Tag: Varsity Roundtable

Every community has amenities. Every community has services. But not every community has a voice—a distinct personality that captures who they are and why people belong there. During our latest Roundtable, Rob Smith, Varsity’s Executive Creative Director, explored how to uncover and amplify that voice to create deeper, more authentic connections with prospects and residents.

Rob shared strategies for identifying the traits that make your community truly one of a kind and how to express that identity through storytelling, archetypes, and consistent messaging. His insights highlighted how clarity of voice can transform marketing from transactional to emotional, helping communities stand out in a crowded senior living marketplace. Below are a few Fresh Perspectives from his discussion. 

UNIQUE COMMUNITY IDENTITY

To stand out in a competitive market, it’s crucial to identify and showcase the unique traits and experiences that define your community. This distinct personality helps capture the attention of potential residents and differentiates you from competition.

ENGAGING STORYTELLING

Highlighting your community’s authentic voice through compelling stories about residents, staff, and interactions helps create deep emotional connections with prospective residents. This narrative approach is essential in turning initial interest into lasting relationships.

ARCHETYPES FOR BRAND DEPTH

Incorporating Jungian archetypes into your brand strategy helps dimensionalize and enrich your community’s voice. Choosing the right archetype or combination can powerfully convey your community’s core values and aspirations to potential residents.

DYNAMIC BRAND POSITIONING

Through qualitative engagement with community leadership and archetype exploration, identify not only what your community is today but also its future potential. Craft an authentic, aspirational brand positioning that distinguishes your community in the marketplace and resonates deeply with your target audience.

Varsity’s Roundtable is a weekly virtual gathering of senior living marketers and leaders from across the nation. For updates about future weekly Roundtable gatherings, submit your name and email address here.

This week’s Sales and Marketing Roundtable marked a milestone—our 275th session—and we were joined by Jennifer Smith from Mather Institute for an inspiring deep dive into the Age Well Study.

 This groundbreaking, five-year research project explored how living in a Life Plan Community influences health, happiness, and overall wellness compared to older adults living independently. With participation from more than 8,000 residents across 122 communities, the study offers one of the most comprehensive looks yet at the benefits of community living. Below are a few Fresh Perspectives from her discussion. 

SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT 

Residents in Life Plan Communities experienced increased social interactions and higher engagement in intellectual activities, unlike the broader community. This reflects the rich program offerings and resources available, fostering deeper relationships and continuous learning.

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS 

Despite a slight tendency for residents’ emotional wellness scores to decline, they generally remained higher or similar to those of the broader community. Enhancing emotional wellness programs to address life challenges and transitions could further build on this advantage.

PERCEPTION OF BENEFITS 

When asked to reflect on how moving into a Life Plan Community affected their wellness, over two-thirds of respondents indicated their social wellness improved and more than one-half experienced benefits to their physical and intellectual wellness.. This highlights the communities’ strength in supporting resident well-being.

TAILORED WELLNESS PROGRAMS 

The Person-Centric Wellness Model, emphasizing choice, growth, and community support, suggests that personalized wellness offerings can effectively enhance residents’ motivation and engagement in healthy behaviors.

COMMUNITY COMPARISONS 

Efforts were made to make the resident and community-at-large groups comparable on age, gender, income, and race/ethnicity, yet there still may be pre-existing differences between groups that may influence wellness outcomes.

AGE PERCEPTION AND TRAINING 

Promoting positive views of aging is important to the wellness of older adults.  Employee training to reduce subtle forms of “everyday ageism” in language and actions may increase awareness and change behaviors. 

Varsity’s Roundtable is a weekly virtual gathering of senior living marketers and leaders from across the nation. For updates about future weekly Roundtable gatherings, submit your name and email address here.