In this week's PR Publications adventure, we were tasked with creating two direct mailers for the upcomingOU Residential Collegesthat will open this fall. They're an interesting situation, because most students are aware that they're being built (they've taken away plenty of parking and the buildings are across the street from the stadium), but no one really understands what they are.
Probably the biggest problem is that these are going to have to compete with off-campus housing, specifically, the apartment complexes that are made to be marketed to students as the next step in your college career. Most students don't want to stay in the dorms for two years. They want to move into an apartment or house so that they feel more independent and have easier access to alcohol, because destroying your kidneys is a key part to the college experience.
To better understand the market that we will be creating content within, we were tasked with taking tours of one of the many options for off-campus apartment living. I visitedThe Reserve on Stinsonwhich I have had a few friends live there and really enjoy it. My impressions before I went were positive: the buildings are newer with a modern feel, it's very close to campus and the apartments come furnished.
I took a tour without calling ahead, but that wasn't a problem for the main marketing manager who gave me the tour. We walked through the main club house that had a gym, pool, conference room and computer lab with free printing. He emphasized how the complex has a "small community" feel, but he didn't seem too interested in getting to know a potential new community member.
As we walked into the model apartment, the first thing I noticed was that there were custom dog leashes everywhere with a few signs that made note that they are pet friendly (after a steep deposit and an additional monthly fee). The rooms were definitely spacious with lots of storage and lots of furniture that is provided, but it was a handicap accessible apartment, so I'm not sure how much smaller the rooms are.
After the tour, I was taken back to the club house where I was handed a whole bunch of promotional material. I was given the option to sign a lease when I had already said multiple times that I will be living with a large group (why would I sign without them?). The promotional materials emphasized their modern feel, pet friendly policies, their proximity to campus, a weekly shuttle to make a Wal-Mart run (for students without a car), a bike-share program and their pricing (which isn't terrible for the location).
In summary, it was an interesting experience understanding what the competition is focusing on and how the residential colleges can adapt and appeal to a somewhat different audience from the Reserve. In my projects, I hope to emphasize the community aspect of the colleges as that seems to be the last thought on some of the competition's minds.
Thanks for listening to what I had to say and I hope
you have a great day!
