Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Outside The Box For Home Builder

Posted by Anonymous on 3/10/2014 at 10:44 AM ET 125 Points
I work for a home builder - right now is our busy season, however sales are down.
We do advertising/pr for all the usual suspects - email, social, ppc/search, signage, billboards, newspaper, pr program, charitable giving, etc.

I'm looking for some out-of-the-box ideas that can be put together quickly. For example, someone suggested we try sign twirlers and that helped our traffic over the weekend. We are considering doing a "design gallery open house" event also.

Target market is retirees, snowbirds, older person active lifestyle, and also realtors.

Spring training is going on around the area...maybe there is somethign we could put together on that...also we have some incentives set up already.

Any new ideas would be much appreciated.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/10/2014 at 2:46 PM Member
    Are you trying to sell some spec homes the builder constructed, or trying to "build" awareness of the builder (for custom homes), or trying to sell a development the builder is building out? What makes the homes "special" in the eyes of prospective customers? What region are the homes in? Price point (relatively speaking)?
  • Posted on 3/10/2014 at 2:50 PM Author
    The homes are in various neighborhoods and various price points (100K-400K). I'd rather not say actual area of homes due to anonymity.
    We would like to sell spec homes (we have about 60 to sell this season) and "to be built's" in developments that we have developed - we are the builder & developer.
    I have selling points/competitive advantages being used in advertising already - I'm looking more for tactics or promotion ideas - actionable things that I can try that we've not tried before.
  • Posted by telemoxie on 3/10/2014 at 3:56 PM Member
    I'm in a wheelchair, and most people's homes are not wheelchair accessible.

    Also, as our population ages, people are less and less interested in going up and down steps.

    Maybe you could do some sort of an educational /promotional program related to accessible housing and easier living housing for the active elderly (e.g., low maintenance landscaping, no steps, passive solar to reduce ongoing expense).

    There are an increasing number of people who are not yet ready to go to a nursing home, still want to keep their stuff, and want to entertain guests and friends and grandchildren.
  • Posted on 3/10/2014 at 4:02 PM Author
    Thank you telemoxie. I respect where you're coming from, (my father was in a wheelchair nearly all my life) but unfortunately this would not apply to our company because we do not build accessible housing.

    And while our main market is retirees, they don't like to think of themselves as "elderly" so we tend to focus on the younger retiree (a couple in their 50's) than those who are nearing the need for assisted living.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 3/10/2014 at 4:32 PM Member
    The best tactics are connected deeply to your target audience and your specific uniqueness. Otherwise, it's just more screaming for "look at me". What makes people LOVE your spec homes? Why do they buy? Why do people recommend them or the builder? That's where I'd start with a deeper understanding, then figure out what you're not doing, and where the specific opportunities are for your target audience.
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