News and Announcements

SmartStop Named One of Reviewed’s Best National Storage Chains of 2026

MSM — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:34:46 GMT

SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. has been named to Reviewed’s Best National Storage Chains of 2026 list, earning recognition as the highest-ranked publicly traded self-storage company included in this year’s rankings.

Storageblue Facility reaches historic 99% occupancy in 18 months

MSM — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:34:03 GMT

AI Powered self-storage operator StorageBlue, one of New Jersey's leading self-storage providers, today announced that its Clifton facility has achieved a historic 99% occupancy rate in less than 18 months, marking one of the highest occupancy levels in the company's history and underscoring the continued demand for convenient, affordable storage solutions throughout Northern New Jersey.

The milestone reflects years of strategic investment in customer service, facility operations, and flexible storage options designed to meet the evolving needs of local residents, businesses, students, and families.

Located in the heart of Clifton, the facility serves customers from across Passaic, Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties, providing secure storage units, free pickup services, and flexible rental options that have become hallmarks of the StorageBlue brand.

"Reaching 99% occupancy in such a short time is an incredible achievement and a testament to the trust our customers place in StorageBlue," said Alan Mruvka, CEO of StorageBlue. "As more people seek ways to maximize their living and working spaces, we've focused on delivering a storage experience that is simple, convenient, and affordable. This milestone reflects the hard work of our team and the loyalty of our customers."

The achievement comes amid growing demand for self-storage nationwide, driven by urbanization, downsizing, apartment living, remote work, life transitions, and small business growth. In densely populated regions such as Northern New Jersey, self-storage continues to play an increasingly important role in helping residents create more usable space at home while maintaining access to their belongings.

StorageBlue's Clifton location has become particularly popular due to its central location, competitive pricing, and unique customer benefits and service.

Here Self Storage Selects OpenTech Alliance For Madrid Facility

MSM — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:15:55 GMT

OpenTech Alliance, the global PropTech leader in self storage, today announced that Here Self Storage has selected INSOMNIAC® CIA access control, INSOMNIAC SmartLock® electronic locks, and OpenNet™ wireless mesh network for its newest facility in Parla, Madrid, Spain. The new location marks another step in the continued international adoption of connected self storage technology, as operators across Europe invest in modern systems built for long-term growth.

MSM’s THE Show Releases First Look At Content & Speaker Schedule

Brad Hadfield — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:40:24 GMT

Modern Storage Media (MSM) has released the first look at the content and speaker schedule for THE Show, presented by Janus International, taking place Nov. 4-6, 2026, in Atlanta. Now, registrants and prospective attendees alike can explore educational sessions, keynote presentations, and special features planned for the inaugural event.

Manhattan Mini Wins 2026 Telly Awards for Commercials [View Here]

MSM — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:03:56 GMT

Manhattan Mini Storage’s Bad Things Happen When You Leave the City campaign earned multiple honors at the 47th Annual Telly Awards, including awards for comedy, branding, and People’s Choice promotional video categories. The award-winning campaign revisits a classic 2003 Manhattan Mini Storage advertising concept focused on New Yorkers searching for more space outside the city.

“Self storage is a commodity category, unless you decide it isn’t. For decades, Manhattan Mini Storage has used humor as a strategy,” said Sarah Little, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Manhattan Mini Storage. “Humor compounds. A funny campaign doesn’t just generate impressions. It drives conversation, reposts, screenshots, and word-of-mouth. Brands that are willing to invest in humor build something stronger than advertisement alone ever could.”

Together the Campaign Earned:

2 Gold Awards For Use of Comedy
3 People's Telly Silver Awards
1 Silver Award For Use of Comedy
3 Bronze Awards For Branding

Watch the Award Winning Manhattan Mini Storage Commercials

Bounce House: Some people leave the city for more space; others, to argue inside a bounce house.

New Neighbors: A modern recreation of one of the original 2003 campaign concepts featuring unforgettable suburban neighbors.

The Tea Party: A surreal suburban tea party comes complete with lawn gnomes, unsettling hobbies, and one unforgettable improvised line.

Lost Dog: A comedic look at what can happen when a quiet rural stop takes a wrong turn.

Why Manhattan Mini Storage Brought Back “Bad Things Happen When You Leave the City”

Bad Things Happen When You Leave the City originally launched in 2003and quickly became one of Manhattan Mini Storage’s most recognized advertising campaigns. Over the years, New Yorkers continued referencing it online and sharing memories of the brand’s distinctly New York approach to storage marketing long after the campaign ended.

The decision to revive it in 2026 was deliberate, rooted in two converging cultural realities.

“We often saw people online reminiscing about the old Manhattan Mini Storage campaigns, and Bad Things Happen was always one that came up,” said Lydia Bryda, Marketing Manager. “Internally, we love revisiting those campaigns too, looking at what made them memorable and the cultural impact they had.”

“There’s been this larger cultural craving for nostalgia,” Bryda noted. “At the same time, there’s also been a very real trend of New Yorkers leaving the city because rent is high and apartments are small. We wanted to tap into both of those ideas in a way that felt funny and relatable. And it's not lost on us the pressure when revisiting something people already love. You want to do it justice, while putting your own spin on it. So we had to get this one just right.”

The updated campaign imagines the bizarre and uncomfortable situations city dwellers might encounter after leaving New York in search of more space from unsettling neighbors, to chaotic suburban hobbies, and eerie roadside stops. The underlying message remains simple: leaving is not the only solution when space gets tight.

Why Manhattan Mini Storage Uses Humor as a Marketing Strategy

Humor has been a defining part of Manhattan Mini Storage’s advertising for decades as a deliberate brand strategy built on a clear understanding of how New Yorkers engage with the world around them.

“What makes Manhattan Mini Storage different is that we’ve always understood that what makes the city come to life is people going through life transitions,” said Little. “Breakups. Tiny apartments. New babies. Side hustles. Reinvention. All of that is far more interesting than a storage unit.”

Rather than marketing features or promotions, Manhattan Mini Storage campaigns are built around recognizable New York experiences. The goal is not impressions, it is memory.

“People may forget what discount we offered on a storage unit, but they remember how we made them feel,” Little said. “Whether that’s laughing, doing a double take, or texting a billboard to their friends.”

And humor, when executed well, creates a distribution effect that paid media alone cannot replicate.

“Humor compounds,” Little explained. “A funny campaign doesn’t just generate impressions. It generates conversation, reposts, screenshots, and word of mouth.”

Behind the Scenes of the Award-Winning Manhattan Mini Storage Commercials

Production for theBad Things Happen When You Leave theCity campaign began in the summer of 2025, with filming taking place between August and October. Final editing continued into early 2026 before the campaign launched across billboards, digital platforms, and video placement in April 2026.

In a notable departure from the brand’s usual approach, the commercials were not filmed in New York City. The entire production took place in Mid-Missouri, which was a deliberate choice to capture the “horrors outside the city” aesthetic the campaign required.

The production itself involved a surprising collection of props that reflect exactly the kind of brand Manhattan Mini Storage has always been, including more than 50 lawn gnomes, a garage filled with taxidermy animals, flower-filled toilets, a bounce house, overnight gas station shoots, and nudist neighbors.

What the 2026 Telly Award Recognition Means for Manhattan Mini Storage

In a category where storage facilities compete on price, location, and unit size, brand is the one variable that cannot be commoditized. Any operator can discount a self storage unit. Very few can make someone laugh on their morning commute. That gap between forgettable and memorable is where Manhattan Mini Storage has operated for more than five decades.

Building a brand that behaves that way is not accidental. It requires strategic conviction, sustained investment, and a creative discipline that most operators in the category are unwilling to maintain.

“It may look effortless when you see the billboard, but there’s an incredible amount of planning, collaboration, and strategy underneath the humor,” said Little. “That’s what makes this kind of work so rewarding and what makes this award to meaningful.”

The result is a brand that functions as more than a storage company. It functions as a cultural presence and one that New Yorkers recognize, reference, and remember long after a campaign ends.

“Internally, we often think of the brand as a culture that happens to rent storage,” said Little. “The Telly Award recognition reinforces something we strongly believe, and that is: creativity and brand building still matter.”

The campaign also demonstrates that legacy advertising concepts can still resonate when thoughtfully modernized. And that brands willing to take creative risks in categories where most don’t are the ones that get remembered.

New No Vacancy Podcast Released With Jessie Lamb

MSM — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:42:31 GMT

The No Vacancy podcast from Access Self Storage has just released a new episode. In the latest, the team sits down with Jessie Lamb to explore the intersection of operations, company culture, technology, and leadership in self storage. Lamb shares valuable insights on how organizations can embrace innovation and AI without losing sight of what matters most, the people behind the business. If you’re in self storage, operations or leadership, this episode is packed with practical insights and a lot of laughs along the way.

TractIQ and Self Storage Income Partner to Bring Data to Investors

MSM — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:45:00 GMT

TractIQ, the market intelligence platform powering institutional self-storage decisions, today announced a partnership with Self Storage Income (SSI), the leading membership community in the self-storage industry. Every SSI member will now receive access to TractIQ’s data platform as a standard part of their membership.

QuadReal Acquires 5-Property Self Stor Portfolio For ~$182 Million

MSM — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:45:00 GMT

QuadReal Property Group, the real estate arm of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), continues to deepen its presence in the self-storage sector.

Tenant Inc. & StoragePilot Announce Integration Within Hummingbird PMS

MSM — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:48:04 GMT

Tenant Inc. today announced the integration of StoragePilot's AI platform with Hummingbird PMS. Built through the Nectar API, Tenant Inc.'s open developer platform, the integration gives Hummingbird operators access to StoragePilot's full suite of AI capabilities — including 24/7 inbound call and chat handling, outbound delinquency support, and real-time competitor rate intelligence — connected directly to their Hummingbird data.

Readers' Choice Winners For "Best Climate Controlled Storage" Announced

Reviewed.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:30:00 GMT