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We couldn’t resist the throw-back reference to the 1981 hit “867-5309 / Jenny “ by Tommy Tutone to launch us into the story of how hellojenny came to be a part of Foundry Commercial.
At Foundry, we’ve always tried to stay ahead of the industry by implementing creative marketing tactics for ourselves, our clients, and their projects. When we heard a buzz last year surrounding a social media marketing company that was focused entirely on commercial real estate, it piqued our interest. As luck would have it, we learned the owner of that company was interested in partnering with a commercial real estate firm to grow its presence and footprint even further throughout the U.S., and even better, that Foundry Commercial’s culture intrigued her. That owner was, of course, Nashville Senior Vice President of Retail Services Carrie Bobb, who had launched the digital marketing firm several years earlier.
In April, the deal was finalized, and the hellojenny team formally joined Foundry Commercial. In addition to Carrie, we have also welcomed Creative Director Nicole Ison, Operations Manager mcKensey McGill, Social Media Manager Alexa Andrioff, and Social Media Manager Vanessa Indie.
As many know, the retail industry has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years, not the least of which can be described as a “near-death experience” in 2020 when brick-and-mortar stores closed for extended periods of time. It was during what would have otherwise been considered a dire time that Carrie and partners saw an opportunity, and they created hellojenny to help landlords drive revenue digitally. After all, according to a 2022 report from Accenture, social commerce – which is defined as the intersection of social experiences and ecommerce transactions – is growing at three times the speed of ecommerce, shifting power from retailers and brands to consumers.
“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 continues to build momentum. Borne from clients’ desires to engage Foundry in more direct marketing efforts for a variety of properties, it has become an increasingly requested service during the past several years. Blair Davenport, based in Foundry’s Raleigh office, has been managing these efforts. Since the hellojenny acquisition, she’s become more integrated with that team.
“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 retains its own branding and presence at hellojenny.com. Existing clients will be served by hellojenny and integrating into Foundry Commercial’s broader marketing platform.
Social Media Content by hellojenny
“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”
– Rishika Mahtani, Director of Shopping Center Marketing, Shopcore Properties
“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.”