Better together

As the retail marketplace is changing in our new post COVID environment, the importance of Specialty Leasing to provide revenue to the client is increasing. Even before COVID began to dictate the operating environment, the role of Specialty Leasing began to expand due to the loss of national retailers, anchors and changes in consumer behaviors. With change, comes opportunity allowing for new, creative uses in more quality locations and larger space availability.

When looking at these new opportunities, collectively the partnership of Marketing and Specialty Leasing can enhance the ability to turn them into reality. A robust marketing strategy focused on technology can give a voice to specialty tenants, speak to the new consumer, generate new vibrant interest and collect data to build on those efforts, while being more effective on any budget. Specialty Leasing has more to offer merchants through marketing than ever before!

JLL has a variety of tools to help elevate the Specialty Leasing program, but the most notable is proximity marketing or the way we speak to consumers. The proximity marketing tool that “pings” a visitor every time they are on property once they have connected to the common area WiFi and opt in. It will then “ping” them every time they return to the property. Specialty Leasing and Marketing can leverage this tool by tailoring messages to specifically support retailers by pushing out promotions while the consumer is on property ready to purchase. Other tools including off-property texts and email provide a voice for announcements of new offerings, time sensitive promotions or activations to help drive traffic into the center.

Another way that Marketing and Specialty Leasing can combine efforts is on our social platforms. Lead generation ads are another option to move the needle. Through targeting/using market specific and results driven data, the center can effectively stretch any budget. A more robust budget allows to go a step further with programmatic ad campaigns and custom creative. Social platforms also provide a place to drive traffic and sales for retailers. There can also be varying dollar amounts strategically placed behind these posts to garner improved results, again by targeting using market data and information.

Data is king in the digital age and always allows us to be more effective at marketing our centers and our efforts in leasing. Through the collection of data at the center level, we can provide more information to our tenants on ways to be more successful in their own operations. While most specialty retailers don't have budgets that allow for such a service, we can help be a resource of information by being our customer experts.

Specialty Leasing and Marketing are a fierce combination that strengthen the offerings and desirability of centers. Teamwork, communication and strategy drive results; together Specialty Leasing and Marketing can garner big results for our clients. Like a needle is to thread, some things are just better together.