Based in Florida, Concierge Plus operates nationwide in the United States and Canada, serving condo and multi-residential communities of various sizes. For more than 20 years, their comprehensive property management solution has empowered residents and managers to efficiently handle document management, common area bookings, maintenance requests, parking management, and notifications. Moreover, the company offers essential hardware tools including barcode scanners, parking pass printers, and digital signature pads.

The Need for a Marketing Director

I joined Concierge Plus as a Marketing Director on November 1st, 2018 and reported directly to Peter Pietrzkiewicz, CEO and Founder of Concierge Plus. When I joined Concierge Plus as the Marketing Director, the company was at a pivotal juncture, lacking prior marketing expertise and having never employed a dedicated marketing professional. Recognizing the immense potential for growth, I embarked on a transformative journey to elevate the company’s brand presence and drive sales.

My primary role involved elevating Concierge Plus’ brand identity, enhancing solution visibility, and driving sales-ready leads for the Sales team. Similar to Achiga, Concierge Plus lacked prior marketing expertise, offering me another chance to spearhead brand and business growth, streamline processes, and cultivate a dynamic company culture by building and nurturing a team.

Revitalizing the Brand

To formulate an effective marketing strategy and tactics, I needed to align with the sales team on the specific type of demand we aimed to generate.

Concierge Plus found itself in a fiercely competitive market, vying for valuable market share against a handful of dominant competitors. According to SiriusDecisions’ demand categorization, we were thus operating within an Established Market.

Since the objective of Established Market messaging is to make buyers realize that our offering is a better choice vs. our competitor’s offering, Established Market messaging focuses primarily on positioning and differentiation.

As a result, my focus shifted towards revitalizing the brand to better reflect industry evolution and strengthen our competitive stance in the marketplace. Furthermore, I had to arm my sales team with content that effectively positioned our offerings against key competitors.

I had to consider the following questions when developing the Established Market value proposition:

• What performance attributes and outcomes did our offering provide that the competition could not claim?
• What was the advantage of a relationship with Concierge Plus?
• What features, functionality and benefits were unique to our offering, and how did these qualities give the buyer an advantage?

Changing the Narrative

Traditionally, property management solutions had been designed with a primary focus on catering to the needs of property managers, positioning them as the central stakeholder/user. However, amidst this emphasis on streamlining property management operations, an essential stakeholder group had often been overlooked: the residents living within these condominium communities. For decades, the industry had prioritized the requirements and preferences of property management companies, inadvertently sidelining the needs and experiences of the residents themselves.

As the dynamics of the real estate landscape continue to evolve, I believed that the industry should recognize the critical role that residents play as the primary stakeholders in condominium living. This shift in perspective would underscore the importance of reimagining property management software to prioritize the needs and enhance the experience of residents, thereby fostering a more inclusive and resident-centric approach to condominium management.  

As a result, I decided to shift the narrative by implementing a strategy centered around delivering informative content aimed at reinforcing buyers’ understanding of the primary business concern. I carefully chose a topic that closely resonated with our buyers, effectively highlighting a unique aspect of our solution.

Covid-19 and the Need for Resident Experience Management

The topic chosen for all forthcoming content centered on enhancing the resident experience. I successfully persuaded our CEO to transition away from positioning ourselves solely as a property management software company. Instead, I advocated for rebranding our image as a tech company offering a comprehensive Resident Experience Management platform.

Fortunately, as I commenced efforts to underscore the significance of resident experience, the emergence of Covid-19 in China provided an unexpected impetus. Anticipating the virus’s inevitable spread to North America within weeks, I foresaw the profound impact the pandemic would have on the residential property management industry, particularly due to ensuing lockdown measures.

The onset of COVID-19 underscored the inevitability of change, prompting me to craft the Established Market value proposition with the following considerations in mind:

1. Prioritizing the delivery of exceptional resident experiences, especially in a remote setting.
2. Encouraging property managers to reevaluate their existing technology stack, which often lacked the performance capabilities offered by our solution.
3. Highlighting the uniqueness of our solution, which boasted seamless integration capabilities with third-party providers.

Using Thought Leadership to Grow

Concierge Plus’ customers were already aware of the need for a solution, with some already utilizing a competitor’s offering.

To persuade these potential clients to switch from their existing provider, I highlighted the Established Market value propositions mentioned above. Additionally, I leveraged the urgency created by the Covid pandemic to underscore the need for immediate action.

Thought leadership efforts included several guides, success stories, newsletters, blogs, and webinars that were often co-sponsored with industry leaders such as KatzmanChandler, Pattison Outdoor, and GetQuorum.

Check out the image gallery below for examples of co-sponsored webinars, published guides, and social media banners.

Launching the Engage App

With a successful thought leadership program in place, the missing piece to bolster our competitive edge was an app.

At the time, none of our competitors had one, so launching an app would give us a clear advantage.

The Engage App, launched on July 12, 2021, quickly gained traction, attracting property management companies.

The launch of our app marked a significant turning point in our strategy, particularly in attracting property management companies. Prior to its introduction, our focus was primarily on selling to property managers representing individual condominiums. However, with the app in place, we positioned ourselves to target larger deals with property management companies. These companies presented more substantial deal sizes but also posed greater challenges in terms of sales. Nevertheless, the app’s capabilities and value proposition resonated strongly with these entities, leading to increased interest and engagement from property management companies looking to streamline their operations and enhance resident experiences. This shift allowed us to expand our reach and tap into a broader market segment with significant growth potential.

Redesigning Concierge Plus’ Website

With website traffic soaring by over 130% in just one year and a healthy pipeline contribution of 30%, it was clear to me that Concierge Plus was ripe for a website redesign journey that aligned seamlessly with the new narrative I had been championing.

The website’s content underwent a transformation, shifting away from a feature-centric focus on the solution itself to a thematic emphasis on improving the resident experience through a Resident Experience Management platform.

Also, with property management companies consistently engaging with our content, it became imperative for us to convey strength and capability, positioning ourselves as adept partners capable of serving larger clients effectively.

The new website was launched on November 1st, 2021.

I wanted the website to help facilitate the buyer’s journey and also introduced new pages, like Why Concierge Plus, showcasing the Established Market value proposition.

While we kept the logo, everything else got a total overhaul. The following was worked upon:

• Brand purpose
• Brand voice and tone
• Brand colors
• Imagery and icons
• Content strategy

The redesigned website served as a testament to Concierge Plus’ commitment to embracing this resident-centric philosophy and facilitating meaningful connections between property managers, property management companies, and residents.

Here are visuals of the refreshed website alongside a before/after comparison:

Transforming Property Management: Concierge Plus Redefines Resident Experience and Market Position

In summary, Concierge Plus has undergone a significant transformation to solidify its position in the competitive property management industry.

Upon joining as the Marketing Director in 2018, I recognized the need for strategic changes to elevate their brand presence and drive sales.

Central to my strategy was the shift towards prioritizing resident experience management, a move underscored by the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Leveraging thought leadership efforts and launching the Engage App, I successfully attracted larger property management companies, expanding their market reach and tapping into significant growth potential.

Furthermore, the redesign of their website served as a pivotal step in aligning their digital presence with their evolving narrative. With a thematic emphasis on improving the resident experience through their Resident Experience Management platform, coupled with a strategic focus on engaging property management companies, the redesigned website reflects their commitment to facilitating meaningful connections and driving value for all stakeholders.

As we continue to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of property management, Concierge Plus remains steadfast in its mission to empower communities and enhance resident experiences. Through innovation, collaboration, and a resident-centric approach, they are poised to shape the future of property management and set new standards of excellence in the industry.