Across senior housing and care settings, the marketing landscape continues to shift along with changing market factors. Through Aging Media Network’s (AMN) annual Aspect Marketing and Advertising Awards program, we recognize the “best of” these efforts each year.
AMN is now accepting submissions for the second annual program, aimed to highlight and feature the senior care industry’s best examples of advertising, public relations, and marketing endeavors. These awards recognize the creative work completed by industry professionals delivering products and services in skilled nursing, home health / home care, hospice, senior living, and behavioral health.
We sat down with one of this year’s competition’s judges, Mary Ann Donaghy, Insights & Impact, to weigh in on the latest marketing trends, what needs to change in senior housing marketing long-term, and what’s on the horizon for this year’s Aspect Awards competition.
- What current trends are you seeing in senior housing marketing? I’m seeing better social media content that captures all the good being done in senior living and the positive cultures being created. However, I’m concerned with the degree of focus on non-brand-oriented digital intended solely to increase occupancy. This does not to understate the importance of occupancy, but there must be a balance between building community interest and a solid brand.
- How do you define success in today’s marketing and advertising?
I look at both long term and short term success. Too often, I see tactics provide a short-term, positive outcome to the long-term detriment of the brand. Success in marketing and advertising starts with building a strong brand, which means creating, building, communicating and operationalizing a brand that is differentiated and relevant. A strong brand—if woven into everything a company or property does—will drive both short term and long term results.
- What’s your outlook for senior housing marketing for 2022?
We’re seeing occupancies increase after the historic lows at the peak of the pandemic. I’m hoping that will take pressure off of marketers, allowing them to strategize and build brands for long-term success. I also think companies will place more attention on creating great cultures to retain their employees in this competitive job market. In this industry, probably more than any other, the quality of the people who care for residents are the greatest assets a company has, and they impact revenue and profitability. They should be treated as such.
- What will capture your attention in this year’s competition?
I have had a long career with a range of consumer products companies, so I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in the long run. I know that building a brand and creating a fully-integrated, omni-channel campaign that hits every level of the marketing funnel works. The marketing effort must generate positive awareness that creates interest, motivates engagement, drives action and converts prospects into happy, excited residents. It also needs guidance from key metrics that measure success at each stage of the effort. I’m looking for unique strategies and tactics that make prospects not only feel good about the property, but about the senior living category as a whole. A high tide raises all boats!
- What do you think the senior living industry needs to do marketing-wise to succeed in the long term?
I’ve often thought that a major gap in the marketing mix in senior living is a comprehensive, one-stop document and/or website that captures all the research supporting the mental, emotional and physical health benefits of senior living. The idea of “aging in place,” if that “place” doesn’t involve much human interaction, is bad for everyone. The upsides must be better promoted and available to both prospective residents and their families. As an industry, we need to think about how we grow category consideration so we grow the category size while everyone fights for getting their share of that market.
About the Aspect Awards
The awards program draws entrants from Aging Media’s highly qualified, global audience including subscribers of its health care-continuum publications Home Health Care News, Senior Housing News, Skilled Nursing News, Hospice News, and Behavioral Health Business.
The deadline to enter is January 31, 2022. Judging of the submissions will be completed during February 2022 by a panel of industry professionals representing each of these five continuum categories. Winners will be announced in March 2022.
For more information on the Aspect Marketing and Advertising Awards, visit aspectawards.agingmedia.com.
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