Extra Space Storage
Challenge
Extra Space Storage is the second-largest operator of self-storage facilities in the United States. They own or operate more than 1,400 stores in 38 states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. The customers who use Extra Space Storage are planning for their futures. They might store their furniture and spend a year traveling the world, or they might need a clean, safe and affordable place for their belongings while they renovate a house they bought. The team at Extra Space Storage had just conducted a brand overhaul and had positioned themselves as champions of optimistic, forward-thinking customers who were navigating major life events — new jobs, moving in with a significant other, welcoming a new baby. The team needed content that could speak to those challenges, be helpful to and resonate with their audience, and reflect the brand’s positioning.
Solution
Our Strategy First, we asked who the customer would turn to during these major life events. Change is stressful, after all, so we wanted to build a support system that could help Extra Space Storage’s customers navigate those changes via input from thoughtful influencers. When we created a guide to help home sellers figure out how they could stage their homes, we reached out to professional stagers and real estate agents. Those were people with influential voices who could also offer real advice on how to stage a home so that it sells for a higher price. When we wrote about Millennials moving back home after college — and how parents could navigate that crowded nest — we reached out to professional therapists who had helped hundreds of families work through those same issues. This strategy benefitted our influencers by giving them a platform to share their expertise, and it helped Extra Space Storage’s customers build a vision for how they could tackle major events in their lives.
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