California Centers Magazine serves retailers, developers, shopping center owners, investment sales brokers and tenant representation firms throughout the state of California.
Issue link: https://californiacenters.epubxp.com/i/472297
24 California Centers Magazine | March 2015 C C on the street and in our centers. The goal is to not only provide informa- tion on our tenants, but to say 'here's a message from our tenants,' 'here's a message from Face- book or Twitter or In- stagram from a cus- tomer at our center, about our tenant.' It provides an opportu- nity to bring energy from the street into the center — and en- ergy from the center onto the street. That's a big thing for us." Engage The Masses When it comes to digital marketing, the buck doesn't stop at signage. True consumer engagement, Sigal believes, occurs online through social media channels, as well as through banner advertisements and push notifcations based on geofencing parameters. "There is a pretty solid force around social marketing," he says. "You have Gen Xers and Millennials who say 'I will not just shop from my comput- er because I saw how much fun my friends were having here.' Sure, they'll still sit at a table across from one an- other, texting each other while at our centers, but they'll go there. That's a good value-added component for us." In addition to the traditional social media channels, NewMark and its tenants buy banner advertisements on popular sites and mobile apps like Uber, Yelp and Yahoo! Their au- dience is determined by geofencing, or the process of targeting a popula- tion based on a geographic boundary. Those carrying location-enabled mo- bile devices within that virtual perim- eter will receive the ads and notifca- tions. "Our thought is you're already here," Sigal explains. "You're already either in our center or near our center. We might as well tell you about fve specials you may not know about." NewMark has also created a mobile marketplace called BlueList through its technology affliate BrightStreet Ventures that is scheduled to launch this June. The app will allow a cen- ter's retailers to place their own ads through these mobile distribution channels. Like any other online pur- chase, tenants will simply set up an ac- count, enter a credit card number, fll out a template and send the deal out to those situated within the geofence. "For 99 cents per ad, a tenant can look around his restaurant, see it's slow right now, realize the dinner rush won't be until 7 and distribute an ad that says everything in the restau- rant is half off until 7 p.m.," Sigal says. "The ad goes out to the geofence within 45 seconds. I have found that in every marketplace where we utilize geofence-based ads and push notifca- tions, it's paid great dividends. It's a key component." Like NewMark, Westwood is also investing heavily in digital marketing initiatives as a new way of attracting foot and car traffc to its centers. "Digital marketing is playing an increasing role in our marketing strat- egy," Banchik says. "Twitter has be- come a large and growing part of our social media program, allowing us to market the company and individual centers, while supporting our national and regional tenants. We are also very excited to be one of a small group of operators participating in the devel- opment of a new digital marketing platform that will help our smaller local tenants connect more easily to customers and promote their busi- ness to local customers online through self-initiated mobile offers." Spruce Up The Place Though shopping center owners believed digital platforms were the most powerful way to lure guests into a center, many also conceded a small amount of capital could go a long way toward improving these customers' experiences once they're already at the center. "We invest a signifcant amount of capital each year to keep our centers relevant," Banchik says. "What the consumer popula- tion expects to see and fnds exciting in a shopping en- vironment changes regularly. Invest- ments in signage, property accents, paint, and land- scape are valuable to maintain and augment a center's appeal. When you do these things, the difference in per- ceived value is tremendous." Property accents, landscaping and public spaces are also a priority at SOCO. They almost have to be, con- sidering the center and its tenants are ultimately trying to sell consumers goods that will beautify and enhance their own home environments. "We consistently put capital into the public spaces that invite our guests to explore, enjoy, relax and stay at the center," Hotvedt says. "Our landscap- ing is dotted with wonderful seating and conversation areas throughout. Many of our tenants also incorporate 'public spaces' into their showrooms, with espresso bars, meeting rooms, outdoor lounges and other inviting areas." Capturing a consumer one time may be considered a lucky break — perhaps one motivated by a necessary purchase. But grabbing that consum- er's attention again and again by cre- ating a pleasant-looking, inviting cen- ter where she actually wants to shop? That's the end game for these owners — and that strategy is clearly not a one-prong approach. "If I only had a limited amount of capital to deploy, I'd split it between mobile and making sure my site had ideal lighting and a dynamic appear- ance," Sigal says. "But the big dough goes into mobile. We found out with Yelp — you can be a little hole-in-the- wall place, off an alley, that's hard to get to, but you get solid ratings and people will show up. That's the power of mobile!" CC Randy Banchik EVP Westwood Financial Corp. Sandy Sigal President, CEO and Founder NewMark Merrill