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— Property Management Quarterly — October 2016
A
merica’s fascination with
outdoor holiday lighting
first began in the 1950s after
World War II.
“This is the first year since
the war that there is enough electri-
cal power and merchandise to really
go all out … I think we’ll have bril-
liantly decorated towns for at least
several Christmases,” said Joseph H.
Ward, the vice president of Noma
Electric Co.
Fast-forward to the year 2016, and
outdoor holiday lighting has become
a phenomenon with homeowners,
businesses and entertainment ven-
ues across the nation.
But many property managers still
need to realize the immeasurable
benefits of holiday lighting. The fol-
lowing are a few reasons why deco-
rating your property for the holidays
is a wise choice.
Holiday lighting will attract commu-
nity attention.
Back in 1882, Thomas
Edison first displayed a live Christ-
mas tree adorned with electrically
lit bulbs. The tree
sat in the home of
his friend, Edward
Johnson, and fea-
tured 80 red, white
and blue lights
– twinkling to the
delight of Johnson’s
guests. It wasn’t
long before John-
son’s tree garnered
communitywide
attention.
The overall land-
scape and hard-
scape of your com-
mercial property typically remains
unchanged throughout the calendar
year. However, once the Thanks-
giving feast concludes, property
managers are given an opportunity
to capture some of Edison’s magic
– garnering communitywide atten-
tion with their own holiday lighting
display.
This disruption to the everyday
norm is your chance to positively
focus public attention on your com-
mercial location. This attention not
only supports your tenant’s seasonal
desire to attract more foot traffic,
improves visibility and creates a
memorable experience for guests,
but also it lets them know how
much you value the partnership,
by providing a unique spirit to your
location during the holiday season.
Holiday lighting is like installing addi-
tional signage on your property, without
the hassle of permits and ordinances to
abide by.
Holiday lighting will provide
your location with the advantage
over other commercial locations in
close proximity. It also allows you
control over the overall holiday light-
ing design, rather than individual
businesses and organizations adorn-
ing their windows with mismatched
lighting lacking consistency.
This is the one time of year when
you can brighten up the exterior
of your building to the delight of
tenants, patrons and passersby
throughout the community. Don’t let
yourself be known as the only dark
property on the block.
From dramatic columns and excit-
ing architectural elements to expan-
sive windows – all combine to create
a blank canvas for your attention-
getting holiday lighting display. And
don’t forget about the wonderful
creations of Mother Nature – trees,
which when properly lit, turn your
property into a beacon of holiday
spirit.
Holiday lighting shows tenants and
patrons you care.
Holiday lighting
inspires emotion and can be infec-
tious – spreading feelings of cheer
and hope to everyone who sees the
lights.
That spirit is celebrated in count-
less ways throughout communities
across the nation – most notably
signified by the holiday lights and
decorations on homes and busi-
nesses, which capture our sense of
sight. A well-done holiday display is
an expression of our appreciation for
humanity, resulting in a true sense
of community.
Beyond simply increasing the
morale of employees on staff, it
solidifies the perception that you’re
not just another “scrooge” in the
community – caring only about prof-
its and little about your community.
Patrons to your building, as well
as owners, tenants and local offi-
cials, will notice and appreciate the
effort. Your name will be associated
with “benevolence,” and the word-
of-mouth marketing you’ll receive
will help keep your location at the
Craig J. Ruvere
Marketing team,
Swingle Lawn, Tree
& Landscape Care,
Denver
Maintenance
Swingle
Holiday lighting inspires emotion and can be infectious – spreading feelings of cheer.
