DISQUS

Eric Brown · 4 months ago

Hey Mike, It is fascinating to me at how many apartment operators in the multifamily business do not view themselves as a Brand, and then the ones that do, think they control and define the Brand.

The Resident defines your Brand at every single Touch Point along the Life Cycle of the Lease, and they are doing that with you or without you, and sharing that Brand Perception of you with all their friends, Enhance the Residents Experience, it pays ten fold dividends,

Mike Whaling · 4 months ago

I think it's more interesting to see the apartment operators that insist on going through unique branding exercises for every new project, instantly sacrificing any brand equity that they may have created in their previous communities.

You make a great point, Eric. The resident/customer will always draw some conclusion about the brand (creating their own definition), but as marketers, we have many, many opportunities to stay in front of that customer and influence their perceptions. Our efforts to enhance our customer's experience should fit within some overarching brand message -- one that is reflected in what those happy customers say when they tell their friends about their encounters.

I don't believe that we have ZERO control over our brand, only that we should be doing a lot more to see how our customers, prospects and other audiences perceive us.