Currently under construction at kettler.com are two initiatives. One is a game in which site visitors can build their own multifamily development, e-mail it to a friend or upload it to a gallery. Second is the aptly titled “Picture Yourself at the Met,” in which surfers upload a photo of themselves that will then appear as a magnet on a stainless steel refrigerator during a virtual tour of Kettler’s new Metropolitan property. While Howell is evaluating whether Kettler needs to jump full bore into the realm of MySpace by creating a profile, she also wonders if the maintenance involved in seeking out and adding “friends” to increase the popularity of the profile on the network is worth the effort.
Her trepidation might be warranted. “Craigslist and MySpace can have a very grassroots or amateurish perception,” Thompson explains. “That may not be the image you want to project for a $100 [million] to $500 million asset with 24-hour concierge and valet service. That can be a disconnect with the consumer’s decision hierarchy.”
Atkinson, for one, is sold. She says MySpace will eventually feature profile pages for all of Mark-Taylor’s communities. “It will take a bit of time to get them all up and running, but it is a huge focus for us,” she says, adding that her team has practiced by setting up a Mark-Taylor profile on YouTube. “You simply have to participate in these networking sites. It’s where all of our customers are.”
That is, unless those customers are not already making a splash with friends and family at their local Mark-Taylor pool party.
MFE ACTION ITEMS
TAKING THE PLUNGE
