work
  • Team Player Award – Someone who is willing to jump into any maintenance problem to help out
  • Innovator of the Year – Solutions outside of the box are the norm for this staff member
  • Safety Star – For this maintenance crew member, safety protocols are the name of the game
  • Rookie of the Year – Newbie alert! This staff member has made huge strides in their work in the community in a short amount of time
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – If a staff member has been around for a long while, unwavering in their dedication and service, this is the award for them

Happy-Maintenance-Appreciation-Month-Awards

FREEBIE ALERT! 

Submit this form and we’ll send you the downloadable award certificate graphics!

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Receive Maintenance Appreciation Awards in my Inbox!

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Your maintenance crew helps your apartment community be successful. It’s not the most glamorous job, but without a leaking tub fix or an air conditioner serviced on a hot day, your reviews might go down and your reputation can suffer. 

Your maintenance crew works hard—be sure to formally appreciate them this month (and any other month you like)!

Apartment Logo Design – Branding Ground-Up Developments

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Branding. 1 Comment on Apartment Logo Design – Branding Ground-Up Developments

Let’s talk apartment logo design. Logos are more than a symbol—they state something, particularly in multifamily brands. 

In this blog, we’ll let you into our creative process for logo design for new developments.


First, we provide multiple design options (with a little insight into the process and inspiration behind them) and the client gives us feedback.


In a typical process, we’ll hear from the owners, the developers, and the marketers. They all have a different valuable vantage point regarding how the designs may land with their ideal resident profile. 

And we have a pretty good vantage point, too, that we always work to share with the client. One example: The photo-realistic rendering. We get to show them what the property looks like to give context to the rest of the artistic choices we made. Once they understand the property build and interior design, the rest of the brand strategy can start to fall into place, and make sense from the inside-out (or the outside in)

As the designers and brand creators we then corral all the opinions into one, cohesive brand that would resonate with their target resident.

Developers and Branding

When working through branding for a new development, we have a lot of voices, opinions, and ideas, as we mentioned. There are pitfalls to branding, and you’ll have to take care to not fall into the these traps as the stakeholder:

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

Okay, we know it’s usually “cooks” but if we get too many voices and opinions, it’s going to be even harder to land on a consensus where everyone feels heard and happy. Find the most important opinions, and allow those to have more weight.

Missing the Forest for the Trees

Details are important. But when we’re creating a brand vibe, it’s the overall, overarching, general idea and feeling behind the images, the colors, and the textures. Please: Don’t throw out the entire idea because you’re not a fan of one stock image we chose.

Bottom line here? We know that developers have their finger on the pulse of the building—the product. And while we certainly take inspiration from the building itself, and the physical space and architecture, the marketers and designers should be given space to position the brand well.

Initial Concepts

With every brand development, we create preliminary brand style vibes for logo design. Whichever concept is chosen is then further developed into a fully fledged brand. Every concept leans on a different aspect of the information we’ve collected through research and discovery with the client:

  • Demographic (age, gender, marital status)
  • Location (Where’s the community, and what is the base-level of amenities provided?)
  • Jobs / Hobbies (Do they work nearby? Blue collar? White collar? What do they do in their free time?)
  • Purchasing Habits (Luxury vs. bargain; Research vs. Spend-Happy)

Each of these demographics are viable options to inform the brand vibe we create with the logo, palette, textures and photos.  Here, we explore the inspo, the vibe, and the client feedback that guided the ultimate decision. (And yes, we’ll reveal the “winner” at the end!)

Concept-1

Seabird

The new community development is an actual luxury, Class-A property with all the bells and whistles. We created a palm-bird logo mark and a relaxed, but trim vibe. The typography in the logo has all the makings of a private beach kind of style, but wasn’t ultimately deemed seaworthy by our stakeholders. 

Concept-3

La Boheme—at the Beach

Ripples and light dancing in the water. The tickle of pampas grass and palms. Sand. Miles of it. And crystal clear water. With natural beachy colors as well as a strong, but elegant sweep through the logo’s font, this concept was meant to feel like a Florida coastal vacation, but forever.

Concept-4

Eclectic Edge

Deep purples, A little haze. Plenty of dogs. A little early 90s combos of purple and blue. High contrast. And very much not bright blue, and no palm tree in the logo. We went counter to what was expected and did something different—a more abstract and lighthearted approach.

Concept-5

Lines in the Sand

The warmth of sand, the cool of tile, the weightlessness in pools, the evaporation of water droplets from your skin. This one is a whole feeling. Stripes make it preppy, playful dogs bring it levity. The light, yet bold typography in the logo is meant to appeal to both the young and the young-at-heart.

Concept-6

Grey’s Sun

Grey blue. A little chill in the air. Clean. So clean. This concept welcomed the viewer to fill in the blanks. Showing texture in design rather than photos. Showing part of an arch instead of the full picture.

Apartment Logo Design - Branding Ground-Up Developments

The Selected Direction: La Playa

Winner, winner, beachside dinner! This one was by far the most playful. Social gatherings, happy sunkissed dogs, with plenty of simplicity to show off the “easy life”. A few angles and a few interesting shadows show the interplay between night and day, while the organic textures and shapes recall a more improvised approach to life.

Feedback:

Further development and expansion on this one resulted in a beautiful brand that stood out, had an eye-catching logo, and worked to for the IRP the stakeholders wanted to reach.

Final Brand Style (and How…and Why)

Aspire Naples, which offers a breezy, idyllic lifestyle is dedicated to be the best to appeal to a community full of culture and curiosity. The youthfulness of the logo along with the combined brightness, yet earthiness or the color palette is one that will appeal to a wide range of residents.

Breaking up the word on the logo mark creates a modern feel, while the curve of the typography keeps it from being too stark. The (mis)alignment is playful and the black color keeps it clean.

Using modern and softened approaches for the logo meant the brand’s visual direction and vibe could, too. Pulling some old and some new ideas kept it balanced, particularly for reaching their wide demographic. 

By incorporating seemingly opposed elements (curved font and sans serif, black and white, organic materials and sharp shadow) the Aspire Naples brand captures the essence of a life filled with spontaneity and joy—one for residents to also aspire to.

Branding for Gen Z at Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024

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

At the Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024, multiple speakers are talking on how to attract Gen Z. Do you speak Gen Z’s language? Do you know what makes them tick…is TikTok really the only way?

Understanding how Gen Z interacts with brands—in this case, apartment brands—is integral to attracting them as a lead and capturing them as a resident. Your brand should work towards that goal. Understanding, creating strategies, crafting an experience, and building community through engagement are all part of the puzzle. The key here: 76% of Gen Z consumers state that they like to buy from brands that stand for a greater mission or purpose. That alone should tell you a lot about what they want from you—and how, in branding for Gen Z, you can make it clear to them.

Understanding Gen Z Residents

Gen Zers are independent thinkers. According to Forbes, “Gen-Z is well-known for holding deep convictions and high ethical standards.” They prioritize diversity and inclusion and are focused on maintaining both their mental health and keeping their finances in the black.

GEN Z FAST FACTS

  • Currently Ages ~12-27 (born 1997-2012)
  • Prefers access over ownership (streaming vs. CDs)
  • Attracted to brands with a story or purpose
  • Values social and political involvement; racial and social justice; sustainability
  • Spend 6+ hours daily on phone; check online for reviews before purchases; TikTok is the #1 app
  • Racially and ethnically diverse
  • Have completed more education than previous generations
  • Have the most pessimistic outlook of the future and highest prevalence of mental illness

(Sources: McKinsey; Pew Research; Forbes)

VALUE AND VALUES

Because of Gen Z’s situation in life, they’re prone to look for value (bang for their buck) and values (companies that share their care for social and environmental causes). Your apartment community must align with, or at least consider, Gen Z’s values and preferences as they create their branding. This is particularly true as Gen Z gets older, moves out of the house and into the city, works toward building a career, and looks for a home—which could be at your community.

Strategies in Branding for Gen Z

Being an authentic brand, meeting Gen Z where they are, and focusing on sharing values with them will help you reach this new generation of residents. Here’s how:

AUTHENTICITY

Gen Z will see right through your barely-propped-up values statement. You’ll have to state and act on the things that your community cares about, with full proof. Being an authentic brand is more than a mission/vision/values page. It’s the events you create, the companies you partner with, and the way that you celebrate specific holidays. Transparency is key here, because they’re going to see through you anyway. Your heart has to match your appearance! Need a little homework? See our 6 Steps to Authentic Branding in Multifamily here.

GO WHERE THEY ARE: SOCIALS

Screen time knows no limits with Gen Z. Get in front of them with social ads and a full-on social media strategy. At the Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024 we’re looking forward to a specific talk on Gen Z and TikTok. Use the info to your advantage and find a way to meet Gen Z where they are.

GO GREEN

“The earth is failing and humans are to blame.” — this could be said by practically any Gen Zer. The factors of zero waste and sustainability are huge in the Gen Z generation. How will your brand address this? What kind of sustainability measures is your community putting in place? Walking the walk here will especially get you brownie points with Gen Z. Living somewhere that shares your values is a kind of heartwarming feeling that could extend into the signing of a lease. (“They know what I care about most! They know me! This is home!”)

Create a Community Through Experiences (Sell a Feeling!)

Creating a branded experience is one thing. Creating a branded experience that actually resonates with Gen Z is an entirely other thing—and it could eventually create the culture of community in your apartments.

THE EXPERIENCE OF AMENITIES AND SOCIAL SPACES

Amenities and spaces must work within the values framework you’ve built. Because Gen Zers crave authenticity when interacting with brands, creating social spaces and community amenities that feel in line with what you prioritize will be important. For example, offering a coworking space as well as flexible home office space in your apartments could be helpful for a community brand that wants to support the next wave of entrepreneurs.

TECHNOLOGICAL INTERACTION 

Technological and digital updates or experiences you can add to the community can make you stand out among the competition. Gen Zers expect things to happen quickly, at the touch of a button. Having a beautiful website with branded messaging and aligned aesthetics makes it a full experience from home page to home sweet home.

Additionally, as Gen Zers spend more time on TikTok than any other group (and more time on their phones than most) work on leveraging user-generated content, get some hashtags going, and consider partnering with influencers to create a real-life feel to get more brand engagement from this target market.

As for digital marketing, make it personal. According to marketing tech company, SheerID, Gen Zers want personalized ads (preferred by 81% of Gen Zers vs. just 57% of Millennials). So start segmenting.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Your resident events and activities can speak volumes about your values—where your priorities are. Remember how we talked about being eco-conscious or zero-waste? Host a Fix-it Fair, or offer up electronics recycling a few times each year. Create fun resident events and activities that are centered around volunteering for the community.

Most of all:

Start rethinking your branding strategies to attract the next wave of residents. Get branding for Gen Z—be authentic, be personable, and live out the values you claim to have as a brand. 

(And probably don’t fake it till you make it. They’ll just know.)

Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024 Guide for Creative Marketers

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Marketing. 1 Comment on Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024 Guide for Creative Marketers

Multifamily marketers, the 2024 MSMS (Multifamily Social Media Summit) is just around the corner! We look forward to it every year. Attending a conference can be a huge investment, and planning out your personal schedule can help you see everything you want, and help you prioritize which after-hours events will help you make the connections your company needs most. As much as we love the literal wining and dining that comes with attending a conference in Napa Valley, there’s a wealth of multifamily knowledge to tap that could (maybe?) be more complex than the cabs here.

Make the most of attending 2024 MSMS with our super-quick picks of the best topics, speakers, and sponsors we think you should add to your must-see list. 

Thankfully, MSMS is set up in a way that you won’t miss a session—you don’t necessarily have to pick a track and jump back and forth between agendas. The group stays together! If however, you need to grab a nap, a snack, or get a little fresh air, you can follow our guidance and go see the speakers and topics we think will be most helpful for thoughtful branding and top-notch marketing of your communities.  

Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024 Top Topics


The 2024 agenda for MSMS is full of Gen Z-focused social media strategy and plenty of discussion of AI—how it can help (and we’d assume, how it might not).

Keynote speaker Jay Acunzo is a creative coach, author, and his mission is to “help others make what matters.” (Sounds like we might have something in common with him!)

Also, given that we’re focused on apartment brands, the other topics we’re most interested in seeing are:

How to Reimagine Storytelling for your Multifamily Properties to Increase Engagement, Drive Growth and Social Search

Workshop #4

Wednesday, March 20

4:45-5:30pm

With Lindsay Calabrese, General Manager, Creator Network at the Arena Group


Expected Takeaway:

  • Discover influential residents to collaborate and co-create together for mutual growth
  • Creative ways to partner with local small businesses to increase community engagement
  • Create engaging content to dominate social search

Why It’s Our Pick:
As an apartment brand-focused creative agency, we know copywriting is at the heart of your verbal identity. Finding new ways to creatively tell your brand’s story, quite simply, excites us!

The Urge to Act: How to Stop Shouting into the Void and Get Bigger Results with Content that Connects

Keynote

Thursday, March 21

9:15-10am

With Jay Acunzo, Cofounder, Creative Kitchen

Expected Takeaway:

  • How to compete on the power of your ideas, not the volume of your content
  • A storytelling structure to amp the efficacy of your words, wherever you show up
  • How to produce higher-impact content, without magically adding resources

Why It’s Our Pick:

Finding a way to connect with every segment of residents and leads is vital to a brand’s bottom line. Producing content that provides quality over quantity is a lesson anyone can draw from.

Google Tips and Strategies

Friday, March 22

11-11:45am

With Riva Akolawala, Account Manager, Google


Expected Takeaway:

  • Learn which key metrics to look for when assessing ads campaigns
  • What 3rd party Cookie deprecation in 2024 means for advertising
  • Enhanced Conversions FAQ
  • Best Practices for Google Ads: which assets and creative to use

Why It’s Our Pick:

Google continues to be the key to a powerful online presence, but using Google Ads can be overwhelming. With some guidance, your brand could capture your target resident using paid search.

Multifamily Social Media Summit 2024 Speaker Picks

There are a few to choose from, but these were the ones that stood out to us!
Our picks have a variety of experience, both steeped in the multifamily industry, and in parallel industries. We pulled the following speaker’s bios straight from the 2024 MSMS website:

Alex Abernathy

A 15-year industry professional, Alex Abernathy serves as Executive Vice President at Asset Living. His primary responsibility is overseeing global portfolio marketing efforts with both centralized national and specialized regional teams. Asset Living’s Marketing Service is a vital component of their company vision – continuing to serve our industry, communities, and partners as the most trusted partner in real estate. Asset Living employs over 7,000 real estate professionals and operates over 1,600 communities which consists of over 230,000 units.

Alex’s experience includes Multifamily, Student, Build-To-Rent, Affordable, Co-Living, and Active Adult, with industry knowledge and experience spanning 200+ real estate markets nationwide and international markets including Canada, Mexico, UK, Bahamas, Colombia, and UAE. Additionally, Alex dedicated two years to transforming a Houston-based software development firm into a full-service digital product / marketing agency, Poetic, specializing in Real Estate MarTech and Marketing Services.

Speaking on:

Wednesday – 2:30-5:30: Executive Summit on AI
Thursday – 2:45-3:30: Everything You Need to Know About TikTok

Delany Duke

Delany Duke serves as the Director of Digital Services at Landmark Properties – overseeing the social media and online presence of 80+ student housing properties across the US. Her team is an integral part of Landmark’s corporate marketing department, keeping a pulse on the everchanging world of social media marketing and creating easy-to-learn tools and methods for leasing professionals to utilize social media to increase their leasing velocity while creating meaningful customer experiences.

Delany began her career in student housing property management when she was a freshman at The University of Central Florida in 2014 – first as a part-time community ambassador and then as a full-time management position in new development marketing post-graduation. Throughout this time, Delany gained 5+ years of in-the-field leasing and marketing experience that allowed her to grow her knowledge of digital marketing and how proper implementation of social media strategy can positively influence your property’s brand exposure.

Speaking on:
Thursday – 3-3:45pm – Workshop #2: Gen Z – They’re Coming! Are You Prepared?

2024 Must-Visit Sponsors

Zipcode Creative – Besides coming to see us at the Zipcode Creative booth, there are few other folks (sponsors at 2024 MSMS) we think you’d enjoy talking with—not only are they friendly, but they also have awesome solutions for apartment marketers. (P.S. Our services partner really well with theirs.)

Revyse – This community is an incredible resource where you can shop vendors before wasting a second on a demo call! We use Revyse to start conversations with folks interested in our help!

Engrain – Their interactive sitemaps are awesome—many of our clients supply our beautiful 2D map files to them as a starting point. (It’s all coming together.)  

RESI – Known for their gorgeous websites, they’re able to make custom-looking branded sites (with all your brand style that we help establish) that still play nice with property management systems.

HyLy – Email and templates to reach your ideal resident? Hyly’s got it—and the branding we design for you is easy to fold in with their CRM system.

Apartment Geofencing – After we’re done making your branding beautiful, you can get on the advertising train with super-smart digital ads, getting in front of exactly who you want.

Show My Property – Visual branding—beyond your shiny new logo from us—needs beautiful photography to round out your marketing collateral. Enter: Show My Property.

Social Kapture – Steadily creating your community brand is easier with Social Kapture, with custom content and smart social media strategies. Establish your brand here and it will work hand-in-hand with your digital and physical collateral.

Organizing Your 2024 MSMS Schedule

Choose your top speakers and topics, write them down on a schedule. It’s easy to get blinded by the bright lights, but keep your focus and go to what you think will be most helpful for you and your company.

AFTER-HOURS EVENTS

A few questions to ask yourself before you say yes to that event invitation…
1) Does it align with your needs and what you’ve set out to accomplish at this conference?

2) Will it help you connect the dots and partner with a new vendor?

3) Will you meet other like-minded industry folks with similar roles who you can relate to / vent with?

Buuuuuut..let’s say you’re an introvert. Go for the smaller events. And definitely ask vendors personally what they may have going on.

If you’re an extrovert, maybe the larger events will work out better for you—more power to you!

Sometimes choosing the small after-hours events will help you make stronger, deeper connections because the gathering is more intimate, and you’ll be able to hold a conversation with the decision makers and the folks who want to connect with you (rather than woo you with fun parties). This can keep you from getting lost in the mix.

Can’t-Miss Events for the Quintessential Napa Experience


We’re so excited to be co-hosting two amazing excursions on the first and last days—they’re by invitation only, and they have limited space. If you’re interested in attending, please reach out ASAP!

Wednesday, March 20

Invite Only

10am – 1:30pm
Group Size: 40

Location

Meadowcroft Winery
Folktable Restaurant
Cornerstone Gardens

Hop on a bus with us from Meritage, then enjoy a glass of sparkling wine upon arrival to Folktable Restaurant & Meadowcroft Wines. Hearty appetizers will be served throughout as you sip white wine by the glass, and join a unique red wine-blending and bottling experience—you’ll also take home a custom labeled bottle as a souvenir. Mocktail tasting flights (with wines presented for smelling) will be available as an alternative. Attendees will then hear from Top Chef Contestant Chef Casey Thompson before touring the Cornerstone Gardens, weather permitting. The bus will drop visitors back off at the Meritage Hotel. (2.5 hour experience)

Friday, March 22

Invite Only

1pm – 8:30pm
Group Size: 45

Location

Turnbull Winery
The Saint Winery
Bottega Restaurant

Taking a bus directly from the Meritage Hotel, we’ll stop at Oakville Grocery for sandwiches, and eat en route to Turnbull Winery, where we’ll taste four special wines. Then we’ll stop at The Saint in St. Helena, tasting Night Wines (and others) while enjoying the venue for two hours. Dinner at Bottega in Yountville, with wine from Faust will round out the night, after which we’ll board the bus and return to the hotel. (7.5 hour experience)

The-Mica-Brand-Guide

Branding Apartment Emails for Prospects and Residents

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Branding, Graphic Design, Writing.

Your branding should be everywhere! It doesn’t stop with logos and brochures. You must bring your brand to every corner your communications and interactions reach, both digital and physical. And this certainly includes branding apartment emails for both prospects and residents of your multifamily community. 

Emails are the perfect opportunity to showcase your brand to 1) remind people who “already know” and 2) attract and inform the people who want to learn more. Well-branded emails both establish and reinforce your visual and verbal identity, creating a connection between what is seen, understood, and ultimately, what’s experienced by your residents.

We can hear you already: “But it’s just an email.”
Yes, and one sub-par or off-brand email can ruin the progress you’ve made with the rest of your branding efforts. Go all the way.

Now, for the how of emails with excellent apartment branding.

Branding Apartment Emails for Prospects

Prospects need to be wooed. Make sure you’re using the right words and colors and don’t scare them away.

WHAT’S THE SUBJECT?

The subject line you craft should absolutely reflect your community’s brand and values. Is your brand voice funny? Crack a short joke. Is your brand voice serious? Bring that to the subject line, too. Everything about the email, starting from the subject line (that’s meant to get your readers to open it) has to align and be true.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

Adding in the recipient name, either into the subject line or into the greeting in the email can be a way to grab attention, and get your email opened. It may also be in your best interest to segment your emails and send different versions out depending on where the prospect is in the funnel. But that’s more marketing than branding. Whichever version you send out, make sure you’re highlighting the goods.

HIGHLIGHT THE GOODS

What goods? Simply outline (your community as) the solution to your prospects’ problems. There’s almost nothing better than a good listener—finding the pain points and solving them with your messaging and reminding them that you exist and why you exist can get leads one step closer to signing a lease.

ADD THE ELEMENTS

Have the end in mind before you begin your branding apartment email. The colors, fonts, and craft headers and footers must work within your apartment brand guidelines in order for it to be recognized and perceived as your apartment community’s brand specifically. It’s not an afterthought, but it will come right after you’ve got your content and messaging down.

Branding Apartment Emails for Current Residents

The emails you send current residents aren’t for introductions. They’re a chance to underscore what you’ve been doing all along. Particularly for current residents. Use email to update residents with community news, events, and initiatives that reinforce your brand—and what you care about most.

CONSISTENCY

With consistency comes trust, and with trust, loyalty. That’s a key part of getting renewed leases. The expectation for specific colors, fonts, logos and messaging points becomes the standard. If you deviate from the standard, it could jar your residents and cut your brand consistency off at the knees.

TEMPLATE USAGE

Easy way to brand your emails for current residents? The wonderful email template. Save a few  versions, swap out the photos and content, and you are ready to go in a lot less time than it took you to create that first template. Don’t start from scratch every time. Time saver and it lowers the possibility that you’ll grab the wrong color or font.

STORYTELLING THROUGH BRAND NARRATIVES

Create your content outside of the email template and drop it in when it’s ready. By “ready” we mean it’s passed the verbal branding test. Does it sound like you? Does it communicate clearly? Does it include the thread of the brand narratives that you’re consistently weaving (thing values and vision)? If it doesn’t, take another crack at it before you drop it into the template. It’s a lot easier to edit and use comments from multiple users in document form, anyway.

EVERY EMAIL

Your community’s values and your brand’s mission should be tucked into every email, along with the visual aspects of your brand. Don’t take a day off. Don’t send an email that doesn’t look or sound like you, or it might get marked “spam”.

 

Email communication is your opportunity to insert your brand in the midst of your residents’ and prospects’ daily life. It shouldn’t be an afterthought, but instead, another extension of how far you can take your brand. Use it to strengthen relationships with current residents and to reach the people that don’t live at your community (yet).

 

Use your brand guidelines to create clear, consistent emails that could only ever be attributed to your community.

 

*The image in this post is ©Fairfield Residential  |  Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.

“Luxury” In Multifamily Has Gotten Tired

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Branding, Marketing, Writing. 1 Comment on “Luxury” In Multifamily Has Gotten Tired

We’re tired of luxury in multifamily. What once meant exclusive and the best-of-the-best, now seems surprisingly standard.

When multifamily overstates their offerings and over-inflates the descriptions of their usual or typical amenities, they’re not being truthful. And it doesn’t justify a super ridiculous rent increase, just because you’ve painted the cabinets and put in new countertops.

Problems with Claiming Luxury in Multifamily

Similar to the word “natural” in food packaging and marketing, there are no guidelines or rules around the use of the word “luxury” in the multifamily industry. It’s like hearing a movie is “must-see”, you go see it, and you come away from the theater annoyed and $15 poorer. When claiming an apartment community is “luxury”, there are no parameters, and suddenly it’s the dealer’s choice as to whether the community they’re advertising is actually luxury. There are at a handful of reasons using the term “luxury” for your apartments (when it’s not) is problematic; among them:

  1. Prospect Distrust
  2. Price Misalignment

PROSPECT DISTRUST

What they see (advertised) isn’t what they get? That sounds like a case of false advertising. When the prospect is shopping for a home, is attracted by the term “luxury” and comes to find an entirely different property class, quality level, and offering, there’s huge misalignment. The word “luxury” cannot be used for anything and everything. Being aware of your property class and branding accordingly will help your prospects get what they want, because it’s what they expect.

False advertising undercuts any rapport you can develop with your leads, and does not start the prospect relationship off on the right foot. Be upfront about what you offer. Be self-aware and be truthful. This doesn’t mean you can’t be creative—but you should still be clear on what kind of community you really are.

PRICE MISALIGNMENT

With everything costing a bit more than it used to, from groceries to housing—folks are on the lookout to find better deals and save money. If you use the term “luxury” there’s a decent chance that you’re either:

  1. Driving away people who could afford you—because they didn’t even get far enough to see the monthly lease cost; OR
  2. Attracting a clientele with very high expectations who will be disappointed with your offerings—because it’s not luxurious.

Work on reaching your ideal residents by being authentic with your brand, and telling the truth (by knowing what exactly you are and what you offer.)

Defining Luxury Properties

But what if you are a luxury apartment building? What if you do offer a lifestyle that goes far above and way beyond the typical?

Let’s figure out what luxury really means. (And while we’re at it, we’ll do a quick review of Class-A properties, too, to see how they align or compare.)

 

LUXURY

In general, luxury apartments offer high-end amenities, top-of-the-line finishes, and often expansive views from spacious balconies. They’re both conveniently located and bring convenience to the resident. Amenities of all sorts are found in the community that go above and beyond a pool and a clubhouse. If you have a pool and a clubhouse, you don’t get to automatically claim “luxe living”.

CLASS A

Typically Class A includes the highest-quality buildings on the market. This standard can vary depending on the city—but the buildings have typically been constructed within the last 15 years. The modernizing of a building through renovations may also help it become classified as Class A.

In short, luxury is more about the finishes, location, amenities, and square footage.

Class-A properties are merely defined by:

  1. Age of the buildings—constructed less than 15 years ago;
  2. Significant updates to an older building; and
  3. Quality (top-tier) building materials.

Instead of Saying “Luxury” in Multifamily…

As a creative agency, it’s basically our job to tell you: be more creative. Multifamily, we can do so much better than saying “luxury”. Instead of saying “Luxury apartments” because the community is nice, use other methods.

USE ACCURATE DESCRIPTORS

Let’s kick the age-old “luxurious” and “sparkling pool”. Don’t even think about using “unique.” That doesn’t tell me anything different than the next community. Pivot. Focus on the special things you offer to your target resident.

Instead of “luxury” say “grand” or “indulgent”—if it really is.

Instead of “sparkling” pool, try describing it by the actual shape— “geometric” or “lap” or “oversized” to paint the full picture.

Instead of “state-of-the-art fitness center” be truthful—you don’t have 20 Pelotons in a row—or focus on the positives, like the fact that it’s open 24 hours or offers classes.

Most of all, use your messaging to create a picture for your leads. Beautiful photos help, too. (Show before telling.)

EMPLOY SOCIAL PROOF

Don’t just take our word for it. You’ll need to include other voices in your marketing, too.

Testimonials – Get a few residents that you know love your community. Have them share their favorite parts about the community. You’ll see amenities make the list here, and that will help leads latch on to what’s important for them, too.

Reviews – One-star and two-star reviews are a scary thing for any business—keep an eye on your review sites and see what kind of five-star reviews you can garner and share on your printed materials as well as on your website. When leads are concerned about finding “the truth” this is where they’re going to look.

Social Media – When everyone else goes “fake” you can go real. Give a few behind-the-scenes glimpses, and put some of your staff on camera to help answer FAQs. Repost photos and videos you’re tagged in. Participate and respond to connect with leads and current residents, and to give a better “concierge style” that extends beyond the front desk or leasing office.

CREATE A TRUE LIFESTYLE BRAND

Going for an “It’s super nice and you should live here!” vibe? Figure out how your brand would say it. In its brand voice. To its ideal residents. Creating a lifestyle brand apartment community can extend out to how you look and how you talk about yourself.

Community Sitemaps: The Most Beautiful and Compatible Solution

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

Are community sitemaps glamorous? They certainly can be. A well-designed property sitemap is a beautiful and useful tool for your multifamily community. At Zipcode Creative, we’ve mastered the art of community sitemaps, knowing they’re key for communities to secure leases and show their professional side.

Why Our Community Sitemaps Are the Best

Not all community sitemaps are created equal. Some are basic and can lead prospects on an unintentional scavenger hunt. (Where is that dog park?) Others are clear, colorful, beautiful, and can be used in partnership with other helpful options, like interactive web-based solutions. Let’s dig into why choosing Zipcode Creative for your community sitemap might be the best choice you make for marketing your units.

BEAUTIFUL

There’s something about a well-drawn, beautifully colored sitemap that makes us feel at ease. A map that’s well labeled, correct, and attractive draws the eye, and will likely draw in your prospects, no matter where you put it, from the leasing office to the welcome packet. What’s our secret sauce? We’re a team of designers—so we know how to choose colors that work, icons that are clear, and fonts that are just right.

COMPATIBLE

Our 2D sitemaps are best printed as handouts or signage. They aren’t an interactive web solution, BUT they ARE compatible with providers who do create interactive sitemaps. For example, Engrain or Beans.ai can take our vector-based design files and pull out exactly what they need to work their magic in making the sitemap interactive. These interactive sitemaps can work wonders on your property website or on a tablet or touchscreen in your leasing office.

USEFUL

We’ve talked about how useful sitemaps are, right? The best way to help both your prospect and your new residents feel at ease is to give them the literal lay of the land—through a sitemap. By providing a comprehensive view of the way the property is laid out, they’re more likely to explore everything that’s available to them. (Not just a pretty picture anymore, is it?)

How Sitemaps Are Helpful for Leasing

Your prospect is about to sign a lease. They pause, pen on the line, and look at the sitemap. They see where their apartment is. They see how close the pool is. They see the clubhouse and the tennis courts. They scribble their signature and voila, you have a new resident.

FOR PROSPECTS AND NEW RESIDENTS

For both prospects and new residents community sitemaps help them understand the property layout at a glance and give an overview of the property. Things like how many units there are, how far away the dumpsters are, or where their parking spot is are all revealed with a sitemap. Have it on hand for lease signings to help close the deal, too.

TOUR ASSISTANT

As self-guided tours continue and in-person tours resume, a sitemap helps guide the touring prospect to the available unit. For both guided and independent tours, knowing where they are in relation to the clubhouse helps them focus on other important bits, like how often one can expect resident events. The sitemap should point out the leasing office, and other relevant areas (the BBQ area, the basketball court, the garages, the dog park, the pool)—any area amenity that might have drawn them to your community should be listed and identified.

A sitemap creates a sense of welcome for your new resident—when you provide a printed version, you can circle their unit, their parking spot, and how best to get to the leasing office or clubhouse from their door. It’s similar to arriving at a resort—the front desk always gives you the lowdown on where things are and when they’re available.

Community Sitemaps: The Perfect Marketing Tool

Sealing the deal, yes—but also getting them in the door to begin with? An excellent use of a sitemap.

SHOW THEM THE STUFF

Sitemaps are an ideal visual representation of your multifamily community. With the easel set up, community sitemap on display, you can show visually which units are leased or reserved—this is perfect for pre-leasing (set up a little supply-demand) a new construction. Use the sitemap in your:

  • On a 2’x3’ sign 
  • In your welcome packet
  • Brochures or handouts

Use it on your website, too. That’s where prospects are going to find out more. Everytime you put the sitemap out, you’re showcasing everything (external) that’s good about your space: Green areas, trees, community amenities, ample parking, and accessibility.

By helping visualize the overall appeal of the property, you can generate interest from prospects. Get their attention and increase the number of inquiries that you may get from potential residents.

Zipcode Creative Sitemap Options

We at Zipcode Creative offer two distinct property sitemap options. Both in full color, they differ in where the details are drawn from; one’s high-end and one is more basic. They are both beautiful—but we’ll let you see that for yourself.

COMMUNITY SITEMAP (GOOGLE MAPS)

Our (satellite view) Google Maps-based property map showcases building units, the clubhouse, your interior and outdoor amenities, parking, landscaping and more.

Community Sitemaps Simple

COMMUNITY SITEMAP (ARCHITECTURAL)

This one is based on your architectural plans or blueprints. It showcases building units, the clubhouse, your interior and outdoor amenities, parking, landscaping, and more. If we can, we’ll include the interior layout of the clubhouse, too.

Multipurpose A4 format minimalist flat lay Mockup

Is Zipcode Creative “The Sitemap Agency”?

Well, yes and no. You might be tempted to start thinking of us as the “sitemap people” but that’s far from everything we do. We’re capable of so much more. Why do so many people come to us for sitemaps? It’s our designer eye. It translates into technical maps just as well as logos and social media graphics.

But sitemaps are the least of what we do. We’re realllllllly into branding. If your apartment community isn’t a brand, we are here for you.

BRANDING IS OUR MAIN JAM

The branding work we do begins and ends with multifamily. It’s our jam.
Naming apartments? Absolutely. Coming up with brand identity statements? Of course. Crafting color palettes, fonts, and logos that signify all that is Your Brand? Our favorite. We love to take apartments and help guide them into becoming a full-on lifestyle brand. Let’s get busy creating. 

And if you need a sitemap in the mix, we’ll do that too.

Ways You’re Breaking the Graphic Designer’s Heart

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

Every time you open a word doc to create a design, a graphic designer knows and sighs. Unbreak every graphic designer’s heart by knowing the rules, best practices, and really, the greatest guidance for your multifamily designs.

With graphic design, it’s easy to make “mistakes”—but the worst part of making those mistakes is that a whole lot of other people are going to see those mistakes as well, when you put them on your flyers, your mailers, your postcards, and your banners. (Let’s hope they don’t end up on a billboard.)

Here are the mistakes we most commonly see. Don’t get down if you’re doing these, but…definitely commit to either fixing them or finding a graphic designer who already knows how to avoid these mistakes.

Image-Choice

#1: Poor Image Choice

Whether stretched, squished, or cropped improperly, forcing a photo to fit in a space it can’t is bound to look strange. It looks unprofessional and will turn off the viewer pretty quickly.

DISTORTION/STRETCHED IMAGES

Stretching the image because you don’t know how to crop? Start learning! Often an email builder requires a specific image dimension. Stretching an image to fit is never a good look.

Do this instead: Crop or use clipping masks to help it fit into a space or shape. No distortion, no problem. Be sure to follow the rule of thirds as you crop, too.

BAD STOCK PHOTOS

This one isn’t hard to fix. But it’s sometimes hard to avoid if you’re not experienced with the wide set of options for stock. There are so many better stock photo options now. Avoid becoming a meme-worthy brand—avoid the stock photos that look like stills of the “Before” videos in infomercials..the woman opening a cabinet full of tupperware lids, the man cutting his hand on a can lid, the elderly lady getting tangled in a blanket. 

Do this instead: Find better stock photos by paying for them and finding ones that look like natural people—i.e. not a white backdrop in front of an overly emotive person. Out with the ‘cheese’, in with the authenticity.

Typefaces

#2: Too Many Typefaces

Repeat after us: The typefaces you use should be no more than three in number, and should visually complement each other when used in the same design. Again, no more than three types of font.

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FONT PSYCHOLOGY

This one is so complicated, we did a whole blog post on font psychology. There’s plenty to consider when choosing a font. Serif, sans serif, script, decorative. And choosing one that will align with your brand (and what you want to communicate) is vital. When you have more than three fonts, it may make the viewer feel a little ill at ease.

Do this instead: Choose three fonts max. One of our favorite tips is to use one font and choose a few different weights (thin, semi-bold, extra bold, and the like). And pay attention to how you’re using the fonts—with a proper hierarchy of headline, sub-heads, and body text.

Color-Contrast

#3: Bad Colors

Certain color combinations remind us of specific types of things. Red and yellow? Fast food and hotdogs. Green and yellow? Cheeseheads.

Colors impact what we feel, pretty easily. Did you know, for example, that red is associated with strong, passionate feelings—cupid’s hearts (or depictions of the devil) anyone? Color psychology is very real and should definitely be a factor when you’re creating any of your graphic designs. And make sure they fall within or work well with your community brand’s color palette.

BAD CONTRAST

Beyond color choice, the contrast must also be considered. The text on the background must be readable—it can’t be dark if the background is dark, and it can’t be too similar to the color in the background.

TOO BRIGHT/JARRING

Think neon’s fun? Make sure you’re using something to offset it. If you use too many different colors (kind of like using too many fonts) it will cause visual chaos.

Do this instead: Take some time to understand the color wheel and make smart color pairing choices, ensuring that you keep the variety to a minimum and include varying shades of light to dark to accomplish your goals.

#4: Busy Busy Busy

Speaking of visual chaos, you also have to determine which elements you’re going to use and which ones should be the most important. You must create a visual hierarchy in order to broadcast the message you need to.

NEGATIVE SPACE

Leave a little room for imagination. This can help you give the viewer a sense of relief—there’s room to breathe. Negative space also makes the important things stand out more. Similar to the idea of contrast, the empty space highlights the things that are there.

WORDS VS. IMAGES

Use both words and images, allowing images to speak plenty, and keeping the text to the minimum of what’s required to tell your message.

Do this instead: If you’re creating a piece with both typography and imagery, the images should take precedence. As they say, they’re worth a thousand words. Much more space-efficient, right?

WORDS VS. IMAGES

Use both words and images, allowing images to speak plenty, and keeping the text to the minimum of what’s required to tell your message.

Do this instead: If you’re creating a piece with both typography and imagery, the images should take precedence. As they say, they’re worth a thousand words. Much more space-efficient, right?

#5: Wrong Again

Designing in a bubble? Pop the bubble and make sure someone else sees it before it goes to print to prevent any easily edited mistakes to be fixed

THAT’S JUST WRONG

You forgot to proofread? Oh, no. Now your whole design is for nothing. When folks find a typo, that’s all they can think about. Make sure you have a second and third set of eyes on it. Sometimes it’s not even that a word is misspelled or misused, but rather that a letter has a design effect on it that has made it appear like something else. Get a second opinion, always.

TRENDS OR TIE IT ALL TOGETHER?

Trendy is fun. Not necessarily timeless. However: all designs must work with the brand identity. (If you don’t have a brand identity, be sure to get one!) If you have a trend that could work with your brand identity and it’s not super distracting, by all means—catch the ideal resident’s eye!

Brightly colored minimalism is fun, and asymmetrical layouts are intriguing. There’s certainly a right way and wrong way to use these—use your designs to tie everything together.

Do this instead: Working through your visual identity and ensuring it all aligns will be best for your visual identity’s longevity. Find your style, and do your best to stick with it.

Bottom line here is, if you’re DIY-ing your designs, any mistakes you’ve made…you did it to yourself. 

Let us save you from poor design choices by guiding you in the right direction; we’ve been doing it long enough to spot mistakes a mile away! 

Contact Zipcode Creative for graphic design without breaking anyone’s heart.

Resident Appreciation Month is Here and it’s Marketing

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

February is Resident Appreciation Month! Fewer people are buying homes, so while staying in a community is the path of least resistance—it should be more than that. Residents renewing their lease should be filled with comfort! Multifamily communities everywhere should be preparing for this (and have some portion of their budget to dedicate to it, as well.) 

The truth? Without your residents, you’d be an empty building—so it’s time to bolster your resident experience and boost your resident referral program. And give a few gifts while you’re at it! Have fun with it and make this a month to remember, and set the tone for the way you appreciate residents the rest of the year.

The Rationale Behind Resident Appreciation

You might be thinking: They live here, we fix what needs fixing, we have an easy-to-use online portal—why do we have to do more for them? Remember—your resident appreciation costs are marketing expenses! This is because it’s all part of your big genius marketing ploy to retain residents and attract new ones. Still want some ideas? We got you:

REMIND YOUR RESIDENTS

This is home for your residents—not just a unit! You were the community of choice for some reason or another. The hope is that your multifamily brand attracted them and your customer service (rooted in your brand’s mission and vision) kept them there. This is an opportunity to help them remember why they chose to live at your community, and you can sweeten their “remembering” when it comes time to renew the lease.

You can also remind your resident of you who are at your core. Your brand is gentle, eco-conscious, and modern? That zero-waste-experimenting resident will appreciate being reminded that your “Fix It Group” is gathering in the clubhouse later that week.

How to Show Your Residents Appreciation

GIVE A GIFT

This doesn’t have to be something exorbitant. But thoughtfulness is great. You can communicate appreciation for your residents through gifts. Get creative, but try to give them something they would want. From a gift card to a local coffee shop to a little treat, here are some simple and effective ideas:

#1 Locals Only – Gift Card to Local Spot

A gift card to the coffee shop around the corner? Perfect. It helps you nurture your neighborhood relationships, and spotlights the best things in your community.

#2 Sweet Things – Grab-and-go Goodies
Valentine’s Day is also in February, so put out a self-serve candy bar with cute bags in the lobby. Brand the bag with your logo, and add a note that says, “Having You Here Sure is Sweet!”

#3 Taking Care of Business – Small Plant
And taking care of a small succulent or little plant in a pot is an adorable way to add life to an apartment for your residents, and remind them that you hope they’ll thrive in your community, too.

Resident-Appreciation-Month-Referral-Flyer

BETTER EXPERIENCES = BETTER RENEWAL RATES

It’s not a like-for-like comparison, but wouldn’t you rather do business with a brand that is well-known for its responsiveness and outstanding customer service? Taking your residents into account when you make updates and launch initiatives is going to create a kind of “gift that keeps on giving”. Consider a few value adds:

  • Streamlining a maintenance system, creating an option that’s less intrusive
  • Retrofitting the apartments for energy efficiency (great for eco-conscious and budget-conscious residents alike)
  • Upgrading to smart home tech with doorbell cameras and touchless key entry systems
  • Adding or upgrading the dog park (if Fido’s happy, everyone’s happy)

 Everything we listed above can and likely will be added to the “Pros” side of the pro-con list they may be making when deciding to renew! Tilt it in your favor.


1: You have a resident referral program and it’s working well.
Nice! Keep it up. And remind your residents what they can get from you when they refer a friend successfully.

2: You have a resident referral program and it’s not really working.

Time to revamp. Offer something a little better and market the rewards with branded materials. Include plugs for the program in your emails to residents, and in flyers for welcome packets.

3: You don’t have a resident referral program.
This is a perfect opportunity for you. Hone your brand message and try kicking off the referral program with an event. “Bring a Friend for a Barbecue!” or “Happier Hour With Friends.” (The trick is to plan an event that residents and their friends would want to attend.)

When you have events or advertise your program, ensure there’s enough reason to support the resident’s referral (they must love it there and/or the reward must be great!) and there must be reason enough for the referred friend to want to live there, too. Referral programs aren’t one-size-fits-all, but you can check our blog for more detailed ideas behind expanding your word-of-mouth.

Resident Appreciation Recipes for Success

Equal parts brand consistency and clarity will get you to the next level with your resident appreciation. This means that everything—giveaways, events, and reward flyers must be branded and tell the same story lof how your community has solved the problems of its residents and it will continue to do so. And when your research leads you to a specific IRP you can get that much more specific with your branding and your messaging.

Need extra help? Reach out to Zipcode Creative—we appreciate your residents, too. 

Apartment Brand Design—Behind the Scenes

Written by Stacey Feeney on . 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.

1-Brand-Voice

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!

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

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

2-Logo-Concept-3

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.

2-Logo-Concept-4

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

2-Logo-Concept-5

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

2-Logo-Concept-6

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

3-Style-Concept-1

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. 

3-Style-Concept-2

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.

3-Style-Concept-3

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.

3-Style-Concept-4

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.

3-Style-Concept-5

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.

3-Style-Concept-6

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.

The-Mica-Brand-Guide

Naming Apartments for SEO and Intrigue

Written by Stacey Feeney on . 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 . 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.

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#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 . 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.

How to Spend Your 2024 Multifamily Marketing Budget

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.

2024 Multifamily Marketing Budget Vision Board

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 . 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 SpacesBring Excitement to Physical Spaces 2

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

Multifamily Branding – How to Get an Edge in 2024

Written by Stacey Feeney on . 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

Social Media Apartment Marketing—Three Ways

Written by Stacey Feeney on . 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 . 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 . 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.

Police-Branding

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.