Lyndsey Johnson, Vice President of Marketing, Servitas
Years in the Industry: 8
units: What is the most innovative marketing idea youve recently explored?
Johnson: One that I helped develop involves virtual reality and is currently being implemented at Park West, a new 3,406-bed property in College Station, Texas. Choosing where to live is an important decision that shapes the college experience and, when staring at a construction site, not everyone can visualize what units or amenities will look like. Thats why I proposed using Oculus Rift, an immersive virtual reality headset developed by Oculus VR, to create a virtual experience for Park West.
As Generation Z enters college, renderings are no longer enough in student housing. This is a generation that has never known a time without immersive technology, so its not a stretch for them to use the same technology when apartment shopping. Marketing will continue to shift as we prepare to reach these digital natives.
units: How does your experience in other industries influence your work in the apartment industry?
Johnson: Coming from a national retail background, one of the key insights that translates to this industry is: Know your market and audience. A company must craft an appealing marketing message, and various audiences and markets respond to messaging differently. For example, our tactics are not the same when we lease properties in Miami as when we lease those in rural East Texas. The effort to learn the audience and market before starting any marketing project remains a key part of every strategy I develop.
units: Can you recall a mistake you made at the start of your career? What did you learn from it?
Johnson: My first real job was with a huge corporation with a lot of layers of bureaucracy. I couldnt understand why all my new and innovative marketing ideas were being pushed aside for the tried-and-true method of billboards and the like. I learned an idea can be great, but it must be positioned so decision-makers can understand the true value and ROI versus that of the status quo.
units: What type of supervisor feedback or recognition most motivates you?
Johnson: I like when my team is recognized. I am only one person and couldnt do everything alone. While I may be the one presenting a branding campaign or strategy, it took effort from a lot of different people to get to that final piece. I think it is important for each person to feel their role has a purpose and their work is bigger than just one task. Keeping that in perspective helps motive me and my team.
units: Whats one thing youd change about the industry?
Johnson: I would make it more forward thinking. Often, our industry focuses on what worked previously rather than articulating whats changing. Audiences, and how we reach them, are constantly evolving. In student housing marketing, that has meant switching from a Gen X to Millennial to Generation Z market demographic; switching from flyers, billboards and giveaways to social media influencers, dynamic websites and targeted digital ads. A willingness to try new strategies and an effort to stay up on current trends and changes is sometimes lacking in our industry.
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