Every senior community should be producing and promoting cheesy fun videos where the stars are residents, families and staff.

The Proposition:  Every senior community should be producing and promoting cheesy fun videos where the stars are residents, families and staff.

A few days ago the Wall Street Journal published an article titled Spontaneity for Hire: Flash Mobs Go Corporate. The point of the article is that flash mobs have gone corporate and commercial. 

You can now go out and hire “spontaneity” to promote your company or cause. 

I am not sure it is something that would work for senior living, but on the other perhaps you don’t have to . . . While at ALFA this week, I crossed paths with Rick Banas the director of Strategic Marketing for BMA Management an Illinois company that develops and operates affordable assisted living communities. He pointed me to The Harlem Shake video performed by the residents and staff of Heritage Woods of Sterling.  Here it is:

Here is some things you might want to know about this video:

  • It was shot with an iPhone taped to a box.
  • It was shot by the the maintenance director
  • It was organized and executed by the community staff
  • Coolest of all . . . . that video has been viewed more than 11,000 times

AND IT COST THEM NOTHING

Why This Video is Important to You

I am a big fan of video as a way to create a viral effect to the promotion of your community.  There is a temptation to think the only way you can do this is to go out and hire someone to help you with this.  I am convinced that if BMA had done that, the result would have been a very slick professional looking video that would have been boring, boring boring and would have gathered a few dozen views.

What are you doing with video? Have you doing anything that has gone viral in your community?  

Steve Moran