Devising an insights-led marketing strategy for an independent living provider
Developing a strategic marketing foundation
Housing Association Abbeyfield Bristol & Keynsham provide a novel alternative for people in later life who want to keep living independently: co-living accommodation with the added benefits of social opportunities, safety and home-cooked meals.
The charity and member society were leaning heavily on certain marketing tactics but receiving a significant number of irrelevant enquiries. As a result, their conversion rates were low and their administrative workload high. There was no shortage of prospective residents in the market; the challenge was reaching the right ones.
New CEO Adam Rees said:
“I wanted to better understand our marketing needs and have a plan in place to improve our occupancy and resident tenure, and raise our profile in the community.”
Adam recognised the value of reviewing the impact of marketing to date and getting a marketing strategy in place ahead of recruiting a dedicated marketing resource.
“I was new to the organisation and not convinced the existing marketing approach was up-to-date. There was no clear basis or strategy for our marketing, and I wanted to get this in place before deciding how we would deal with the operational aspects going forwards.
“I appreciated Glew’s structured approach and potential to uncover insights into our audience. When we arranged a conversation, I liked Georgie’s approach and the previous organisations she had worked for.”
Developing a competitive positioning
Through visits to different accommodations and conversations with residents and their relatives, Glew gathered a number of insights to inform a more robust marketing strategy.
Glew worked with the managers of the Abbeyfield houses and members of the team and board to map out the resident journey, identifying the role of different marketing tactics to support prospects at different stages of their decision process.
Glew also carried out desk research to understand how Abbeyfield could stand out from the other options in the market, and helped to set out clear sales, marketing and communication objectives which aligned with the charity’s business strategy.
The resulting strategy also considered the developments required in relation to technology, processes and people.
Improving marketing decisions
“Georgie was fantastic in supporting us and understanding the needs of the organisation. Her interviews with our residents and their families gave valuable marketing insights, and proved useful information to help us improve our services. We have a much better understanding of our marketing needs, feel more confident in our approach and marketing decision-making, and with a new in-house marketing officer now in place, are able to deliver the strategy.
“Georgie was a pleasure to work with and gave us some fantastic support.”