Does your company have a purpose? It might seem like a trick question, but it’s not. The concept of purpose has seeped into brand-building conversations thanks in large part to Jonathan Mildenhall, one of the world’s most influential CMOs, who claims his success at super brands like Coca-Cola and Airbnb are a result of the power of purpose. In this post, we’ll examine what purpose-driven marketing is and how it can help differentiate and propel your senior living brand. What is purpose-driven marketing—and how does it relate to senior living? Purpose-driven marketing is, as Mildenhall describes it, “a compelling brand purpose that transcends the business model and reaches into culture.” It’s looking beyond day-to-day transactions and committing your business, publicly, to a broader social mission. In the senior living industry, most companies are not operating on a global scale. They’re serving communities, and they thrive only when they create bonds with residents and locals. For this reason, operating with purpose is a competitive necessity. Purpose drives performance The concept of creating a purpose for your business can seem like marketing fluff, but purpose-driven companies outperform competitors financially, creating much more shareholder value. They also attract and retain top talent more effectively, a struggle for many senior living operators. Building a philosophy—one employees can articulate in just a couple of sentences—is even more important in today’s climate, where Millennials, who value socially-responsible brands, comprise the largest segment of America’s workforce. Let creativity and humanity be your guide In order to effectively bring about change and find your company’s purpose, look at things creatively. “Bring your eight-year-old self to work,” says Mildenhall. “Geek out like it’s your first time playing Legos.” Seeing things as a child would breeds curiosity. It allows you to view things with...

It’s 6:30pm. Your senior resident’s daughter has made it through traffic just in time to pick up her son from band practice. Now she’s got to rush to the pharmacy to pick up your resident’s refill and make it to the community in time for her father’s evening application. But before she does that, she has to visit your leasing office to pay the rent and remind the agent about the leak in the bathroom–all before the office closes at 7pm. While she is driving, exhausted and stressed, she gets a call from her friend. Her friend’s mother is in a comparable senior living community that offers rent payments, maintenance requests, and an ability to communicate with clinicians through an easy-to-use online portal. That portal can be accessed on any mobile device. Your resident’s daughter is suddenly having second thoughts about your property—and rightly so! Our busy lives benefit from the modern conveniences of digital and mobile services. Senior care is no different. The RentCafe Senior Living portal helps users achieve greater work-life balance through improved daily efficiencies and conveniences. For Families RentCafe Senior Living offers time savings and ease-of-use for family members. Users can manage payments, make maintenance service requests. and even track progress on maintenance orders. They will know when the issue is resolved and their loved one is living comfortably again without making a dozen calls to your office. RentCafe Senior Living connects seamlessly with CRM, EHR and mobile tools. Families can effortlessly request updates from the community regarding prescription refills, review health information and communicate with care providers on their loved one’s progress. With these tools, site visits are for time with loved ones, not resolving issues and running errands. Through the online portal, family members can even check out...