As Seen On TV…

By Steve Moran

Last week I spent some time talking to Andy Smith, the CEO of Brookdale, about a new national television campaign that is being launched today.

At the end of the week they gave me a sneak preview of the first three. Two are “out-of-the-park, make your eyes water” fantastic and the third is great (yes, the videos are embedded at the end of the article).

They have taken an unusual approach to these videos because they feature team members talking about what they do and what they love to do . . . telling stories about caring for residents.

Watch Out For Brookdale

So . . . I confess . . . that since the day the Brookdale/Emeritus merger was announced I have felt and said I would rather be competing against a Brookdale community than marketing a Brookdale community. With something as intimate as senior living, the larger the organization, the tougher it is to get it right. Now I am not so sure . . . .  

This is, I think, the third time I have done an interview with Andy and while they have always been pleasant, professional conversations, he  comes across as guarded, never quite trusting (and who can blame him . . . journalists are not so trustworthy). It was always a little off putting, but totally understandable.  

This conversation was so so different. He was effusive and excited and after watching the videos I can see why he was totally pumped up.

What It Will Do for Brookdale

Here is what this video campaign will do for Brookdale:

  • It will make consumers . . . the public see Brookdale as people and not a big company.

  • It will make frontline staff proud to be Brookdale team members, which means they will be more likely to stay on those days or weeks when the job is tough. In fact, from Andy’s perspective, the single biggest benefit of these videos is to celebrate the hard work his team is doing.

  • It will make people want to work for a company like that.

  • It will give residents and family members great confidence in the company and the care.

What It Will Do for the Industry

Senior living is not a zero sum game. The better job we do of talking about senior living greatness the more people will feel warm about what we provide to the elders of this country. It is this kind of storytelling that will move the market penetration rate.

Now the videos: