The marketing communications demands placed on housing associations and social landlords are varied and challenging.
From the creation of an integrated promotional campaign for a new housing development to the writing and publication of a regular newsletter to keep clients, investors and staff informed about the services that the organisation delivers, marketing communications needs to consider the different levels at which people interact with the organisation and the need to use methods and media which engage most effectively.
Adopting an integrated approach is almost certainly the best way to go and using a full service agency delivers more benefits for the marketing team. A full service, or integrated, marketing communications agency will be able to deliver a cohesive approach to your requirements, without favouring one particular method or medium.
So, for example, if your housing association has a new development of homes for rent, sale or shared ownership, a full service agency will be able to offer a marketing strategy that considers all forms of promotional tools and selects those that are most effective to meet your objectives. Such a strategy might include site and directional signage, brochures and information packs, mini-website, marketing suite displays and advertising, whether print, broadcast, outdoor or online.
In creating and delivering the promotions, a full service agency will ensure that the campaign is cohesive and properly co-ordinated to maximum effect.
Naturally, finding an agency that has the right skills, experience and resources is essential. Many agencies will call themselves ‘full service’ but will not be able to satisfy all of these criteria. Ideally, the agency you choose will be able to provide on the spot advice on the most effective steps to take, without needing to refer back to others.
In addition, experience in the social housing sector is invaluable, as the agency will appreciate the challenges faced and will know what is most likely to work. An experienced agency will also be able to assure effective, efficient logistics; signage is designed, produced and installed at the right time, advertising is properly scheduled and brochures and websites are ready to satisfy demands for information.
Using several different suppliers can leave a lot of this co-ordination to chance and can mean a lot of extra work and pressure for the marketing professionals within the housing association.
If you need assistance with your social housing marketing campaigns, further information on the services offered by PSL can be found here.
