It’s not uncommon developers to be eager to usher in the grand opening of their new mixed use or residential community. However, on occasion, the final stages of construction can sometimes distract them from maximizing every opportunity to let the community know a project is finished and open for business, whether that business is leasing space for residents or welcoming businesses into mixed use spaces.
However, I often see that developers miss key opportunities to leverage external channels for extra visibility. Almost any project with a developer involved has gone through a few rounds of public scrutiny, allowing for members of the community as well as local elected officials to weigh in on the the final design and features. So, when it comes time to take down the scaffolding and open the doors, why do so many developers neglect to reach every sphere of influences possible to raise awareness to the finished space?
The most baffling part of this is that many developers have marketing or communications personnel on staff - but these individuals rarely understand how to entice local real estate reporters to cover the opening. Key to any grand opening is to have local elected officials, business owners, and future residents on hand to provide first-person perspectives on the impact it will have the community. Your local mayors and representatives will be happy to extol the financial impact the project will have in the form of new property taxes, revenue from retail, and consumer spending. Why not have them involved? But here’s one more step many developer communications teams rarely take: ask the mayor and his or her team share the related content on their own channels, via Instagram or LinkedIn, so your company gets a huge bump from an entity most members of the public are likely to hold a positive view of.
In addition, grand openings also represent a great opportunity to give back. A simple $500 check to a local Boys and Girls Club goes a long way towards both enhancing your brand and roping in another community partner who can join the event and share it on their relevant social channels. The theme here continues: find external partners who would benefit from the project coming to life, and ask them to help sing your praises with the end goal of driving positive public relations for the developers and contractors.
For many construction and developer firms, there is enough marketing manpower between both entities to make outreach to these entities before the event to set expectations and ensure that an appropriate representative can attend the event. Offer to prepare talking points and hold dry runs of the event beforehand if significant elected officials plan to attend. Share press advisories and photos with partnering organizations, along with confirming their respective social media channels and when and how content will be posted.
With these steps taken in advance, you stand a far greater chance of increasing exposure that benefits your project along with the members of the community who likely supported its conception. Don’t be afraid to make the ask to partner on PR efforts, and take advantage of the exposure that your mixed-use project deserves.
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