News
Orlando, Fla. (April 27, 2023) – With social commerce – defined as the intersection of social experiences and ecommerce transactions – growing at three times* the speed of ecommerce, power is shifting from retailers and brands to consumers. As Foundry Commercial continues to grow its footprint and expand service lines, the commercial real estate services and investment company is solidifying its commitment to the trajectory that these trends will have on real estate, now folding in the talents of the hellojenny digital marketing platform, an industry-leading firm focused on helping landlords drive revenue for tenants both digitally and to brick and mortar.
Noticing a gap in the market, Carrie Bobb – long-considered an expert in landlord merchandising, lease execution, and digital leasing strategies – launched hellojenny in 2021 to help landlords and properties attract targeted people, products, and businesses to their properties – both in person and virtually. Bobb formally joined Foundry Commercial in Nashville as Senior Vice President of Retail Services late last year, paving the way for conversations about bringing the hellojenny family into the Foundry fold.
“Exacerbated by the pandemic, there is a chasm between how consumers shop for what they want and how retailers and merchandisers are able to meet them where they are,” said Carrie Bobb, and 20-year brokerage veteran. “In developing an entire platform that focuses on creating unique, memorable experiences that lead to consumer purchases, hellojenny has pioneered an overall leasing strategy for our clients that reaches their target audiences through social media via retailers, influencers, and the community.”
The timing of the acquisition was opportune, as Foundry’s Consumer Marketing function – part of its building management services – continues to build momentum. Borne from clients’ desires to engage Foundry’s marketing professionals into more direct marketing efforts for a variety of properties, it has become an increasingly requested service during the past several years.
“Ironically, we had been watching how hellojenny was growing before we even began discussions with Carrie, recognizing they were taking a formulaic approach to helping landlords align their property’s social media strategies with their broader leasing efforts,” said Nick McKinney, Chief Strategy Officer for Foundry Commercial. “When we were connected by a mutual contact who felt the two company’s cultures were synergistic, it was evident immediately that we could work together to grow this service offering on a broader scale, and the client appetite is definitely there to support it.”
Becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Foundry Commercial, hellojenny will retain its own branding and presence at hellojenny.com. Existing clients will be served by hellojenny and integrating into Foundry Commercial’s broader marketing platform.
Tactics used by hellojenny to create a digital sales funnel for landlord leasing teams include:
- Comprehensive property analysis and market research
- Direct outreach
- Social media analytics applied to custom leasing tools
- Pop-up retail initiatives
- Property social media management and strategy
- Tenant relations
- Influencer marketing
- Strategic brand collaborations
- Custom videography and photography
“We are thrilled for the next chapter for the hellojenny team. They have played a huge role in evolving our social media accounts and bringing it to a place that makes us proud,” said Rishika Mahtani, Director of Shopping Center Marketing for Shopcore Properties, a longtime client of hellojenny. “We were happy to play a role in their growth story and working together to leverage our social media platforms.”
“It’s an exciting time as social media carves out its own utility in the commercial real estate industry, with retail being one of the more obvious applications,” added McKinney. “We know the fundamentals of what hellojenny has been doing in the commercial real estate space can be applied to other verticals within the industry such as multifamily and seniors housing, and we’re looking forward to pushing those boundaries together.”
(*Source: Accenture Report 2022, The Future of Shopping and Commerce)