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!
