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Marketing Agency Recognized for Effectiveness, Creativity in Reaching Millennials

AUSTIN, TX:  Catalyst, an Austin-based agency specializing in marketing for student and multifamily housing, was honored at the 22nd Annual Communicator Awards. Catalyst was recognized with Silver Awards of Distinction for its 2015 Cyber Monday and 2015 Renewal Campaigns.

The award-winning campaigns were designed for Campus Advantage, a provider of student housing management, development, acquisition and consulting services, and promoted more than 30 student housing properties across the United States.  Deliverables included social media graphics, emails, associated landing pages, posters, flyers and videos tailored for each campaign that were scalable and cost-effective at the property level.

As a result of the combined campaigns, Campus Advantage properties are 2,545 leases ahead of last year at this time and have experienced a 7.7 percent increase in walk-in traffic in 2016.  “The innovation and creativity Catalyst put into these campaigns enabled us to not only reach college students, but motivate them to take action,” said Jenn Cassidy, Vice President of Operations at Campus Advantage.  “This resulted in increased lease signings and renewals that far exceeded expectations,” she said.

The Renewal campaign leveraged the student voice in videos from a variety of properties that showcased how living at a Campus Advantage property helped set them up for success, a key goal of each Campus Advantage property.  The campaign resulted in an increase of 296 leases [+124 percent] among the portfolio over the previous year.

The Cyber Monday campaign was designed to highlight property specials leading up to Cyber Monday.  The commercial-style video featured logos and branded swag from all properties within the portfolio.  The individual properties were then able to customize their own landing page with unique offers, specific to their community.  Over the course of the Cyber Monday campaign, a total of 780 leases were signed, a 40 percent increase in renewed leases over the previous year – and a 76 percent increase in new leases, significantly surpassing campaign goals.

“We are honored to be recognized for our success in implementing integrated marketing campaigns with qualifiable results,” said Jamie Matusek, Vice President of Catalyst. “We know Millennials consume information in strikingly different ways than previous generations.  At Catalyst, we leverage a variety of media channels to reach them where they are with targeted messaging and demonstrated ROI at the individual property level.”

With more than 6,000 entries received from across the United States and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. 

About Catalyst

Catalyst is the leader in student housing marketing and serves other industries including commercial real estate, multi-family housing, finance, universities, senior housing, development firms, and others. The firm concentrates on the science of marketing by using data-driven strategies to generate tangible results for clients that grow their business. The Austin-based firm offers a wide range of marketing strategy, design, and public relations services. Visit https://thelyst.com to learn more.

About Campus Advantage

Campus Advantage is an Austin-based real estate firm that offers student housing management, development, acquisition, and consulting services. The company has been creating successful communities since its founding in 2003. Its proven expertise and time-tested approach creates better student living experiences, which in turn creates financial success. For additional information, please visit http://www.campusadv.com.

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