This document provides marketing ideas and suggestions for celebrating Halloween at an apartment community. It includes slogans, ideas for decorating the office and grounds with Halloween themes. Suggestions are made for hosting open houses on "Freaky Fridays" in October with Halloween treats. Marketing ideas like "Pick a Pumpkin-Pick a Price" specials and shelf talkers in the shape of ghosts are proposed. Flyers, treat bags, door hangers, and activities are suggested for engaging children and families during Halloween events and tours. The goal is to build excitement and create memorable experiences to attract new residents.
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
HALLOWEEN SLOGANS OPEN HOUSE – FREAKY FRIDAY FABOO-LOUS FETE HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS OFFICE GROUNDS HALLOWEEN MARKETING IDEAS PICK-A-PUMPKIN SHELF (GHOST) TALKERS POP IN! HALLOWEEN FLYERS OFF-SITE MARKETING RESIDENT REFERRALS HALLOWEEN ITEMS FOR THE YOUNG RESIDENT TREAT OR TREAT BAGS TRICK OR TREAT DOOR HANGERS COLORING BOOKS
3. October and Halloween
is a fun time to decorate and “Brew” up some ideas to build excitement and make your community memorable - IF you do not close the deal on their first visit!!
Slogans- Use one of these Slogans or you may “Brew” up some different ones of your own. If so, please share them with me.
•Pumpkin of a Deal
•Freaky Fa-boo-lous Apartments
•Horri-i-fic Great Boo-ve-in Specials
•“Carve” out a Great Place to Live
•Pick-A-Pumpkin Pick-A-Price
•Fang-tastic Location
•Hocus Pocus, Alakazam - - You Have the Apartment You Wished For!
•Abracadabra, Presto-Chango - - Service Requests completed just like that!
•Spooktacular Views
•Please let me know you think of some more slogans .
4. OPEN HOUSE EVENT
Freaky Friday
Faboo-lous Fete! For this October theme, you will host an Open House event every Friday during the month of October. This invite / flyer may be used to market your Open House event. Post hours of the Open House. After those hours you will not be expected to offer refreshments. You should mix in some other ideas that are listed here. Offer refreshments that are appropriate for the Halloween holiday. I have listed a few suggestions on the following pages. HAVE FUN!
Freaky Friday
Faboo-lous Fete! You Are Invited!
Join us this Friday Morning 9:00-11:00 (Every Friday in October) For Halloween Tricks & Treats!
CLINTON MANOR SENIOR APARTMENTS
1717 N. Gaines Dr. Clinton MO
660-885-6154
-62+ Age Restriction
-Grocery & Pharmacy Delivery
-Controlled Entry
-Central Heat/Air
-Planned Activities
-Plus much more!
One Bedroom Apt Available for Viewing
Bagels & Scream Cheese
Halloween Donuts
Apple Cider/Coffee
Boo-ti-ful Apartments
5. OPEN HOUSE EVENT
Freaky Friday
Faboo-lous Fete! If you have your event in the morning, you may get some donuts from your local donut shop. The photo of donuts I took from Krispy Kreme’s web site. These are available for a limited time. This is a photo of a Rice Krispy treat. (Love those!) The fruit ka-bobs I thought looked like a great idea. All the items here can be purchased at the grocery store. You will need to find someone who can draw a face on your pumpkin. Good luck! Many options for the beverage. I have a recipe for spiced apple cider on the next page. HAVE FUN!
Hot Buttered Cranberry Cider
5 C apple cider or juice
4 C cranberry juice
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
4 T Land-O-Lakes butter, cut into pieces
2 T honey
Cinnamon sticks, if desired
Combine apple cider, cranberry juice cocktail and cinnamon stick in 3 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil (8-10 minutes). Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick; discard. Add butter and honey; stir until butter melts. Serve into heated mugs. Garnish with cinnamon stick, if desired.
Recipe from Land-O-Lake website:
http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/243/hot-buttered- cranberry-cider
6. Freaky Friday
Spiced Hot Apple Cider
Ingredients 8 cups fresh apple cider or apple juice 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg 4 whole cloves 1 orange, cut into slices 8 cinnamon sticks 1 cup sweetened whipped cream Additional cinnamon sticks (optional)
Preparation
1.Heat the cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and orange slices in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture is hot, stirring occasionally
2.Strain the cider into a heatproof pitcher or individual mugs. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and whipped cream, if desired.
Spiced Hot Apple Cider
This will hit the spot on a chilly evening. Plus, it is easy to make and fills your apartment with wonderful aromas.
Serve from a large pot and call it witch's brew. Put a broomstick (cinnamon stick) into each mug!
Recipe from Campbell’s kitchen website: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/spiced-hot-apple-cider-26711
7. Decorations - office
Halloween decorations are sooo easy to find.
You have lots of choices. Here are a few. Jack O Lantern’s (11) - U.S. Toy $1.99 Happy Halloween – Metallic Fringe Banner. U.S. Toy $2.99 Halloween Tote bag – Dollar Tree Stores $1. Pumpkin, carveable - Dollar Tree Stores $1. Foam Décor pumpkins. Use these pumpkins (4.5 inches wide) as your temporary business card, or offer as a “Pick A Pumpkin” Special. Put different concessions on the back. Shown here with community name and concessions. Dollar Tree Stores $1. for 12 foam pumpkins. Pumpkin & gourds. This pumpkin, Dollar Tree Stores $1.00 Coloring Book and crayons. Book is 5” x 3 ¾ and has 8 Halloween pages to color, U.S. Toy $1.39 for pkg of 12. The box of 4 mini crayons $.18 each.
8. GROUNDS DECORATIONS Decorating your grounds now with the holiday season will carry you all the way through till December. Some of the festive colorful lawn additions could be: Pumpkins Gourds Corn Stalks Bales of Straw Get some old clothes, fill with straw to make a scarecrow. Got Mums??
9. Marketing Ideas
PICK A PUMPKIN - PICK A PRICE
OR
PICK A SPECIAL At the Dollar Tree purchase a package of foam pumpkins. It is $1 for a package of 12. The pumpkins are 4 ½ inches wide and 4 “ tall. Print some labels with different concessions. Make sure you have discussed your concessions amounts with your RPM. Attach the labels to the back of the pumpkins and put them in a basket or lay them on a table or attach to a board for display (photo of pumpkins in basket). Another suggestion is to purchase some mini pumpkins and attach the concession to the pumpkin. OR just put your community name on the pumpkins. This make a great “Take-A-Way”!
10. Marketing Ideas
PICK A PUMPKIN - PICK A PRICE For Pick a Pumpkin – Pick a Price; put approved rental discount specials on the back of the foam pumpkins. Here is a sample, you may be aggressive on your concessions or keep it to a moderation and just enjoy the fun of the marketing campaign. Have the prospect pick a pumpkin-any pumpkin from the basket. Whatever is on the back is what they receive for their incentive. HAVE FUN!
11. Marketing Ideas
Shelf Talkers / Ghost Talkers
Shelf Talkers are notes placed in
your show apartment to help you
point out all the wonderful features
of the apartment.
For October lets use Ghosts to point
our the features and benefits. Here
are some suggestions.
Ceiling fan: “Don’t turn this fan on
till we leave the room! It will blow
us into the wall!”
HVAC thermostat: “The Air-
Conditioning works great! We like it
cold in here!”
Large Closet: “This closet is way to
big for us to hide in here. We’ll
have to find someplace smaller”.
Don’t turn this fan on till we
leave the room! It will blow
us into the wall!”
The Air-Conditioning
works great! We like it
really cold in here.
12. Marketing Ideas
Pop on in
Halloween is a popular time for
popcorn.
For off-site marketing, purchase
some Halloween popcorn
containers and fill with microwave
popcorn, Halloween candy and
promotional flyers for your
community. Put a label on the
container that says: “Things are
really Popping at (community name).
Pop in and see why!”
You may also purchase some
microwave popcorn and put a label
on each one to hand out to
prospects that have viewed your
community. The label should read:
“Thanks for Poppin” In”
Popcorn label
Thanks for “Popping” in!
ENJOY YOUR POPCORN AND
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
660-885-6154
CLINTON MANOR
SENIOR APARTMENTS
13. Flyers
Use your marketing Flyers for off-site marketing, resident referrals and for a “Take-Away” for your prospects that did not close on the first visit.
To the right is a flyer for off-site marketing. Pass this flyer along with a treat of choice, or use one of the suggestions listed here.
To the left is a
Flyer used to
Announce an
Open House.
14. Flyers
To the right is a resident referral and below is what I call the Pumpkin Head flyer. This Pumpkin Head border is something I can send you to enter your own text. Next is an abstract Halloween background, and at the bottom corner is a business card sized flyer. This size can easily be attached to candy, bags and so on.
15. Flyers / Borders
Here are some Halloween borders to create your own flyer. Just let me know. The one to the right is called the Purple pumpkin, candy & fun border. The one on the bottom left is called Pumpkin & star background and the one on bottom right is Ghost top & Pumpkin bottom border.
When doing your own flyers, add the fair housing logo to all print material and the handicap logo if it applies.
16. Halloween for the Young Resident
Trick or Treat bags is a great marketing item as well as something the younger Residents will enjoy. To the right is a display of Halloween bags available .
I like the one with safety tips on it. This one comes in English or Spanish. The safety tips read:
1. Stay with a parent or responsible adult.
2. Wear light colored clothing.
3. Carry a flashlight and check batteries.
4. Use sidewalks and crosswalks.
5. Always have parents check your treats before you eat them.
Plus these bags are bio degradable.
You can have your Community name printed on them, but to do this you will need to order 250 bags and the cost is $125. I suggest that we have :
“Thank you choosing our apartment community We wish you a safe and Happy Halloween! Your Apartment Community Management”
17. Halloween for the Young Resident
Door hangers help your Residents manage Trick or Treaters. If this door hanger is on their door, they will welcome the Trick or Treater festivities. If nothing is posted on the door, then we ask that they respect the privacy of those who elect not to.
The link to order the door hangers is:
http://www.multifamilypro.com/store/products-door- hangers/products-door- hangers-holidaybirthday/
18. Halloween for the Young Resident
Coloring Book and Crayons may keep the young prospects busy while the older prospect fills out the application paperwork. Plus, at this price they may take these with them. I suggest putting a sticker on the coloring book with your community name and phone number.
Book is 5” x 3 ¾ and has 8 Halloween pages to color, U.S. Toy $1.39 for pkg of 12 coloring books.
The box of 4 mini crayons are $.18 each at U.S. Toy
19. Halloween for the Young Resident
Another activity to keep the younger prospect busy while the older prospect fills out the application paperwork is this Halloween word search. You can find this on the web site shown below. This web site has other fun ideas that you may want to use in the future.
HAPPY HAUNTING!!
http://familyfun.go.com/printables/haunted-halloween-word-search-703723/
20. Linda Hansen
Director of Property Management
The Yarco Companies
816-300-0634
lhansen@yarco.com