ARDIC reveals best tips for an Integrated Marketing Strategy.

In a country where over 10% of GDP growth lies in real estate  development, it comes as no surprise that almost half of the advertising  in all media relates to upcoming mega projects, luxury compounds or  vacation homes. Specially on the roads, the billboards featuring real estate campaigns outweigh by large the ads of any other industry.

 With such abundant competition, most real estate developers work hard  on their marketing strategies, with three main trends shaping the  communication efforts of the industry.

For instance, long-standing  companies – those who have become the industry tycoons throughout the  years – brand their projects based on the principles of trust and  quality. This trend focuses on the history of the company, as proof of  their achievements and reliability.

On the other hand, we find new,  younger companies who need to make a name for themselves. In order to  attract the attention of potential customers, these companies invest  heavily on celebrities as brand ambassadors and sometimes even go on  stunning sponsorship deals of international relevance. Companies who  fall under this trend usually need to show some muscle to gain the  credibility from potential customers.

A third trend, and one that is certainly changing the market dynamics,  is followed by both, new and experienced companies in the Egyptian  market. This new trend uses marketing as a communicative tool that not  only differentiates the brand, but also captivates audiences with  original messages and a unique approach to customer experience.
We have met with the Marketing Team of ARDIC,  the company that set off this new trend in Egypt and continues shaping  it, captivating audiences with innovative communication tactics that go  far beyond the selling proposition.
Ms. Nehal Salah, former Integrated Marketing and Communications Director at ARDIC, tells us about their latest OOH campaign for Zizinia El Mostakbal, that teased audiences about neighbors and neighborhood:
 “Meet your next neighbor, while you’re still paying your installments  and you can actually withdraw. So, if you don’t like the community…  you’re free!”

The Marketing Team at ARDIC organizes events for all neighbors to meet, under a initiative they  call “ARDIC Creative Community Hub”. They want all customers, potential  and existing, to get to know each other before they make their  investment – they want their customers to be happy about the place they  live in, and the people they share it with. It is the most honest  proposition when it comes to customer care. And not surprisingly, the  events are so popular that the developer actually cross-sells during  them!
They tell us about the last workshop they organized – “Mechanics for her”.  It was both, educational and fun, but above all, it was a great  community-building initiative that all participants appreciated and paid  it forward with word of mouth to friends, relatives and colleagues,  both online and offline. This type of customer experience pays off with  true brand ambassadors that not only believe in the brand, they even  talk about it, praise it and sell it.
We find that ARDIC’s  Integrated Marketing Strategy places a strong focus on the ethical  values of real estate, and when asked about it, Ms. Salah estates “This  good life [the investment in your new home] won’t be good without your  neighbors”.
For the last 3 years, all the campaigns from ARDIC have been different, with original messages and a totally unique new  concept. In a market where every real estate developer talks about  luxury, gated communities and isolated homes, ARDIC is not afraid to go in a different direction. Ms. Salah explains “that  was actually an opportunity. Because if you go down there and say what  everybody says, and they’re spending more, people will overlook you, you  won’t get noticed”.

An experienced marketer and NLP trainer, Ms. Nehal Salah actually knows  how to craft a good message and get it across to connect with their  target audience: “If you want to show yourself, or present your case, or  frame your proposition, I think you have only the choice to go against  [the market trend]. You just find the honest proposition that won’t  backfire you”.
The Marketing Team at ARDIC tells us that their Integrated Marketing Strategy is deployed at  several levels, implementing all tactics with a clear focus on the  customer experience: before, during and after the sale. Starting with  activation events that the brand uses as community-building  opportunities for potential, new and existing neighbors, as well as  special rewards for those customers who bring in new customers. And all  along, ARDIC keeps  running a variety of campaigns on different media, adapting the content,  messages and artwork to each platform: videos, TV commercials, ads on  printed media, events and lots of Social Media communication run  parallel and complement each other.
Have a look at ARDIC’s new campaign for The Lush Plateaus and watch out for new and innovative marketing ideas that will blow your mind away!