LADERA RANCH, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 21, 2011) - Brent Morgan just spent two weeks knocking on doors, handing out flyers and imploring his friends, family and fans on Facebook to vote for his video jingle in the SmartStop™ Self Storage "Sing It Smart!" contest.
His efforts paid off today as SmartStop announced that the 23-year-old Athens, Alabama, resident would receive the grand prize of $5,000 for obtaining the highest number of votes on Facebook with his catchy guitar solo "Goodbye Clutter, Hello Floors."
"You have no idea how happy this makes me," said Morgan, who is the Youth Music Leader/Teacher at Good Shepard United Methodist Church in Madison, Ala. "I'm getting married in April and just put an offer on a house, so the best time ever to win a contest is right now."
A local radio station was so impressed by his enthusiasm that the DJ invited him to play his jingle on air and ask for votes from listeners. And on Thursday, the last day of voting, Morgan's boss ordered him to take the day off to keep promoting his jingle to the end.
The two runners up were Jeff Brasher, 26, of Denton, Texas, and Shirley Franklin, 44, of Lexington, Okla., who will each receive either an Apple® iPad® 2 or $500 cash. Brasher performed with his fiancé as they despaired about the hopeless state of clutter in their home. Shirley accompanied herself on the piano with a song about being new in town, tight on money and need a place to store her things where it's "safe and dry."
The original videos of all 15 finalists can be viewed on the wall of the SmartStop Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SmartStopSS.
"All of the entries to our Sing It Smart! contest were so impressive and extremely diverse -- we had gospel choirs, electric guitar and kitchen pots and pans," said H. Michael Schwartz, CEO and Chairman of Strategic Storage Trust, Inc. (SSTI), the publicly registered corporation that brands its properties under the SmartStop™ Self Storage brand name. "Not a day went by that I didn't check our Facebook page, and my wife and I watched every video multiple times. Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest, both entrants and voters. We really appreciate the time and effort you put in to make this contest a success."
The finalists were selected by a panel of judges that included professional cyclist Adam Myerson, professional mixed martial arts fighter Joe "The Hybrid" Duarte, and Gustav the German Shepherd (a rescued dog and overnight Facebook sensation).
The entries were judged on brand reflection, originality, creativity of presentation, song quality, suitability of video for future advertising and promotion purposes, and entertainment value. To qualify, all jingles were required to reflect the SmartStop brand -- personal, innovative, responsible -- and incorporate the tagline, "The smarter way to store!™"
For more information on the winners, contest and judges, visit our Facebook page or the SmartStop™ Self Storage Web site at www.smartstopselfstorage.com/SingItSmart.
About SmartStop™ Self Storage
Strategic Storage Trust, Inc.'s (SSTI) branded facilities, SmartStop™ Self Storage, offer affordable, accessible and secure storage space for residential and commercial customers. SmartStop offers secure interior and exterior units as well as outside storage areas for vehicles, RVs and boats. In addition to features such as keypad access, security gates and video surveillance, the facilities also utilize well trained on-site associates to provide customers with the highest standard of service in the industry. To view our properties and locations or to find a nearby storage facility, visit www.smartstopselfstorage.com.
About Strategic Storage Trust, Inc.
Strategic Storage Trust, Inc. (SSTI) is the first and only self-storage REIT in the public non-traded REIT marketplace. SSTI is one of five publicly registered self-storage REITs in the United States and is one of the fastest growing self-storage REITs nationwide. The SSTI management team is comprised of industry veterans with extensive institutional experience in the acquisition and property management of self-storage properties. The REIT's storage facilities are being branded as SmartStop™ Self Storage throughout the country. Its portfolio includes approximately 52,000 self-storage units and 6.5 million rentable square feet of storage space. For more information about SSTI, please call 949-429-6600 or visit www.strategicstoragetrust.com.
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
Genevieve Anton
Principal
Anton Communications
714-544-6503
www.antonpr.com