Marketing Reality

In Senior Housing

By Erica Rascón on Oct 27, 2015 in Marketing

Traditional senior housing marketing—idyllic stock photos and expertly crafted text– no longer stands out to prospects. A growing trend reveals the power of marketing that features real residents, their quotations, and their experiences at the community.

Yardi client, Senior Star, is far ahead of the trend. The company made the decision to focus on resident-centric marketing more than 15 years ago. Letitia Jackson, Vice President of Corporate Engagement, explains, “We could think of no one better to represent what Senior Star does, why we do what we do, and who we serve.”

Senior Star rarely uses stock images. A good stock image gains popularity and circulates throughout websites targeted towards seniors. Brands become indistinguishable. Jackson says, “We believe this may have a detrimental impact on organizational credibility.”

In contrast, custom images add value to the prospect’s online experience. Branding is reinforced: the logo on staff uniforms, the color scheme in interior décor, and most importantly, faces that the prospects will recognize once they visit the site.

Real residents come with genuine ties to the local community, which is a major win in most cases. “There is much to be said for the value in the local markets of a resident’s influence,” says Jackson. “Most communities in the industry have a resident or two who is well known or even a local celebrity.   We know the power reviews carry; a resident who is known locally and is used in our advertising may be perceived as providing a tacit endorsement.”

The same rings true for staff. “In addition to using residents, we also use actual Senior Star associates.  It creates a degree of confidence and an early connection when someone who is considering our community actually encounters and recognizes an associate they’ve ‘met’ in our ads or brochure,” Jackson says.

The custom images also carry other advantages. Anja Rogers, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at Senior Star, has witnessed how custom images change resident morale. “Using actual resident photos brings pride and energy to the community, inside and out,” she says.

Preparation for the photo shoot or commercial is a rare opportunity for most residents to experience their 15 minutes of fame, some for the first time. An ordinary day becomes extraordinary.

“On photo shoot days, we make it an all-day affair,” recalls Rogers. “From special chairs, to makeup artists, to photographs framed with ‘a star is born.’ A great time is had by all! You get to hear life stories and watch residents truly come to life on film. There is so much emotion! Seeing three and four generations interact while snapping a great picture of a daughter hugging her father–when perhaps their last professional photo together was her wedding day–it’s priceless. It is the experience and the marketing materials are made!”

The decision to use real residents in marketing isn’t always easy. Residents may take a while to warm up to the camera. Sometimes shoots are rescheduled for health concerns.

“Another consideration is how important it is to remain current.  The loss of a resident is a sad and sometimes difficult reality in our industry. It is important to be sensitive to the impact that an ad featuring a resident may have on a family that has experienced the loss of a loved one,” says Rogers.

Finding the right professionals poses another challenge. Seniors are a unique group and not all photographers have the social skills needed to serve them. “It is important to choose the professionals who will handle the shoot carefully; that is the biggest challenge,” Rogers says.

Yet the marketing team’s efforts have been well worth it. Jackson says, “While we have not done any formal measurement regarding the response to the use of residents in our advertising, I can tell you that the response has been positive. The families of our residents are proud to share our information when their parents are included, which proved to be an unexpected benefit.  Referral partners are able to recognize their former clients or patients.”

The real marketing also resonates with the generation that is currently being served. Rogers explains, “We are a very transparent company, and that includes advertising. We learned this from the Greatest Generation,” she smiles. “They did not want ‘models.’ They wanted real faces, real experiences. We remained in constant battle with [the residents], looking for the ‘real’ resident. This is such an important decision, one of the greatest, toughest decisions.”

Resident-centered marketing isn’t a trend for Senior Star. It has no plans to return to traditional marketing techniques. The benefits and joys of featuring residents have outweighed the challenges. “They deserve for us to keep it real,” says Rogers.