Project Marketing - Year in review.

Written by- Louise Caleo

EVERYTHING is now digital!

In marketing the emphasis was digital, creating content the consumer craved and encouraged independent research learning was crucial. Building consistency between the virtual environment and shifting consumer-facing opportunities saw project marketers flex, stretch, and bend throughout 2021 – much like consumer preferences!

In the property space, online transactions continued to take preference, project marketers led with insightful and thought-provoking campaigns and bringing perception through video (WOW, video content is more important than ever now) and, when given the opportunity an element of tangibility or ‘surprise’ elevated the mix– who doesn’t love a surprise?

At Core we met our customers virtually and rewarded their engagement through secondary touchpoints – touchpoints they could touch, perhaps even taste (virtual cup of tea of glass of bubbly anyone?). These means aided connection during times that prohibited traditional methods and face-to-face. Virtual inspections, payment and appointment systems, and digital contracts continued to run in full swing over 2021. Customer data suggests strong satisfaction to these processes where the adaption from conventional face-to-face experience is forgotten. How do we know?  At Core we rolled out a new technology to get to know who our customers really are, their likes and preferences to buying at a Core community and what is most important to them when buying land.

Open space, home entertainment, self-care and wellness opportunities trended on the consumer agenda, and in property, this was no exception. Over 2021, REA recorded the greatest trends to this theme, chatting with Tristan Tatt, Account Partner – Developer at RealEstate.com.au, Tristan mentions “Property searches to bigger homes and larger blocks sizes held popularity more so than ever observed in prior years, with buyers also including Home Office as a preference in their search”. ABS data sang true to this theme, where Victoria saw historic internal migration levels from inner Melbourne to outer-metro and regional areas, owner-occupiers leading this movement.

The pandemic’s impact on health has seen people become more conscious of their mental wellbeing and home environment impacts on this matter. With the daily office commute a thing of the past in many industries and now where home life, work-life, and family time all partake in the same space, it’s really no surprise Australians are looking to size up the first home or upgrade their living situation where they can incorporate a dedicated study or home gym area in a new build. In choosing a new community there is a stronger focus on connection to outdoor space, nature or walking trails, and onsite local activity centers, where residents can leave the car at home when picking up basic goods.

The ongoing Covid environment has also placed a growing call on government regulators to uphold responsibility in a shift towards environmental health and social changes. Sustainable lending is one to watch, where new communities meeting ESG considerations may be favored by bank lending. When we look globally to the UK, Nationwide Building Society anticipates that over 50% of homes on their mortgage books will be ESG rated by 2025. To promote this, they offer the lowest mortgage rates to homes that meet ESG criteria. Locally, if introduced this could see a higher level of importance in ESG to our end-user when they are searching for new land communities, it may also open even broader audiences with newfound accessibility to buy land.   

Looking forward to 2022:

• With online transactions here to stay, online security and privacy measures will be heightened to protect the consumer. It will be up to marketers to utilise and understand customer data accurately and lead with proactive optimisations to systems to ensure the ideal consumer will continue to be reached.
• With Gen Z being next group to enter the home buyer market, a further focus on education, storey telling and staying local through supporting small business and causes will become more prevalent than ever as this social media focused group filter into our marketspace. Get their heartrate up through meaningful conversation and partnerships, building a genuine understanding in communications, and TIKTOK!
• As vaccine rollout targets are met across the country marketers will prepare for a boom in the event economy return. Re-establishing a calendar of events in line with an offering that caters to both hybrid and face to face environments will be key.

About Core Projects

Formed in 2015 as the result of a merger between two of Melbourne’s longest-standing and respected land sales and project marketing businesses, Core Projects is a driving force in Victoria’s broad acre and greenfield land market.

Core Projects’ Land team transacted over $300m worth of land in late 2020 / early 2021 across Melbourne and Geelong’s growth corridors. In addition to consulting with land owners and developers to sell or acquire land, Core Projects also leads project marketing and sales. The project marketing team has sold over $1.4 billion in land lots in the last three years. This is all undertaken with a “people and positive impact” focused approach.