Once people visit one of Redstone Highlands’ Western Pennsylvania campuses, they are sold on the place, says Vice President of Quality Services Vicki Loucks. But getting prospective residents to visit the continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) can sometimes be challenging.
Faced with the task of attracting new residents to the villa community it opened in Oct. 2009, Redstone decided to take a new approach.
It abandoned its traditional Sunday afternoon Open House. Instead, it began sponsoring a weekday luncheon series featuring a good meal and an interesting guest speaker.
Later dubbed the “Lunch Bunch,” the series was soon bringing 50-60 participants to the community’s new clubhouse each month.
Clubs for Every Interest
Convinced it was on to something, Redstone took its community outreach efforts one step further. It slowly began establishing a variety of clubs that would regularly bring "external guests" to campus to interact with Redstone residents.
Today, Redstone hosts at least 10 such clubs in its 4 Western Pennsylvania communities. They include:
- Traditional Bridge Clubs and Book Clubs.
- A variety of fitness clubs offering free yoga, Tai Chi and Zumba workouts.
- A popular Men's Grill that brings working and retired men together to share a meal, interesting conversation and maybe even a beer.
- A Technology Club that helps its members get the most out of their cell phones, tablets and computers.
While they are all different, the Redstone clubs share several features that have helped make them a success, according to Loucks: mixed audiences, a soft sell, a shoestring budget and staff teamwork.
Mixed Audiences
Redstone uses direct mail, newspaper ads, email and personal invitations to invite prospective residents to join current residents at club events.
"If it was just the external community taking part in these clubs, it wouldn't be as effective as it is with residents involved," says Loucks. "The people who live here love us and they want to tell our guests about that. The program wouldn't work without that interaction."
Soft Sell
Members of the marketing team are on hand at each club event, but not to make a sales pitch.
"They just do a little welcome and tell people that we hope they will keep coming back," says Loucks. "We tell guests that if they are interested in a tour, we are here to do that. But we don't start talking about the community until people express an interest. Our goal is not to sell. It is to make Redstone a trusted friend."
Shoestring Budget
The club program is not costly. Local libraries drop off the volumes that Book Club members want to read. Redstone’s IT staff runs the Technology Club. Local fitness instructors charge Redstone a nominal fee to run their classes. Lunch Bunch events cost only about $300-$400 a month.
"We prepare really good food, but it is not necessarily the most expensive food," says Loucks.
Staff Collaboration
Staff members at each Redstone building hold a monthly Club Coordination meeting that includes members of the building's sales, activities, dining services and maintenance teams. The meetings help ensure that club events are well organized and professional, says Loucks. But they also help ensure that all staff members support the marketing events.
"The whole team must understand the importance of keeping the census numbers at a budgeted level so we can continue to do the good things that we do for our residents," she says.
Outcomes
While Redstone enjoys a 94% occupancy rate, the community doesn’t have data that tie its healthy census directly to the clubs program. But Loucks believes there is a strong connection.
Club members may never move to Redstone. But they do become informal community ambassadors for the organization, she says. They have seen Redstone communities firsthand and they feel comfortable there. So they naturally spread the good news to friends and neighbors who might be considering a move.
"We want Redstone to be the first thought in someone's mind when they think about retirement living," says Loucks. "I think we are accomplishing that through our club programs."