Advertising Wows The key to advertising security: Give residents a feeling of a safe environment without actually using the word. Village Green Cos., a Farmington Hills, Mich.-based multifamily company uses several “C” words – comfort, convenience, and community – in its advertisements.
“When you think about it, being a comfortable place or having parking conveniently located in the building or next to the building creates an image of a safe place to live,” explains Heidi Much, director of risk management at Village Green.
And like most companies, Village Green doesn’t want its advertisements to imply the company is responsible for the residents’ safety. “It sounds terrible, but we don’t want to imply liability on our part,” explains Much.
That’s why you will see a lot of soft terms in advertisements, says Amy Mayes, risk manager at Camden, a real estate investment trust based in Houston. “‘Feel’ is a nice, soft term.” On the other hand, words like controlled access, 24-hour security, safe, secure, and patrolled are all bad words when it comes to advertising or promoting a community.
Many times apartment ads say, “controlled-access gates,” adds Mayes. But, to avoid liability, advertisements should only use the word gate. And, leasing agents should never talk about safety and security. Instead, they should discuss the amenities and the services the community offers. “We don’t talk about security, it’s all subliminal,” she says.