It’s time for your close-up
It doesn’t get more exciting in these lean times than discovering a weighty gift has been delivered. Especially when the present turns out to be a very grown-up pair of binoculars. Thanks to Banner Homes, I can now
do what they suggest and ‘take a closer look’. My binoculars have already been pretty handy for looking at the woodpecker that’s taken up residence in our garden (I note he’s into basic timber-framed housing – mainly, a tree). Of course these practical field glasses can also be nifty when it comes to examining how Banner’s company re- brand and combined advertising, creative and PR ‘take a closer look’ campaign’s evolved since its launch a year ago. After waving a new flowing banner logo and running an ad campaign urging consumers to really consider what Banner’s got to offer, group sales and marketing director Piers Banfield (right) reports excellent results. “We’ve had increased activity on our
website, with weekly spikes when we’ve advertised in The Sunday Times,” he
notes. “Behavioral marketing ads on property portals targeting high net worth individuals we believe will be interested in our homes are delivering buyers too.” Taking the company upmarket (an
average Banner home now costs just over £600,000) seems to have paid off. And now it’s time to go to the next level and freshen the campaign, Banfield explains. Using new imagery set against a navy blue background and a new strapline: ‘The homes that dreams are made of’, the ‘take a closer look’ call to action is still there at the bottom of the ads. Banfield says he’s hoping to get
across the message that Banner Homes is bigger than many people might have thought and building high quality property. “We’re trying to attract people who wouldn’t normally consider buying a new home. Our houses have very high ceilings, good finishes and are on big plots, so you don’t have to make the sacrifices you thought you’d have to make moving to a modern dwelling.” Naturally, building a quality brand takes time and resources, more of which are being steered towards digital these days. “We spend more on portals than we did before and do a lot of online advertising.” Newspapers still have their place, adds Banfield, but while newspapers might help enhance a brand, digital can tell you more specifically where buyers are coming from. The campaign is key to ensuring
Banner stands apart from its competitors and drills down into all communications on sites, online and across the entire Banner portfolio, argues Lavinia Culverhouse (bottom left) from creative agency Design House. “People can be negative about new
property and developers, so we’re saying that these are people with integrity who produce a quality product,” she points out. Culverhouse insists you need to make a campaign look different after a period of time. “You have to reinforce brand imagery and tweak it so people don’t get bored.” This new approach is a bit softer, the
result of research recently carried out. Before, the emphasis was on nuts and bolts’ heating systems and other technology, while the new ads are about owning your dream home. “In addition, further research will be conducted on brand recognition
to see if what we’ve been doing has made a difference,” she adds. Steve Husband (above), director of media and PR agency You, believes that firms often preach to customers, rather than listen. “By conducting this research we found out where brands sit within the market and formed a strategy. Banner’s not quite Candy & Candy, but it’s certainly up there in the £500,000 plus bracket and our media targeting reflects that.” Like Banfield, Husband’s a huge fan of digital behavior targeting. He thinks picking out target audiences so ads reach the right people gives people the advertising they want instead of what they don’t want. It’s more discerning and is helping Banner build up a reputation. “Rather than trying to be all things to all men, Banner’s saying this is where our heartland lies. And we’re not replacing old media with digital – the two should complement each other,” Husband sums up. Here’s looking at you, kid. Now is it time for my close-up?
showhouseMay 2013 |
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