Linden does its homework
Spotting the new trend of more people working from home these days (around four million of us work from home regularly, with a 13% rise over the past five years), Linden Homes’ latest marketing campaign reflects this enthusiasm for toiling from our own premises. Chris Roads, sales and marketing director
for Linden Homes Midlands, notes that as flexible working becomes more popular among commuters and parents working on a part-time basis, more and more full- and part-time workers and the self-employed are placing a higher priority on their work/life balance. “With the high cost of commuting, more young families, in particular, are looking for enough space for a home office (or at least somewhere to perch a laptop and a few files) so they can work where they live,” suggests Roads. To meet demand, Roads says he asked for additional communication services to be installed in Linden Homes’ studies, or spare bedrooms that could be used some or all of the time as studies. “Also, customers can purchase an ‘extras’ pack offering broadband, wifi and enough sockets where you can plug all your devices in,” he comments. Paying attention to how people live
these days is crucial, says Roads. “Many house-husbands, for instance, might not be working at home constantly, but will be there some of the time after maybe taking the kids to school and then collecting them again later in the day.” To get the flexible homeworking
message out, Linden worked with agency Media Matters to send press releases
to journalists and editors, as well as incorporating this theme into Linden Midlands’ wider digital campaign. However, Roads warns that, despite
temptations, one mustn’t overdo digital missives. “I went to a restaurant once about five years ago and gave them my email address on a comment card. Ever since, I’ve been getting hundreds and hundreds of emails, including one to a dreaded Elvis Presley evening, which has become really, really annoying.” He adds that Linden isn’t blogging in the Midlands yet, but there’s a Facebook page for the region, where the company picks up some responses. Cetti Long from Media Matters, which
does the PR for Linden in the Midlands and the North, applauds Roads’s approach to hunt for new angles. “We look at the bigger picture and take into account the profile and range of customers. And, we think about lifestyle and industry issues that reflect current issues – instead of just simply concentrating on bricks and mortar and a more direct sales message.” Working from home is one concept that’s
certainly hit home. “After checking things out, we realised people need a private area to work, do home banking, or help children with their homework. It also makes sense to not go into the office when there’s disruption from weather or on rail networks,” she adds. Long sums up why the homeworking
campaign gets a gold star. “It works, because Linden’s saying everything’s there and you can move right in. You can use all the areas in the house in an interesting way, including the study that’s all wired up and ready to go.”
84| January 2014 showhouse
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