Maracay Homes taps social media

When Maracay Homes executives decided to use themes such as Disney and Valentine's Day to increase their company's visibility, they didn't settle for someone in a Mickey Mouse costume waving at drivers whizzing past their housing communities or pass out roses to visitors. Instead, this 20-year-old Scottsdale-based homebuilder used social-media tools to create a hunt for Mickey Mouse in its model homes that culminated in a drawing for a family trip to Disneyland. In February, Maracay's Love Thy Neighbor photo contest gave its Facebook fans the opportunity to share fun moments captured digitally. In a time when the housing market is lethargic, Maracay is using the combination of social media and real-life interaction as a way to generate some spark. "We've all noticed a huge impact from the economy. Everybody does business different now," said Laurie Tarver, vice president of sales and marketing for Maracay. "We have to in order to survive."

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