‘What Renters Want’ with Jessica Fiur: The Super Bowl Blackout and Generating Ideas for your Multifamily Community

So, did anyone watch anything interesting this weekend? (And, no, Girls doesn’t count because I don’t like that show, and Downton Abbey doesn’t count because I don’t watch it.) You know what I’m getting at: It was the Super Bowl! And, while from a commercial standpoint it was a little disappointing (besides a clydesdale that made me cry), it was a pretty exciting game. The 49ers came back in the second half and put up a good fight. And Beyonce—and the Destiny’s Child reunion—were awesome. (Side note—how do you dance in 5-inch heels? I can barely avoid tripping while I’m wearing sneakers. And walking.) Oh, and there was a little technical difficulties…

A power outage. In the middle of the Super Bowl. The most-watched television event of the year. And game was delayed for more than half an hour.

Photo credit: thefw.com

Oops.

Eventually, the lights came back on, and the players went back out onto the field. It was annoying. (Although, probably not for the 49ers, who made a major comeback after the blackout.) Someone probably got in a lot of trouble. But it wasn’t the end of the world.

So, something to keep in mind when you’re trying out a new marketing plan or a new technology platform or a new resident program at your community, right?

Why not try something out of the box? You want to try something new with social media, but you’re not sure if it’ll work? You want to integrate all your residents to an online platform for paying rent but you’re afraid not everyone will support it? What about that new green feature that might cost more upfront?

Why not? What’s the worst that could happen? The program isn’t a success and you go back to what you were doing before. Or something doesn’t work and you make some adjustments and fix it. And maybe you’ll have a brand new idea that increases resident retention, increases your social media presence, or makes your community a better place.

Or maybe it’ll be a huge failure. You’ll never know until you try.

And, even if it your idea is a total failure, at least you didn’t cause a blackout during the Super Bowl.

-Jessica Fiur, News Editor