MHN Executive Council: Unique (And Successful) Marketing Campaigns
Out-of-the-box ideas to help you get those apartments leased or get your company name out there.
Sometimes when you’re marketing apartment communities or your company, you need to get a little creative. Are you stuck in a rut with your campaign ideas? Use the MHN Executive Council’s examples for inspiration.
Become a Thought Leader
To mark our 35th anniversary we launched a white paper series that refreshed design principles originally published in my book, “The Art of Space.” These seven fundamentals of design are the hallmark of our firm’s approach, so we designed the series to highlight how each principle still contributes to creating interior spaces that yield measurable returns.
Over the course of several months, we drilled down into each fundamental with the latest research, trends and examples based on our experience to illustrate relevance and value. The white papers, which were digitally distributed to all of our stakeholders on a regular basis, differentiated us as thought leaders and were leveraged for broad exposure through media interviews, byline articles and speaking opportunities. The papers also generated evergreen content for our website and solidified our foundation for messaging with our ongoing business development activities. —Mary Cook, President, Mary Cook Associates
Your Job is Property Manager. He’s just Ken.
2023’s Barbie was all at once nostalgic and modern, bringing in every generation into the lovable Barbie World, sharing insights into the world of embracing and pursuing your dreams as a woman. I wanted to bring this same passion and spirit to the world of multifamily.
This LinkedIn campaign launched the fictitious “Property Management Barbie–She’s organized, tech savvy, a team player and a people motivator. And check out all her accessories!” Complete with her sassy outfit, laptop and property keys, she was ready to conquer any property management hurdle. This creative campaign in 2023 quadrupled our social reach on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This campaign drew instant success, with people engaging through their love of Barbie and an authentic real estate industry. Immediately, people began to ask for more multifamily Barbies. I created a total of nine, strategically inclusive of varying aesthetics, ethnicities and skill sets including Director of Training Barbie, Assistant Manager Barbie, Leasing Specialist Barbie and Maintenance Barbie. These diverse characters, along with their individual styles, abilities, and accessories, became a social media sensation. With a record number of comments, shares, reposts, and tags, it became clear that women in the real estate industry take an immense amount of pride in what they do, and this campaign brought it to life. —Stephanie Anderson, Senior Director, Grace Hill
Major Prize
Back in 2009, when the markets were offering two to three months free, we purchased a new car and then entered anyone who did a tour at any of our properties into a raffle to win it. We ran the campaign for four months and generated an amazing amount of traffic and leases. It really got us through the hardest part of the recession and it was fun for the properties as we put the car on each site for five to seven days so prospects could see it. The energy it generated was fantastic.
The winner ended up being someone who had leased an apartment at one of our properties and whose car had recently fallen apart and she needed transportation to her job to keep it. Such a win-win! —Daniel Ford, Director of Asset and Property Management, The Clear Blue Company
