CBL Properties Broadens Holiday Marketing Strategy at its Retail Properties

New Events and Ad Campaigns Span Retail Portfolio

Sensory-friendly Santa experiences, snow shows and pet photo nights are among the exciting and fun programs CBL Properties is offering at its retail centers this holiday season. This year also marks the fourth year the company will close 55 of its properties on Thanksgiving.

“Robust event programming has always been a crucial component of the holiday experience at our properties. As the retail real estate industry has evolved, we recognized an opportunity to differentiate our holiday offerings and create custom programs that are unique to each community,” said Stephen Lebovitz, CEO of CBL Properties. “Customers can enjoy new events every week throughout the holidays, ranging from character appearances to cookie decorating classes and VIP shopping experiences. These events create special memories and bring the magic of the holiday season to life at our properties.”

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Lebovitz added, “In 2016, CBL decided to close its enclosed malls on Thanksgiving in order to allow CBL employees and others who work at each property to spend the holiday with family and friends. The decision has been met with such an overwhelmingly positive response that we have elected to continue this tradition.”

In partnership with Cherry Hill Programs, CBL hosts Santa Cares, a sensory-friendly experience that spans 40 properties across the U.S. During the event, the property team dims the lights, turns off the music and opens early to accommodate children with special needs and their families, allowing them the opportunity to visit with Santa in a relaxed setting. Select retailers also open early so that these families can shop in a low-stimulus environment.

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Other holiday events taking place across CBL’s portfolio include:

• Family-focused events with character appearances featuring superheroes, princesses, and other well-known favorites, story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and musical performances
• Sip & shop events including holiday party place setting classes, wine and cheese pairings, cooking classes, and DIY ugly sweater classes
• VIP experiences including free gift wrapping, mini massages, and wine sampling

In addition to the event programming, CBL introduced a new holiday advertisement campaign that shifts the focus to the stories and experiences created throughout the holiday season. The ad strategy responds to changing consumer habits. Variations of this content will support malls and retail centers across the country, running as digital ads on social media, display ads, pre-roll video and audio ads.

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