Seniors Housing Business is the magazine that helps you navigate the evolution of the seniors housing industry.
Issue link: https://seniorshousingbusiness.epubxp.com/i/484276
rate. (Yes, less than 1 percent vacancy) The waiting list to get into a Legacy community is nearly 100 people long. Legacy is defnitely an outlier, focusing solely on huge, pub- lic events, but event marketing should be part of every operator's strategy to build occupancy, says Dave Martino, chief creative off- cer for the senior living division of Minneapolis-based Bluespire Marketing. "Event marketing is a methodol- ogy whereby we can create a safe selling environment. It's the frst experience that a potential resi- dent will have with your particu- lar product or service or building," says Martino. "The role that event marketing plays is to give a pros- pect that very frst glimpse of what life is like in a place where, given the option, they'd generally prefer not to make the living transition." Events are a great opportunity to break down false impressions, showcase the campus for potential residents and their adult chil- dren, and hope- fully have them all walk away with a positive impression, says Martino. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Lifespace Com- munities has made events the bread and butter of its marketing efforts at the 12 seniors housing communities it operates in seven states. Kimberly Hulett, vice presi- dent of sales and marketing for the company, says Lifespace puts more effort into events than any other marketing effort, including billboards and print or television advertising. "The sooner [potential resi- dents] experience the lifestyle, the shorter the sales cycle becomes," says Hulett. "At the end of the day, it's the residents, the feel of the community and the experience of the community that's going to help them make that decision." Once the event is over, though, it's important to sustain the momentum. Metrics matter Seniors housing, and indepen- dent living in particular, has one of the longest lead cycles of any industry. On average, it takes 18 months from the time someone is classifed as an independent living lead to that person becoming a resident, according to Dave Dunn, public relations manager, and Randy Eilts, vice president of pub- lic relations, both of Kansas-based senior living marketing frm GlynnDevins. "How you get from attending an event to occupancy is through relationship building and a number of touches beyond that event," says Eilts. "It takes eight to 11 touches with that prospective resident before he or she makes that decision." Eilts says many seniors hous- ing communities use customer relationship management (CRM) software that enables them to track the progress of leads and com- municate with the lead regularly to keep that senior progressing toward residency. Tracking and communica- tion begins with a "thank you" notifcation when a lead RSVPs for an event. That's followed Proper event planning minimizes logistical headaches Planning an event is a big undertaking, whether it's a small speaking engagement for a limited number of people or a gala hosted by Legacy Retirement Communities in Lincoln, Neb., that draws thousands. The frst step is to determine the community's strengths, and then build the event to showcase those advantages, says Dave Martino, chief creative offcer for the senior living division of Minneapolis-based Bluespire Marketing. For example, if the resident population skews toward more old and frail residents, the event should not focus on an independent living lifestyle. "Operators should really look at their pros- pects and decide whether people move into their community for healthcare reasons, future healthcare support, lifestyle choices or if there's some other driver," says Martino. "Once you've identifed those key characteristics, you can come up with event ideas that really take advantage of what your core strengths are and that allow you to connect better to the marketplace." Kimberly Hulett, vice president of sales and marketing for Des Moines, Iowa-based Lifespace Communities, segments events into three categories: n Lead-generating events meant for frst-time visi- tors — These might include educational seminars, guest speakers or lifestyle events to showcase the community. The event should provide some beneft to the greater community to attract new people. n Conversion events designed to move existing leads closer to a fnal decision — These are much smaller, featuring a selected group of cur- rent leads, and are exclusively about lifestyle. Current residents also attend these events, allowing leads to "try the community on for size" or learn about it from a resident's perspective. n Hybrid events that blend lifestyle and educational aspects — At these events, new leads, existing leads and current residents can all interact. Once the type of event is determined, promotion is required to bring the new leads in the door. Lifespace, like many communities, purchases lists of age- and income-qualifed leads and then approaches them with direct mail pieces. Direct mail is one area where Lifespace differ- entiates itself from the rest of the seniors housing industry, says Hulett. Based on research show- ing seniors respond best to mascots such as the Afac duck or Geico gecko, Lifespace events often incorporate some sort of fun cartoon character. "We do very quirky, very fun direct mail pieces that are meant to be different," says Hulett. "It's increased our response rate signifcantly." Martino says organizers should make sure to include a web component as well, such as including a URL where leads can RSVP online. "If somebody gets a mailer at home and it catches their eye, the frst thing they're going to do is look it up online. Seniors are online in droves, and so are their adult children." The logistics of the event itself can quickly turn into problems as well. Since their events began drawing people by the thousands, Legacy Retire- ment Communities had to start planning for off-site parking and shuttles, says CEO Greg Joyce. Management was taken by surprise and overwhelmed during the frst year of hosting big events, but experience and careful planning have made for effcient events that cause minimal dis- turbance to the residents. "It's just down to a sci- ence. By 2 p.m., you would never know anything happened in the building." The smooth running of an event can be the difference between a lost lead and future resident. Attendees of a well-run event let their guard down, says Joyce. "They feel valued all of a sudden. They don't feel like part of a market." — Jef Shaw "How you get from attending an event to occupancy is through relationship building and a number of touches beyond that event," says Randy Eilts, vice president of public relations, GlynnDevins. "A good benchmark is that out of every 100 leads, operators should expect 10 appointments and, eventually, one to fve residents," says Dave Dunn, public relations manager, GlynnDevins. Lifespace Communities increased its event attendance by using eye-catching direct mail pieces, like this one designed by the GlynnDevins marketing team. www.seniorshousingbusiness.com 55 February-March 2015 n Seniors Housing Business