Insights

Several of our shopping center clients were affected by Hurricane Harvey last week and are now preparing for Hurricane Irma in the coming days. We know many of you are preparing as well and wanted to share the benefit of our experience in managing social media during crisis periods like this.

Whether a shopping center, multifamily development, mixed-use community or more, here is a simplified Hurricane Social Media Crisis Plan:

• Pause all scheduled social media postings and advertisements.
• Update your website with center statuses and resources for storm alerts.
• Share weather updates from local news sources including text alerts and donation opportunities. (Follow CNN.com for live updates.)
• Share updates from your tenants on store hours, statuses, etc. (If you are a grocery-anchored center, share specific news about hours and supplies.)
• Respond to community questions about parking, center closings and preparedness plans. (Many hurricane tips advise parking vehicles in a parking deck or garage. If your center has a deck, be prepared to answer questions about eligibility. Oftentimes, decks need to reserved for first response vehicles. Consult with your city officials about how your center can be used in their efforts.)
• Reach out to your shopping center community for affected employees and determine how you can help those in need after the storm.

Our thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.

Sincerely,

infinitee's Social Media Team

We had some of our most successful digital media campaigns ever this past spring and wanted to share the results with you! See the highlights below and click to read the whole story.

Grand Boulevard approached infinitee to strategize and execute a 3-month digital campaign to promote its flagship charity event, South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, in order to drive ticket sales, increase website traffic and increase social media activity. In 3 months, infinitee garnered 1.05 million impressions, 850+ new social media followers and more, resulting in a 23% increase in ticket sales from the year prior.

Hill Partners, Inc. also approached infinitee for a Spring campaign for Specialty Shops SouthPark in Charlotte, NC. infinitee implemented a 60-day campaign to increase brand awareness and drive onsite traffic for stores, restaurants and services promoting tenants’ seasonal merchandise and menu items. The campaign achieved over 2.1 million impressions in the local area, over 12,600 clicks/engagements and 140+ new social media followers.

And last but not least, Weingarten Realty, Inc. enlisted infinitee for a 60-day campaign promoting Spring shopping at River Oaks Shopping Center in Houston, TX. This campaign was a little more in depth including curated and paid social media, programmatic digital advertising, a digital partnership with

Houstonia magazine and a local influencer, and email marketing. Overall, the campaign achieved over 1.4 million impressions and nearly 5,000 engagements.

So what are you waiting for? Contact our Digital Brand Strategist, Chelsea Cannon, to start a digital media conversation today!

Spring is always a busy time for many of our multifamily and student housing clients, and our digital team worked overtime planning, posting, and implementing social media and paid search campaigns for many them. See a few highlights below and click on the links to read the full case studies.

Waypoint Residential approached infinitee to generate leads through advanced social media and paid search advertising for two properties, The Point at Tamaya in Jacksonville, Fl and The Point at Bella Grove in Sarasota, Fl. Across 60 days and two campaigns, we achieved a combined 250,000+ impressions and drove 15,000+ pageviews to the websites.

Gables Residential also approached infinitee with a unique opportunity to increase brand awareness for two Denver communities, Cherry Creek and Speer Boulevard, during the off season leasing period. infinitee’s 90-day social media campaign fit the bill with nearly 4.6 million impressions across both properties from curated and paid advertising efforts.

Caliber Living approached infinitee to capitalize on impending student decisions about housing selections for The Bellamy at Milledgeville in Milledgeville, GA. infinitee strategized a lowered-rate messaging to shift brand perceptions and implemented a digital media campaign resulting in an 11.8% increase in website sessions and nearly 400,000 impressions.

We hope you will take time to read about each campaign and contact Chelsea Cannon, infinitee’s Digital Brand Strategist, to start a conversation about your digital needs.

Two valued infinitee clients are recipients of four AIVA

Communicator Awards for various projects awarded by the 23rd Annual Communicator Award judges.infinitee client  500 Harbour Island has been recognized with the Award of Excellence for Website Development and the Award of Distinction for their Consumer Brochure.

Together,  Gables Residential and  infinitee aimed to brand the newest (and last) luxury apartment development that embodies what it means to live on Harbour Island, surrounded by ocean views and steps away from Tampa’s downtown revival. The strategy included creating an upscale brand identity with additional branding recommendations consisting of design and execution of onsite signage, wayfinding signage and pre-leasing materials. This omni-channel program also incorporated digital, print and social media, as well as public relations designed to reach the highly targeted audience.

500 Harbour Island was recognized with the Award of Excellence for website development created by  infinitee. The website is image-intensive and responsive to capture prospective residents online and serve as an information source. The cleanliness and organized layout allows for a seamless user experience and the established branding is carried throughout showcasing the luxury details and amenities while mirroring the oceanic scenery that tie in the surroundings.

‍500 Harbour Island was also recognized for the Award of Distinction for its consumer brochure.  infinitee created a positioning line with a bit of a double entendre playing on the upscale development and vivacious lifestyle, coupled with its island surroundings giving birth to “Urban Living. Island Time”. The leasing brochure built on this positioning line having essentially two covers. The first half of the brochure showcases the proximity and experience of of downtown Tampa (“Urban Living”)  and the second half focuses on the serenity and tranquility of 500 Harbour Island’s spa-like amenities and its distinct island address (“Island Time”).

For more insights on this upscale brand identity campaign outside of the web development and brochure, see infinitee’s blog on 500 Harbour Island’s Branding Story.

In addition to 500 Harbour Island’s awards,  King's Ridge Christian School was also recognized with the Award of Distinction for both the HIStory Campaign Brochure as well as the 2015-2016 Annual Report.

Historically,  King's Ridge Christian School and  infinitee have worked closely developing renowned brochures for the private school’s Capital Campaign in an effort to gain investment for new developments on the college-preparatory campus. This year’s 2015-2016 annual report received the Award of Distinction. The report encompasses campaigns, clubs, departments, financials, as well as information on specific groups such as donors, parent prayer groups and student scholarship organizations. The report details donations, donors and fund usage to convey the importance of giving through elegant graphs and charts displaying revenues and expenses, as well as balance sheets for the school for the 2015-2016 year.

King's Ridge Christian School was also honored with the Award of Distinction for their Capital Campaign  brochure, created on “Making Room For HIStory” which contains floorplan layouts, new building layouts, as well as new additions to the campus including tennis courts, a new baseball field and a new add-on to the existing high school for classrooms, academic centers, testing rooms and teacher workspace. A key objective of this campaign was to emphasize and illustrate the notion of HIStory, that “King’s Ridge Christian School is really HIStory as it bears the thumbprint of God at every turn.”  King’s Ridge Christian School set a target goal of $10 million in donations and gifts, and as of today, they have raised more than half of that.

infinitee is honored to have been a part of developing 500 Harbour Island's and King’s Ridge Christian School’s marketing and branding materials. They were both an absolute pleasure to work and collaborate with throughout the process, leading to  flawless projects. We could not be more excited about both clients receiving  AIVA Communicator Awards as it demonstrates our efforts for impeccable work. It is because of clients like these that makes infinitee love what we do, and continue to do, day in and day out.  - Barbara McGraw, Partner and CMO of infinitee

About infinitee Communications, Inc.

For over 27 years, advertising has been our life. infinitee’s expertise has been invaluable to many national and regional brands. Our culture comes from our bottom-line mentality and has taught us to think and act fast. We create the proper balance in both strategy and creativity, building brand equity and driving sales. Getting results is what  infinitee is all about. Call 1.800.886.3481, x119 to speak with Jocelyn Smith, Founder & CEO.

About 500 Harbour Island

500 Harbour Island, owned by Gables Residential, is an upscale apartment and residential development located on its own exclusive island in Tampa, Florida, along the Tampa Bay. The development consists of an exclusive 21-story residential neighborhood that includes luxury townhomes, penthouse units, and beautiful waterfront-view apartments of the Tampa Bay, and minutes away from its downtown renewal. Offering pristine views of the bay and the downtown skyline, the island is in walking distance to Tampa's finest waterfront restaurants and attractions, which can be visited by car, foot or even a boat taxi. Harbour Island offers an incredible sense of exclusivity as well as connectivity to Tampa’s increasingly exciting and growing urban areas for current residents and visitors combined.  

About King’s Ridge Christian School

King’s Ridge Christian School is a faith-integrated, college preparatory school offering education for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Located in Alpharetta, Georgia, King’s Ridge Christian School offers a wide variety of 21st Century Christian education supported by an incredible staff that strives to integrate faith into all aspects of the school, ranging from the classroom to the stage, to on the court and field. All staff share a common goal of inspiring and preparing students to make a strong impact in their future families, careers and communities. King’s Ridge Christian School is not just a school, it is a community that has done exceptionally well as seen by 58 students in the class of 2017 who received a total of $5.7 million in scholarship awards along with a 100% graduation rate.

About the Communicator Awards

The  Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program recognizing big ideas in marketing and communications. Founded over two decades ago, The Communicator Awards receives over 6,000 entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world. They are in their 23rd season. The Communicator Awards honors work that transcends innovation and craft – work that made a lasting impact, providing an equal chance of winning to all entrants regardless of company or agency size and project budget.

The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations such as Airtype Studio, Big Spaceship, Conde Nast, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, Fry Hammond Barr, Lockheed Martin, MTV Networks, Pitney Bowes, rabble+rouser, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Time, Inc, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and Yahoo!  To learn more about the AIVA please visit  www.aiva.org.

The

Award of Excellence is the highest honor given to those entrants whose ability to communicate positions them as the best in the field. The Award of Distinction is presented for projects that exceed industry standards in quality and achievement. Award of Excellence and Distinction winners are showcased in the  Interactive Winners Gallery.

And that's a wrap on ICSC RECon 2017! We were large and in charge this year with our sales and social media team working hand in hand to keep the conversation going with prospects and clients on the ground and behind the screens day in and day out of the world's largest retail real estate convention.

If you were one of the 10,000+ people following our social profiles, you know Jocelyn and Vince had a successful trip full of meetings and new experiences with current and prospective clients. In just 6 days of engaging with conference chatter, infinitee experienced one of the most successful social media campaigns for B2B event marketing to date across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn:

ICSC RECon TIP: Check out our 3-part series on using social media to your advantage at ICSC RECon.

However, the most important interactions for us are in person. And although social media generates wonderful leads for our agency and helps us maintain positive relationships, we believe the foundation of true partnerships is built face to face, and that's just what Jocelyn and Vince set out to do. In three short days, Batman and Robin turned Las Vegas into their very own Gotham City attending 1 award show, presenting to nearly 30 companies and walking over 12 miles in a few jam-packed days.

On the topic of relationships, one of our highlights this year was being with our client when they won the ICSC MAXI Silver Award for Cause Related Marketing. Grand Boulevard, a valued client of 14 years, and our very dear friends at Howard Group were finalists for two submissions and took home the Silver Award for Grand Boulevard's arts and entertainment program known as Coastal Culture, titled "A Passion for Arts, Entertainment and Charity”.

Here's Jocelyn (second from the left) with the entire Howard Group team including Grand Boulevard's Director of Marketing and Communications, Stacey Brady. We are so proud of the work we've accomplished together and will revere this prestigious award for years to come.

If you're headed to ICSC RECon next year and interested in integrating your sales and social media efforts, contact Jocelyn Smith to get the conversation started. It's never too soon to start planning!

infinitee client, Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®, wins the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Silver MAXI Award for Cause Related Marketing for its entry titled A Passion for Arts, Entertainment and Charity on Sunday, May 21, 2017.

Grand Boulevard with the help of agency partner, infinitee Communications, Inc., assigned a unique brand identity to the Coastal Culture Arts & Entertainment (A&E) program, separate from Grand Boulevard, in late 2014 as the banner under which large and smaller ongoing events would be offered at the 500,000+ SF mixed-use shopping center in Miramar Beach, Florida. To fund the A&E program, Grand Boulevard and infinitee strategized a fee structure collected from shoppers at point of sale in stores and restaurants. In 2016, total collection equaled $343,187 providing the opportunity to grow the program and offer most events as FREE and OPEN to the public. Several flagship and world-class events include:

• South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival (Named One of the South’s Standout Food & Beverage Festivals by USA TODAY) benefiting Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation
• 30A Songwriters Festival (Ranked #5 of The South’s Most Iconic Music Venues and Festivals by Southern Living magazine) benefiting Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County.
• South Walton Fashion Week
• ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival benefiting the Cultural Arts Alliance of South Walton

Together, Grand Boulevard and infinitee aimed to increase the number of annual visits to the center, increase center traffic and sales, and support the local community through philanthropic organizations featured at each event all while delivering a fabulous guest experience.

In the first full year following the launch of Coastal Culture, Grand Boulevard experienced a 950% increase in events and programming, including an expanded charitable events roster adding weekly farmers’ markets on Saturdays, Purses with a Purpose benefiting Shelter House, and more .

This increase was achieved through a combination of tenant-related communications and support regarding the program and its significance to the Town Center, and an integrated consumer awareness campaign, inclusive of onsite signage, rack cards placed in each tenant’s business, digital display advertising, print campaign and public relations efforts. A strategic media campaign was incorporated to capture local and strong feeder markets including Facebook advertising, Pandora Internet Radio, display and print advertising on strategic local websites and publications. Media performed ahead of the national benchmark producing an above average CTR of 1.42% and grandboulevard.com experienced YOY increases in users/new sessions.

Most importantly, attendance across the 18 annual events exceeded 72,500 attendees making 2016’s Coastal Culture A&E program a success.

We couldn’t be more thrilled for our longstanding client, Grand Boulevard, receiving this recognition from all of our shopping center peers at ICSC RECon 2017. Coastal Culture truly is such an amazing A&E program offering the best events in their class. - Jocelyn Smith, CEO of infinitee

About infinitee Communications, Inc.

For over 27 years, advertising has been our life. infinitee’s expertise has been invaluable to many national and regional brands. Our culture comes from our bottom-line mentality and has taught us to think and act fast. We create the proper balance in both strategy and creativity, building brand equity and driving sales. Getting results is what infinitee is all about. Call 1.800.886.3481, x119 to speak with Jocelyn Smith, Founder & CEO.

About Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®

Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®, owned by Howard Group and Merchants Retails Partners, is a premier shop, dine, play and stay Town Center located on Northwest Florida’s pristine sugar-white beaches and among its affluent gulf coast communities. Offering a dynamic lifestyle experience with exclusive shopping from renowned retailers and specialty boutiques, exquisite casual and fine dining options, as well as a multitude of ongoing and annual entertainment options, Grand Boulevard generates a sense of excitement among residents and vacationing guests alike.

About International Council of Shopping Center MAXI Awards

ICSC is an association that serves the global retail real estate industry. It provide its 70,000+ member network in over 100 countries with invaluable resources, connections and industry insights and actively works together to shape public policy.

The MAXI Awards celebrate the outstanding work and achievements of those who are transforming marketing in the retail real estate industry. 2017’s award program included 10 categories recognizing all aspects of marketing, from traditional marketing to new emerging technology, for cause related marketing to NOI enhancements.

Contributed by Jay Friedman, COO of Goodway Group.

For Part 1 of this blog series, get ready to debunk three advertising myths with Jay Friedman, COO of Goodway Group. From attributing offline sales and store visits to digital media, Jay has helped lead the company to 10x growth, now making it the largest independent programmatic media company on the planet. We’re extremely excited to welcome Jay Friedman and his blogs on how to successfully connect a shopper’s cyber footprint to actual foot traffic.

As a retailer, online advertising can be an exciting avenue to pursue new customers. But how do you know if every like turned into an actual purchase? How do you connect every view to an in-store visit?

Attribution isn’t a new problem for retailers. With traditional advertising, it can be difficult to prove that a flyer, TV commercial, billboard or radio sponsorship actually drove customers into stores. For programmatic advertisers, the challenge is much the same. If retailers are going to advertise online, they want to validate that their efforts are delivering offline results.

The ability to attribute offline sales and store visits to digital media is within reach. In connecting the dots between their cyber footprint and your store’s foot traffic, we can debunk three digital advertising myths and pinpoint ways retailers can use programmatic media to more effectively connect with customers.

Myth #1: Attribution requires sacrificing my customers’ privacy.

Reality: By de-identifying personally identifiable information (PII) in both offline and online data sets, you can connect the dots but also protect your customers’ privacy and your brand’s integrity.

At a time when consumers’ concern for their privacy is at an all-time high, I want to point out the anonymity and trustworthiness of our data. Goodway Group developed the Validate360™ solution to guarantee 100 percent anonymity and to track digital ad campaigns and their effectiveness at influencing actual purchasing decisions.

Advertisers can also utilize data from opt-in panels, who have opted into sharing their online activity and mobile locations. This approach compares behavior and location data across desktops, tablets, connected TVs and phones against local ad requests to determine how many ad impressions actually brought consumers into stores. While this data closes the loop between ads served and in-store visits, it doesn’t indicate actual purchases influenced by digital reach.

To learn how big data plays a role in online attribution, continue on to Part 2.

Do you agree that consumers are online more than ever before?

Myth #3: Customers searching online are only interested in e-commerce shopping.

Reality: Online advertising is a powerful way to drive consumers to shop in-store.

Consumers are online more than ever before, but e-commerce still only represents 7.8% of total US retail sales. Retailers who embrace the digital space and provide consumers with relevant, local information will drive shoppers in-store and improve the customer experience.

For example, retailers can share product in-store availability in a consumer’s initial search results. Then using geo-targeting, local inventory ads served when that shopper is nearby will increase the likelihood that he or she will walk into the store and make the buy. Savvy retailers who utilize customized offers like these throughout the shopping journey will ultimately stay ahead of the competition.

For most of us, this is exciting. However, the ability to nearly perfectly close this loop is creating a larger-than-ever gap between sophisticated marketers and the rest of the pack. Retailers must understand the fundamentals of programmatic media and measurement sooner rather than later to keep their businesses competitive.

Please thank Jay Friedman, COO of Goodway Group, a managed services programmatic media company supporting over 100 regional ad agencies in the United States, for sharing this industry knowledge.

For part 2 of Jay Friedman’s series, dive into the second myth of online advertising. Take it away, Jay.

Myth #2: I don’t know enough about my customers to identify them online.

Reality: Any business that knows its customers’ names can match results back to digital media.

For most retailers, offline data is collected and stored in a CRM system, loyalty program or email marketing platform that ties customers to some form of personally identifiable information (PII), such as an email address, name, postal address, or customer ID. Today’s technology allows us to scrub CRM data of all PII through an algorithmic hash process, protecting users’ anonymity. Then by establishing the right data connections and algorithms, we can now match that data to credit and bank card data, as well as cookie IDs across devices to track digital ad campaigns and their effectiveness at influencing in-store visits all the way through actual purchasing decisions. Advertisers can then run more targeted online ads based on consumers’ purchasing histories.

Today’s technology allows us to scrub CRM data of all PII through an algorithmic hash process, protecting users’ anonymity. Then by establishing the right data connections and algorithms, we can now match that data to credit and bank card data, as well as cookie IDs across devices to track digital ad campaigns and their effectiveness at influencing in-store visits all the way through actual purchasing decisions. Advertisers can then run more targeted online ads based on consumers’ purchasing histories.

While every sale is not yet attributable, the results generated by measuring the lift of exposed consumers versus a control group is statistically significant enough to allow marketers to feel confident in the findings and further optimize the next campaign. From there, results can be matched directly to the original dollar amount of the digital media buy compared to the total ad spend for a particular campaign. More importantly, these results can be pivoted to understand the impact of frequency, message sequencing or different creative treatments.

Want to learn more? Continue on to the final myth of online attribution best practices in Part 3.

2014 was my first year at ICSC RECon. As a 20-something year old breaking into the retail real estate industry at the largest deal making event of the year, I was grateful to have my boss with me who had 25+ years experience guiding me throughout the entire show. Below are a few tips from me, now an expert, on how to survive your first time at RECon.

1. Wear comfortable shoes and take care of your feet at night.

My boss joked about this being the most important part of ICSC RECon and she was right. I am pretty good in high heels, wear them daily and never have problems walking in them. But, I had problems getting through three days of RECon in them. I brought a small bag that I put my heels in and wore flats between meetings while I was navigating the map and trying to make it to appointments on time with a few minutes to prep before each one. I still had swollen feet so I made a routine of soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes when we got back to the hotel around midnight every night after dinners and networking.

2. Drink lots of water.

There are two factors here to consider: (1) It’s Las Vegas and scorching hot in the driest air. Just because you’re not dripping sweat from the lack of humidity, doesn’t mean it’s not hot. Keep a bottle with you and make yourself stay hydrated. (2) If you take advantage of the opportunities ICSC RECon provides, you shouldn’t have a break in your schedule except to go the bathroom and to eat a quick meal. You should be running around making the most of your time. This aloneworkoutrk out. Do not get overheated and miss your chance to shine.

3. It’s impossible to have a bad hair day.

The wind is insane on the strip. Check out my Mission Impossible Michael Kors jumpsuit and windblown hair outside the Cosmopolitan on the way to our next dinner date. Do not spend time worrying about your hair. The dry air and lack of humidity only require a brush to go from professional skydiver to top model once again. Spend time with your face in your notes rather than the mirror. Trust me, it’ll be fine.

4. Pack light.

You should know your appointment schedule at least a week before RECon. Plan your outfits down to what you wear on the plane to each day and dinner thereafter. I wore every single thing I packed for the first time in my life on that trip and it was worth the planning. You do not want to lug heavy luggage through the hotels, airport and on the strip. Also, it’s hot. Have I made that clear? Pack light clothes and fabrics that breathe.

5. You never know who you’re going to meet. Be prepared.

This convention brings over 40,000 people to one of the biggest tourist cities in the country. Feel comfortable enough in what you’re wearing so if you meet your next prospect or a celebrity, you’ll be fond of the memory. Look who we met at dinner with clients and vendors. Who doesn’t love the Cake Boss himself, Buddy Valastro?

6. Talk to everyone and always have your business cards handy.

Get up early, have your coffee early and get on your game from the moment you leave your hotel room. Talk to people in the elevator, in the line to get a cab, in the cab, people you rub shoulders with on the train or in the convention halls. We met so many people and exchanged so many cards that turned into great opportunities. You never know who you may be washing your hands next to! And BTW, wash your hands to keep germs on the DL and yourself healthy.

7. Charge electronics overnight and bring chargers with you during the day.

In one of my first appointments of the day, my iPad died. It was mortifying as a first timer. I had charged it all night and either there was a short in the outlet I selected or it was bad luck. Fortunately I had my charger with me and we were able to continue our presentation. Be cool, be calm and stay charged. #StayCalmAndChargeOn

8. Leave time between appointments and don’t lose your map.

I’m all about capitalizing on the opportunities this convention provides and making the most of your time, but don’t overestimate and over promise your commitments. These halls are HUGE - to the point where they have golf carts helping you to get from North to Central and South Halls. I highly recommend leaving 30 minutes before appointments. And do not lose your map or it is game over. Mark your appointments out on your map the second you get there. As you stroll (run) to your next appointment, try to look for the booths of your next meetings. Each looks different and they all have something unique to help you spot them. Check out two of our client’s booths, Tanger Outlets and Lennar Commercial below.

9. Be careful at the parties.

It wouldn’t be Vegas without some great parties – Deal making by day, partying by night. When you’re invited to these parties, remember you are still working. Also remember that not everyone else remembers that. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, maintain your professionalism and move on. Watch the flow of the party, the atmosphere, how people are interacting, try to recognize faces before you talk to them, know who you would like to meet before you get to the party, and keep it professional. I recommend a two drink max, because don’t forget ICSC RECon last for three days.

10. Have fun.

There’s no doubt this convention is work. But it’s exciting, thrilling, fast paced and can still be fun at the same time. Try not to let it cloud your judgment of what all of Las Vegas is like if you haven’t visited before for any other reason than ICSC RECon. If you can go a day early or stay a day late, enjoy the beautiful uniqueness of each hotel like the Bellagio and the Wynn.

We hope you enjoyed a first timer’s advise. Please pass it around your office, share with your first timers and tweet us if you want to meet up this year! @infiniteecom

A recent article by Yahoo! Finance has us fired up! There are some seriously cool new benefits to shopping center WiFi that we just have to share.

Before we begin, providing complimentary WiFi at your center used to be a courtesy, but now it's expected. Your shoppers are online even when they're in-store. So if you already have WiFi set up at your center, let's move on. If not, find a preferred wireless router supplier and get connected.

(Bonus points if your supplier can sync with Facebook WiFi prompting users to "Like" your center's Facebook page before logging on!)

Today shopping center WiFi has far greater benefits than just a new "Facebook like" in two major areas:

1. Mobile Advertising
2. Shopper Data Collection

Mobile Advertising

This is two fold. Certain technologies are available to allow you to send push notifications, text alerts or serve ads to shoppers while onsite. All shoppers have to do is connect to WiFi and you can start sending them messages directly to their phone or in various mobile apps. What better way to draw shoppers into one of your stores or encourage them to visit a sale than hitting them in the palm of their hand while on they're already onsite?!

Now, let's take this one step further. As a shopping center, this has potential to be a revenue generator. You can sell these notifications as an advertising opportunity to your tenants or local organizations. If White House | Black Market is having a 20% OFF sale, let WHBM purchase a notification from you to send to tenants shopping onsite. Develop the right pricing model and you may be able to offset the entire investment and have positive cash flow. Now that's what we call strategic marketing solutions. #mindblown

Shopper Data Collection

Similar technologies are now able to use shopping center WiFi as a means for data collection by providing a heat map of shopper behavior. From the time a shopper connects and disconnects to WiFi, you'll be able to track their every move including: Number of stores they visited, Time spent in stores, Which stores they visited, How many times they visit per month and more. Think about the $$$ this could save in market research or shopper intercept studies, and the accuracy! (Not to mention the volume of data...)

To think that all of this data could be readily available just ignites our insights more than ever. The catch 22, of course, is mining the big data. As Ivan Frank, Vice President of Marketing for Taubman Centers Inc. said on the subject:

You can find an oil well, but you still have to refine the oil before it is usable.

And that's exactly where a good marketing partner comes into play.

So how's it all possible? One resource to do this is StepsAway, a cloud-based platform that delivers store discounts and promotions to smartphones that sync with each mall’s Wi-Fi network. Shoppers aren’t required to download an app and are able to view offers by store or category, such as women, men, children or shoes.

PM Realty Group recently engaged infinitee to develop a unique strategy to assist in leasing premier office space within Platinum Tower, a highly visible class A office building a stone’s throw away from the new SunTrust Park Stadium. Currently, Platinum Tower has 100,000 RSF available on the top four floors. Building signage is also available which will allow a prospective tenant’s brand to be visible to over 150,000 cars daily.

As part of the strategic leasing tactics, this available space served as the host venue for Bisnow’s Atlanta State of Office event on Thursday, April 20, 2017. To ensure the space was “show ready”, infinitee created larger than life environmental 3D graphics highlighting the building’s attributes, all designed to make a strong impact capturing attendee attention and lease the space.

1. Available Space and Building Information

2. Proximity to SunTrust Park and the Cobb Energy Centre

3. Amenities including nearby walking, biking and hiking trails along the Chattahoochee River

4. Diverse retail and dining options nearby

To further increase awareness about leasing opportunities at  Platinum Tower, Bill Weghorst,  PM Realty Group’s Eastern Division President, moderated the event panelists through a discussion about the changes in the Cumberland submarket.

“I am so proud of our team and the amazing outcome of the environmental graphics program for Platinum Tower in preparation for this important Bisnow Atlanta event. This approach was strategic from the start utilizing the available space as the venue host, creatively displaying key messages about the space and the market to attendees, and having a member of the leasing team moderate the panel. We look forward to this space being leased!” - Barbara McGraw, infinitee’s CMO and Founding Partner.

About infinitee Communications, Inc.

For over 27 years, advertising has been our life. infinitee’s expertise has been invaluable to many national and regional brands. Our culture comes from our bottom-line mentality and has taught us to think and act fast. We create the proper balance in both strategy and creativity, building brand equity and driving sales. Getting results is what  infinitee is all about. Call 1.800.886.3481, x119 to speak with Jocelyn Smith, Founder & CEO.

About Platinum Tower

Highly visible from the junction of I-75 and I-285, with sweeping 360-degree views,  Platinum Tower is a landmark within the premier Cumberland Galleria submarket. With the ability to offer up to 100,000 RSF available on the top four floors, Platinum Tower also offers a “top of the building signage opportunity” that is visible to over 150,000 cars daily. In addition to multiple thoroughfares, access to the Chattahoochee River and Cumberland Trail network, Platinum Tower is just minutes from the new SunTrust Park and The Battery Atlanta.

About PM Realty Group

Platinum Tower is leased by  PM Realty Group (PMRG), a privately held commercial real estate firm that focuses on creating value by offering a full spectrum of real estate services, including property and facility management, leasing, marketing, development, investment sales, construction management and engineering. PM Realty Group capitalizes on its team's expertise, exceptional properties, tenants, clients and robust operating infrastructure to seek and ultimately create opportunities that generate exceptional returns. PM Realty Group currently maintains a strategic presence in 30 markets, leasing and managing over 130 million square feet across a portfolio valued in excess of $35 billion.

About Accesso Partners LLC

Platinum Tower is owned and managed by Accesso Partners LLC, a full-service, vertically-integrated commercial real estate investment manager, owner, and operator that aims to provide superior returns to its U.S., international and institutional investors. Accesso Partners LLC  focuses on acquiring commercial office properties in Class A locations in the largest and fastest growing metropolitan cities and premier suburban submarkets throughout the U.S. Properties currently in the portfolio range from the iconic 57-story, 1.43 million square-foot IDS Center (the tallest building in Minnesota) to the equally distinguished contemporary single-story, 150,000 square- foot Class A, 7100 Highlands Parkway, in suburban Atlanta. Its affiliate, Accesso Services LLC, provides pro-active, cost-efficient property management services with an owner’s mindset to over 8.5 million square feet of its commercial real estate assets nationwide. Accesso Partners LLC is headquartered in Hallandale Beach, FL with offices in Houston, Dallas, Minneapolis, and Atlanta, GA.

About Bisnow Atlanta State of Office Event

Atlanta has long been recognized as one of the strongest office markets in the Nation, and 2016 was no exception. Despite major political changes and fluctuating demand, Atlanta investment and leasing activity is poised to do well through 2017. Topics include Office Leasing, Development, and Finance, and how to gain a competitive edge through construction and design.