AIM 2010

Student Housing Marketing Insights and Best Practices

Casey Van ZandtParas Bhakta

Let’s Talk Gen Y!

Do you know Gen Y?Gen Y:• They are intelligent consumers• Gen Y & Z consider email old school• Trust peer recommendations • A large percentage do not trust advertisements• Primarily watch TV on the web• Watch videos on their phones• They do not search for the news the news finds them• They do not search for products and services, they

will find them via social media

Listen First and Sell Second to Gen Y!

Gen Y Likes and Dislikes!

Likes• Candid• Interest• Speaking their language• Lifestyle• Swag• Interactive

Dislikes• Staged• Boring• Trying too hard• Routine

Speaking their lingo?

Shorten words• Perfect = Perf• Gorgeous = Gorg• Starving = Starv• Photoshopped = shopped• Swagger = Swag

Overuse of “ish” and “ly”• Ridiculously

Word “combo”Understanding & Agreement = UnderstandmentGiant & Enormous = Ginormous

Give words new meaning• Wicked = really, very, extremely• Sick = crazy, cool, insane• Rut ro = uh oh (in scooby doo

language)

Text language• mfeo =made for each other• jk = just kidding• rdc = really don’t care• Facebook Bingo

Who is blogging for you?Remember today’s student is tomorrows renter!

Hot New Gen Y Buzz Lingo • Vaguebooking - an intentionally vague Facebook status update that prompts

friends to ask what's going on, or is possibly a cry for help. • No Stalk - Phrase used before one inadvertently says something that sounds

stalkerish on Facebook.• That’s Crazy - It's the perfect response when you haven't been listening at all.

Text hole - someone who texts on their cell phone in really inappropriate places, like movie theatres, concerts, plays, etc.

• YouTube loop - When you go to watch a quick 30 second video on YouTube and regain consciousness hours later having jumped from interesting video to interesting video.Textalizer – a breathalyzer attached to your computer and/or cell phone whose sole purpose is to prevent you from sending messages.

• Text mixing – when text messaging several people all at once and accidently sending the wrong text to the wrong person.

How do you keep up?

Words to Avoid w/ Gen Y

state of the artsparking anything

luxurious

fitness center Resort style

Taking it all online Step one: listen first and sell second

3 primary outlets to communicate with Gen Y: • Social Media: Facebook added 100 million users in less than

9 months. • Mobile Marketing • Text Marketing

Tips:• Remember you are not an advertiser on social media• Social media is showing your residents the lifestyle and hype they

can expect when they choose your community. • Successful companies in social media act more like party planners,

content providers, and entertain their fan base.

Leasing Gadgets

Branded YouTube Channel

You Tube Annotations

flickr

Facebook Landing Page

App storeIpod Apps hit 1 billion in 9 months

Recap

• Take the time to continue to educate yourself on Gen Y consumers

• Keep your materials fresh, fun, and edgy• Always speak their language in all advertising

mediums• Use a Gen Y (student worker) to head up

social media• Use creativity in communication outlets

Online Marketing Case Study & Components of a Marketing Plan

Case Study - Facebook

• Content for last 60 days:- Coachella Ticket Give-Away! ($600)- Momentum Surfboard ($700)- Food Truck with Secret Password “stuho”

($500)

BRAND BUILDING & WORD OF MOUTH!!!

Facebook Case Study (cont)

Facebook Case Study (cont)• The Stats (Results), week of giveways:

General Marketing Plan

• Facebook• Google Adwords• Daily Trojan (Student Newspaper Online

Edition)• Craigslist Posting Tips – (Handout)• Student Organizations Online Collaboration

Site Traffic Analysis

• Paid Advertising (Goog Adwords, Daily Trojan) 63%• Social Media (Facebook) 22%• Organic Results: Google, Yahoo, Bing 15%SOURCE: Google Analytics CodingIn addition to Craigslist @ www.rentometer.com