Manhattan Mini Storage

Manhattan Mini Storage (MMS) is a family-owned and operated self storage and moving company based in New York City, USA. It is the largest personal storage company in New York, and one of the largest in the United States.^[1] The firm has 17 storage locations throughout the city, open 365 days a year and some of which are open 24 hours per day.^[2] Manhattan Mini Storage has approximately 250,000 clients. Facilities include high-tech security system, free concierge and onsite managers.^[3]

Manhattan Mini Storage also operates a service with Portero through which customers can "dispose of unwanted valuables that clutter their storage units."^[1]

The firm conducts blind auctions of the belongings of customers who fail to pay their storage bills.^[4]

Marketing

Manhattan Mini Storage prides itself on "identifying what matters to New Yorkers,"^[5] and markets itself as "an extension of your home where you can keep the things you want to keep but can't quite accommodate in your tight Manhattan apartment."^[1] The company is known for its controversial, political, and pop culture- related advertisements that speak to the people of New York City, such as one in which it made fun of Paris Hilton using the tagline: "Your closet's so shallow, it makes Paris look deep."^[6] In one of their previous advertisements, they pictured a gay man with the tagline: "Don't make us send 5 queer guys to your place."^[7] In phone booths, the company has posted stickers saying: "Your closet’s scarier than Bush’s agenda." or "Your closet is so narrow it makes Cheney look liberal." A billboard, with a picture of chihuahua wearing pearls and the words "Your closet's so shallow it makes Paris look deep", attracted a cease and desist letter from her lawyer. ^[8]

Additionally, some of their advertising was noted in local press outlets for its mainstreaming of gay characters.^{[citation needed]} One such ad under its "I Store!" campaign, featured a doctor seated on the subway with copy that listed what he stored, "Boyfriend's Artwork, Vinyl Albums, Chemistry Set". This ad, depicting a gay character in an off-hand way, was praised for its inclusion of gay characters as normative and not only relevant for stereotypes or demographic pursuit.^{[citation needed]}

Manhattan Mini Storage's 2011 Ad campaign included topical and New-York centric billboards such as "Michele Bachmann says God told her to run for President. How come God never talks to smart people anymore?" "Remember if you leave the city, you'll have to live in America," "Why leave a city that has six professional sports teams, and also the Mets?" and "If you don't like gay marriage, don't get gay married" (released prior to NY's passing of the Marriage Equality Act).^[9] The company's gay marriage ad was also accompanied by a promotion aimed at gay newlyweds after the NY Marriage Equality act was passed in July 2011.^[10]

Adweek’s Tim Nudd writes about the 2011 campaign in a March post: "Remember, if you leave the city, you'll have to live in America" — one of most quintessential New York headlines you'll ever see."^[11]

Community Outreach

Manhattan Mini Storage has sponsored community groups such as: Friends of Hudson River, Medieval Festival, Project Back to School^[12], Friends of Carl Shurz Park, NYLaughs^[13], Furnish a Future, Aids Walk, NY Class, I Care, Score!, NY Dream Center, Animal Haven^[14], NY Classical Theater, and The Diabetes Research Institute.

A series of their ads have spotlighted the company's charitable giving, under the tagline "Save more than your stuff."^[15]

Sister Companies

• Edison ParkFast
• Workspace Offices & Studios
• Executive Suites at the Hippodrome
• Pre-Built Suites at the Hippodrome
• The Ludlow
• The Hippodrome

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Nissanoff, Daniel. FutureShop: How the New Auction Culture Will Revolutionize the Way We Buy, Sell, and Get the Things We Really Want. Penguin Press HC. ISBN 1594200777. 
2. ^ "New York City Storage Facilities". www.manhattanministorage.com. http://www.manhattanministorage.com/findfacility/findFacility.jsp. Retrieved 2009-12-28. 
3. ^ "Manhattan Mini Storage FAQ's". http://www.manhattanministorage.com/about/faq.jsp. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
4. ^ Jacob, Craig; Berger, Phil. Twisted Genius: Confessions of a $10 Million Scam Man. ISBN 1568580444. 
5. ^ "Connecting With Local Self-Storage Customers the New York Way". InsideSelfStorage.com. http://www.insideselfstorage.com/blogs/opside/2011/09/connecting-with-local-selfstorage-customers-the-new-york-way.aspx. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
6. ^ JoeMyGod (2007-04-08). "Morning View - Manhattan Mini Storage". joemygod.blogspot.com. http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2007/04/morning-view-manhattan-mini-storage.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
7. ^ JoeMyGod (2006-08-28). "Obey The Eyebrows". joemygod.blogspot.com. http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2006/08/obey-eyebrows.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
8. ^ Duncan Macleod (2007-04-27). "Manhattan Mini Storage Provokes Outrage". The Inspiration Room. http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/manhattan-mini-storage-provokes-major-outrage/. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
9. ^ "Here Are The Viral Subway Ads That Slam Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, And The Mets". Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/here-are-the-viral-subway-ads-that-make-fun-of-rick-perry-michele-bachmann-and-the-mets-2011-10. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
10. ^ "Time Out New York's Gay Marriage Guide in New York City". http://newyork.timeout.com/arts-culture/gay-lesbian/1722799/the-details. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
11. ^ ""Manhattan Mini Storage Insults Half of NYC"". Adweek. http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/manhattan-mini-storage-insults-half-nyc-126902. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
12. ^ "Help NYC’s Homeless Children Start the Year Off Right, with Project: Back to School," [[1]]
13. ^ "NYLaughs Sponsors". http://www.nylaughs.org/online/home.html#Sponsors. Retrieved 2001-10-12. 
14. ^ Mobile Adoption Van, AnimalHavenShelter.org [[2]]
15. ^ "Manhattan Mini Storage Charity Ads". Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.431353277805.223391.51442202805. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 

External links

• Official website
• Manhattan Mini Storage Blog [3]