Here is a question for Sun City residents. What prompted you to think about Sun City Huntley as a place where you might consider living ? Was it a developerâs newspaper ad; a TV or radio promo; a referral from a resident; a realtorâs recommendation; a sign; hearsay; whatever? Living in Sun City most probably came to your attention by more than one of those means.
After all, consider that Del Webb, the original developer, and later Pulte under the Del Webb brand, collectively sold 5481 homes to first time buyers, and since the first sale in 1999, there have been hundreds of resales by residents to second time buyers.Thatâs a lot of homes that have been sold by the developer and re sold by resident owners.
There isnât much data available that counted which marketing method resulted in how many sales, but itâs safe to assume that the most effective means, and the least expensive means was ⌠WORD OF MOUTH.
Now, that the developer sold the last of its new homes, corporate marketing has come to an end. Past CAM Boards and the current Board realized that ongoing efforts to market Sun City as the Midwestâs Premier 55 and older community was its responsibility. That motivation created the need for a Marketing Committee.
The current Sun City Marketing Committee will hopefully identify and capitalize on an incredibly enthusiastic marketing force at its disposal. The dynamic force earns no salary, no commission or any other type of compensation. Those âdynamic marketersâ are Sun City residents and anyone who has ever had some type of contact or had some type of knowledge about the community. And what an unofficial team they are!
Sun Cityâs population is estimated to be about 9,000 occupants. Multiply that number by an additional three or four friends or relatives per occupant. That adds about 30,000 to the 9,000. Then add past residents; vendors servicing the community; Association staff; Jameson patrons ;Whisper Creek golfers ;people traveling up and down Route 47;multiple real estate brokers plus their agents ;the Multiple Listing Service itself; Google searches listing 55and over communities ; and our own SCCAH[Sun City Community Association Huntley] Web Site. It seems fair to say that the number of âword of mouthâ unofficial marketers easily exceeds 50, 000 each of whom knows about and possibly will one day talk about Sun City.
This is not to say that âword of mouthâ is sufficient, but it is an ongoing and formidable marketing activity much more so than costly expenditures for media purchases, printed brochures or fests of one type or another. To date, the Committee has not committed to any expenditures while it finalizes its plans and being subject, of course, to the Boardâs approval. Thereâs a good chance that the a sizable portion of this yearâs $40,648 marketing budget may not have to be spent.
In the meantime, does any one know where I can buy a baseball cap or T-shirt displaying the Sun City logo?
Jim Darow N5
Time to be proactive get a free state id card!
Many of us will find with the march of time that we can no longer drive a car. This of course means that we will not be getting our driver’s license renewed. Now, this could present a problem down the road. After the license has expired, it can no longer be used as a means of identification.There is a solution. The State-issued ID will serve that purpose, and it never expires. One can draw up scenarios wherein you are unable to get to the Motor Vehicle Department for this purpose. They will not come to you (e.g., in a nursing home) for this purpose. The answer is to get this ID now. On September 10, from 10 a.m. â 2 p.m., the Illinois Mobile Secretary of State Unit will be present in Drendel Ballroom for their annual visit. As you know, you can get all the services of the Motor Vehicle Driver Facility except a road test at this time. These, of course, include getting the State ID. And, if you are over 65 years old, you will get it at no cost to you. Take advantage of the complimentary service at Prairie Lodge, Drendel Ballroom.
Herm Faubl
Civics Committee
