Associate Spotlight: Cristina Marchand

With fast-paced marketing advancements and an everchanging retail landscape, keeping our commercial properties relevant is a top priority. Our CASTO team has dedicated property management and property marketing teams throughout our portfolio to provide exceptional service for all of our commercial properties. Many of our award-winning shopping centers offer a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors through seasonal events, personalized marketing, and unique retailers.

Hear from Cristina Marchand, Property Assistant and Marketing Coordinator, on personalized marketing, the importance of developing a marketing strategy, and her CASTO story.

Tell us about your background with CASTO.
I started in CASTO in June 2021 as the Marketing Coordinator, where I work with three properties: Clermont Town Center, Universal Plaza, and Lakeside Village. Throughout the year, I learned from my supervisor and property management field mentor Kimberley Glerum. The knowledge I have gained has translated into every marketing and social media strategy I have developed for Lakeside Village. My experience and passion are in marketing and community engagement, so I am excited about my future at CASTO and the growth opportunities that the company provides.

What do you like best about CASTO?
I’m very passionate about the community, and I am thrilled to work for an organization that subscribes to the same core values. CASTO is different because it is not only a development company, but a full-service, fully integrated real estate service firm that puts a lot of thought and heart into its properties and communities. The properties and communities owned or managed by CASTO become community staples, and I am proud to be a part of the team.

What project have you recently enjoyed working on?
As a Marketing Coordinator, one of the most impactful projects I have had the pleasure of working on has been developing a marketing strategy for Lakeside Village. The marketing of a retail shopping center is critical to the overall property performance; it helps the tenant mix thrive by bringing in consumers and making profitable sales. In assessing the past marketing strategies and budget, I found out what was working and what was not and how to allocate funds for a more impactful strategy with measurable goals. Since launching the new strategy, some of the short-term goals that have been achieved are growth in all our social media platforms, a 40% increase in the email newsletter subscription, and more foot traffic in our community events.

Share a little bit about your expertise in the industry.
I’ve been in the marketing industry for over five years, primarily in the nonprofit field’s prevention, social media, and engagement departments. These opportunities have allowed me to create media campaigns and work on large-scale events, which are the projects I feel most confident managing. My biggest strength is adding value to the centers by promoting experiences, not just products, which keep our properties relevant.

What changes or trends do you see happening in your area of expertise?
I see the development of app personalization that aims to present user experiences customized to their specific needs rather than a broad, one-size-fits-all experience for all users. All the information needed at the customer’s fingertips: latest event information, store promotions, curbside information, map/directory, happenings, movie showtimes, and membership programs. Exclusive premium membership programs that offer members free valet parking, exclusive discounts at promotions from retailers, access to members-only events, and special incentives are also becoming popular. This change goes with the hyper-personalized trend we see in the retail market.

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