Guest Post By: Jenn Quader, President of The Smart Agency®, also known as Brower Group
The commercial real estate industry is known for its ability to innovate.
Now it’s time to do it again.
While the world grapples with the realities of 2020, well-capitalized companies are poised to benefit from a myriad of opportunities emerging in the newly distressed market. And yet, to implement these strategies, it’s crucial to have a PR and strategic communications plan in place that breaks through the clutter of today’s ‘new media’ environment.
How can it be accomplished?
Know What Your Audience Needs
Today’s audiences are in need. Amidst a flurry of headlines teeming with political heat, people are seeking information, guidance, advice, and counsel. This presents an opportunity for companies in the commercial real estate sector to forge new relationships with lucrative audiences.
That said, with so many options, channels, and opportunities in the digital media landscape, how can commercial real estate leaders effect real change through communications?
As one of the nation’s leading PR and strategic communications firms focused solely on the commercial real estate and commercial finance industries, Brower Group is helping Clients throughout the nation navigate the current tides and refine their communications programs to best leverage today’s ‘new media’ environment and reach the prospects they need. Here’s some advice on how to accomplish this:
Redefine Your Communications Plan
Every effective marketing communications strategy begins with clarity on four foundational elements, including:
Targets: Who do you need to reach? What action(s) do you want them to take?
Message: What is your firm saying? What do your audiences need to know, learn, or be reminded about?
Channels: How will your firm reach its different audiences? How often? How will you accommodate audience communication preferences in order to build trust, and ultimately, loyalty?
Results: How will success be measured? What will be tracked, and how often?
In times of crisis and rapid change, these elements can, and often must, change to accommodate new business goals and objectives.
One strategy Brower Group is using effectively for Clients in the current environment is repurposing and refreshing existing content to revive its relevance.
In many cases, commercial real estate companies have plenty of existing content in the form of articles, whitepapers, reports, videos, blog posts and more that can be updated and refreshed. This saves work on the Client side, and results in many useful digital assets that can be used to communicate a company’s core values and benefits to prospects.
Solidify Your Corporate Voice
“In life, change is inevitable. In business, change is vital.”
If your company has had the same voice for over a decade, it’s likely time for a tune-up.
Commercial real estate companies often need to balance the sophisticated and complex nature of their expertise with the colloquial style of what is current and of interest to their targets.
Like the physical environments CRE companies work so skillfully to bring to life, a firm’s brand voice and tone requires a connection to the language of today’s audiences in order to resonate and drive action.
Establish (or Re-Establish) Yourself as a Thought Leader
Difficult times have an interesting ancillary benefit: they even the playing field.
Right now, the media is hungry for fresh perspectives on how the commercial real estate industry will press forward in the wake of so much uncertainty. This means CRE executives have a real opportunity to carve out a name for themselves and their company in the current media environment.
Our firm, for example, has been successful in placing CRE executives into a myriad of high-profile articles, videos, industry panels and more – all building thought leadership that proves the expertise of the individual firm. These placements establish third-party credibility and boost visibility during a time when many prospects are looking for new partners who can guide them through the next recovery.
Use The Rest of 2020 Wisely
As we enter the latter half of the year, the smartest CRE companies are using the “Great Pause” of 2020 to their advantage.
Now is the time to refresh a company brand, build a new website, create new marketing materials, organize and repurpose content and digital assets, and hone a communications plan that will deliver powerful results.
The world has changed; business has changed; and the digital demands on today’s commercial real estate companies are poised to grow. With the right strategy in place, today’s CRE companies can carve out their presence in the ‘new media’ environment and position themselves to flourish in the recovery ahead.
Jenn Quader is President of The Smart Agency®, also known as Brower Group, which is one of the nation’s leading commercial real estate communications firms. Since 1994, Brower has helped Clients explain complex capabilities and educate sophisticated external and internal audiences through powerful PR, content and marketing communications programs that solve problems, drive action, and help Client companies flourish. Get to know us at www.brower-group.com.