Anyone who has read my ranting for the past years here, knows i love our history. If you look back to the early 60's, i have written of the remarkable advertising done that didn't quite work out. The 50 person ad agency doing the national program for the 3 Sun Cities (AZ, CA and Florida) produced awesome ads that by 1964 had the whole concept of age restricted living on the verge of tanking. Del Webb hated failure and when he asked the guys overseeing the DEVCO Sun City projects to change, they politely declined. They were all gone within 3 months. That moment in time clearly changed the course of history. Webb brought in John Meeker to run the company with the primary focus being Sun City AZ. One of his first acts was to fire the ad agency and take the huge budget they were spending across the country and look inward. He knew the biggest problem was the perception of the community was it was a place where old people went to die. There was only one way to overcome that, he had to get them here to experience it up close and personal. He created the Play and Stay program and he used it for the next 13 years. The new ad department had only three people and it was arguably the best of all outcomes possible. Meeker in his memoirs claimed that from 1965-1978 50% of the 20,000 plus homes sold were purchased by people who came through the Play and Stay program. They came, they saw, they bought. It was such a strong marketing ploy, it is still in place today across the country. When i was on the board i argued the RCSC should at least consider buying properties and re-instituting the program. As usual, i was talking to myself. While that effort failed, i often tell the Meeker Play and Stay story to anyone who will listen. For purposes of this story, some of you followed the thread Selling the Compound. It was our journey in buying our home in 1999 and then selling it earlier this year. It was followed more than any other thread on this site. In it, i mentioned often the realtors we were using, Tim and Amy Nixon (The Nixon Group). We met years back and hit it off. They work harder than any realtors i know and are just nice people. Tim was gracious enough to listen to my ramblings and took special notice of the Play and Stay story. He kept asking me why realtors hadn't looked at incorporating something similar into their marketing? I couldn't honestly answer, other than to say there's a significant up front expenditure and a fair amount of work in a revolving door rental. That didn't phase him or Amy, so they bought a property near their home with the intent of creating their own Play and Stay. We were out with them last night and he told me they will unveil it in the next week or two. Still some kinks to work out yet, but i am excited by them willing to be this forward thinking. I think they are looking at 5 day rentals, which will give potential Sun City buyers a chance live here for a short time before they buy (or not). As soon as i get the details, i will post them for folks so they can share with friends and family. I am so excited by the prospect of realtors who are willing to think outside the box and use our history to build for the future. Stay tuned.
Congratulations Bill to finding the right combination of talent and enthusiasm to FINALLY bring this idea to fruition. You have worked tirelessly on this effort and it is nice to know your labors have been fruitful. Can't wait to hear the details, moreover, what a great boon for Sun City residents and those looking to become a part of a fantastic community. Kudos to all that have participated in making this a dream come true.
Thanks Carole. I know this is a mini-me version of what i've been talking about for years, but it will be interesting to see the response Tim and Amy get once the website is up and functional.
