Skaalen Monthly Marketing Call — November 2025

Overview

Monthly marketing sync between Asymmetric and Skaalen. Attendees were Dawn Zaemisch and Kris Krentz (Skaalen) and Melissa Cusumano, Matt Ayers, and Mark Hope (Asymmetric). Primary topics: IL blog approvals and edits, an urgent Open House ad with a Nov 13 deadline, a new marketing plan for the Venneval fourplex construction project, and a heads-up on a comprehensive print and web refresh triggered by new financial data releasing Nov 17.

Date: November 2025
Client: ^[1]

Key Decisions

• September IL blogs approved for posting after factual edits to reflect Skaalen's specific offerings (no transportation, limited dining references, condos/apartments vs. cottages).
• October AL blog approved by Tammy with no changes required.
• November Memory Care blog topic confirmed ("Signs It's Time to Consider a Memory Care Community"); "sundowners" added as a target keyword.
• Open House ad takes priority over Best of McFarland ad due to the Nov 13 submission deadline.
• Venneval fourplex map placeholder ("coming soon") to be added to the website pending Chris's approval.
• Liturgical Publications ad (Skaalen Heights): resubmit existing ad as-is for a January 2026 start; no design changes needed.
• Design refresh question raised for the upcoming comprehensive update; Dawn will solicit feedback from department heads before committing to a new look.

Action Items

Melissa (Asymmetric)

• [ ] Post September IL blog after Dawn approves photos
• [ ] Create Open House print ad and social media graphic — due Nov 13 (for Nov 20 O'Rourke paper)
• [ ] Update "Best of McFarland" ad with 125th-anniversary logo — due Nov 21
• [ ] Resubmit existing Skaalen Heights ad to Liturgical Publications for January 2026 start
• [ ] Send Jolie's contact information to Dawn

Dawn (Skaalen)

• [ ] Confirm with Tammy whether Magnolia will participate in the Nov 21 Open House (needed to finalize ad copy)
• [ ] Get Chris's approval to add Venneval fourplex "coming soon" placeholder to website map
• [ ] Distribute 2026 blog topic list to Jenny and Tammy for input (ask each to highlight preferred topics in pink)
• [ ] Review 5 stock image options forwarded by Dawn for the Heritage Center webpage (sent to Tammy)
• [ ] Reach out to new menu coordinator Stephanie re: weekly menu publishing on the website

Blog Content Review

September IL Blogs — Edits Made, Approved to Post

Four blogs reviewed and edited for factual accuracy against Skaalen's actual offerings:

Status: Approved. Raphael to add photos; Dawn to review photos before publishing.

October AL Blog

Approved by Tammy. No edits required. Moving to in-progress/publishing queue.

November Memory Care Blog

• Topic: "Signs It's Time to Consider a Memory Care Community for a Loved One"
• Keyword added: "sundowners" (high search volume, directly relevant to memory care)
• Status: In queue; due this week.

2026 Blog Planning

Dawn forwarded the 2025 blog topic list (originally compiled Feb 10) to Jenny Seed and Tammy Montalto, asking each to highlight preferred 2026 topics in pink. Goal: plan content through June 2026. Chris and Maggie will review final selections.

Print & Digital Advertising

Open House Ad — URGENT

• Event: Open House at Skaalen Ridge & Heights, November 21, 2–4 PM
• Publication: O'Rourke paper (runs Nov 20)
• Submission deadline: November 13
• Deliverables: Print ad + social media graphic
• Pending: Dawn to confirm with Tammy whether Magnolia is participating; if yes, ad includes three locations; if no, Ridge and Heights only
• Reference: Previous open house ad and social graphic exist in the print ads folder as a starting point

"Best of McFarland" Ad

• Publication: McFarland Thistle, December issue
• Submission deadline: November 21
• Update needed: Add 125th-anniversary logo/badge
• Note: This is a thank-you ad (readers already voted); no call-to-vote language needed

Liturgical Publications (LPI) — Skaalen Heights

• Action: Resubmit the existing Skaalen Heights ad (last updated May 2024) as-is
• Start date: January 2026
• Logo: Use standard Skaalen logo (not the 125th anniversary version)
• No design changes required

Heritage Center Webpage Image

• Dawn forwarded 5 stock image options to Tammy for review (replacing the "Sherry with Betty" photo)
• Tammy to select preferred image

New Construction: Venneval Fourplex

Project Details

• Location: Corner of Amundsen Drive and Highway 51 (northwest corner), McFarland — visible on the existing Venneval/Skaalindal campus map
• Building: Single-story ranch, 4 units
• Unit features: Two-car garage, natural gas heat, two full bathrooms — differentiated from existing Venneval/Skaalindal units
• Target occupancy: June–August 2026 (June/July preferred)

Marketing Plan (Phased)

1. Internal outreach first: Email current Venneval/Skaalindal residents (164 total) with floor plans and pricing; offer first choice to move into new units
2. Waitlist outreach: If units remain after internal interest, contact Venneval/Skaalindal waitlist in order; interested parties respond to Dawn; first four by waitlist number get priority
3. Website map update: Add "coming soon" placeholder/dotted outline to the Venneval campus map on the website — pending Chris's approval

Note: Signage on-site is deferred; too much construction activity currently. Details from Hoffman and the builder still incoming.

Comprehensive Marketing Refresh (Post-Nov 17)

Trigger

New financial data for all Skaalen properties releases November 17. This unlocks a full update cycle.

Scope

All print materials and the website will need updating across:
- Venneval, Skaalindal, Skaalen Ridge, Skaalen Village, Skaalen Heights, Heritage Center, Magnolia Gardens
- Skyline Nursing and Rehab flyers (pricing now needs to be included)
- Overall campus brochure

Wellness Center / Warm Water Pool

A new lifeguard on staff enables warm water pool classes for the first time. Required deliverables:
- New printed piece for the Wellness Center
- Website updates: pool schedules, class times, open swim hours
- Content/details to come from the Wellness team

Design Refresh Question

Melissa raised the possibility of a visual refresh alongside the content update. Dawn's hesitation: the current design team has deep knowledge of Skaalen's continuum of care; a new team would need to rebuild that context. Decision: Dawn will ask department heads to review their respective pages and flag anything they'd like reconsidered. Asymmetric's design team may offer headline/layout suggestions without overhauling the full system.

SEO Notes

• Domain rating is up 4 points since the $250 DR-building initiative started (~1 week in); target is 40+
• Mark Hope monitoring; tool updates approximately weekly
• "Sundowners" identified as a high-volume keyword to incorporate into the November Memory Care blog

Attendees

Note: Chris (Skaalen CEO), Maggie, Tammy, Brianna, Jenny, and Emma were not present — Chris and Maggie were out of town, Tammy was out of office.