Good advertising is Not the Face of the Agency, but the Face of the Company
Liven’s Creative Director, Alina Kester, talks about marketing real estate during a crisis and explains why Liven is currently directing its marketing budget only towards Estonian media channels.
I recently read an article by Peep Sooman, a member of the management board of Pindi Kinnisvara, where he talks about how the number of real estate transactions in April and the unemployment figures do not give much reason for celebration. In April, there were a total of 397 apartment transactions in Tallinn. Last year, the number was 797, and as of March this year, it was still 699. People are feeling anxious and are postponing transactions if possible, because there is a lot of uncertainty in the air. First, the sense of security disappears, then the purchase of durable goods and real estate is postponed, and the number of transactions decreases. How is Liven, as a real estate developer, currently doing? What are your thoughts on the market situation?
Liven is doing very well. Based on the feedback from our clients, they rate us 9.04 out of 10. This shows that we are doing something right, but also indicates that there is still room for improvement. Currently, we haven’t put any projects on hold due to the COVID-19 situation, and everyone is receiving their homes on time.
In terms of sales, it is not the most active time in the market. When the country is in quarantine and people are asked to stay at home, it is logical that transactions are not taking place. Real estate is not a commodity, and there is no significant impact on the industry if sales are not happening for a few months. It is natural that such decisions are postponed until the situation becomes clearer. It would raise questions if there were no decline in the current situation.
How has Liven managed to consider itself successful even during a crisis?
According to a 2018 study by McKinsey, successful companies are those who implement design at the management level. The entire product and service design process must be well thought out, and marketing activities should stem from there. This approach enables to achieve long-term success.
Of course, with a good agency, it is possible to create outstanding one-time advertising campaigns. However, for smooth and ongoing cooperation, the agency should have significantly more knowledge about the company’s field than can be explained in one or two briefings. This ensures that behind a beautiful campaign, there is not just a brilliant idea, but also the company’s employees who believe in it. Good advertising is not just the agency’s face but also the face of the company.
If we set aside communication, I believe our success has also come from our constant desire to evolve. We do not compare ourselves to competitors but rather to ourselves. We strive to be better every day.
What works in real estate marketing?
The core of marketing is universal in every field, and a useful reference point in answering this question is Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, which consists of three parts (What? How? Why?). The simplest way is to ask – what do you do? For example, Liven creates stylish homes with well-planned layouts.
Next, you should answer the question – how do you do it? Liven creates with passion – in addition to architects, interior designers, and other professionals, we involve the homeowner in the process to plan their most suitable home. This is one of the biggest purchases in a person’s life, and unfortunately, there are many homes in the real estate market that cannot be customized according to one’s preferences. When buying a car, the list of additional equipment is much longer, so shouldn’t a home be even more customizable in detail? Of course, it should.
Now comes the third and most important part – why do you do all of this? In my opinion, this is the most crucial question and is not addressed enough in marketing. For Liven, the answer is clear – it is the belief that a home must have a soul. Such a home is a pleasant place to live in and it fosters personal growth. A good example of that is a child having their own space to paint and craft. It doesn’t require a large or luxurious space; in fact, luxury can sometimes limit creativity. Liven’s answer to the question “why?” is that we want to create homes where people can truly live with passion.
When you have reached the “why?” question and successfully resolved it, people will believe in you and are willing to embrace your ideas. Therefore, yes, honesty works in marketing, and if customers share the same beliefs as you, it becomes easier to engage with them.
You are directing the marketing budget towards Estonian channels – why did you make this decision?
Yes, we also redirected the portion of the budget that would have otherwise gone to Facebook and Google advertisements to Estonian channels. We did this in April and now in May as well. The decision was made on the day we learned that pay cuts were taking place in Estonian media houses. This is probably the least we can do to support local media and entrepreneurship more broadly. Additionally, when giving gifts to home buyers, we prefer to choose local design. I know that we are not the only ones making such choices, and I hope that many other companies will make the same decision.
What are Liven’s marketing channels?
My personal favorites are word-of-mouth advertising – the oldest and most challenging to implement – as well as effective email marketing. We can also consider hosting a housewarming party when homes are completed as part of our marketing efforts. I believe that such events increase our referral index, although we organize the party primarily for people to get to know their neighbors before they move in.
Speaking of word-of-mouth advertising, there’s a good story that comes to mind. A few years ago, we sent a house introduction to four people in the development phase, just to see how they would react. Surprisingly, five interested parties showed up. So, yes, referrals are one of the biggest values in this field.
During our last customer event, it became apparent that people had noticed our Instagram account. We share unplanned and regular daily activities in our office, team trips (although the last one was a while ago), and pictures of completed homes in our stories. It seems that genuine and simple content does work.
This year, we have used more local digital publications and print advertising than before. With the help of MIXD, we will also have cool outdoor advertising solutions within this month.
How does MIXD help you with marketing? What exactly do you do together?
Currently, with the help of MIXD, we have started promoting our Väike Tallinn homes. Although Väike Tallinn is located in the city center, it offers a small-town living experience. We are also working on new projects, primarily a campaign to increase brand awareness for Liven. I may be getting ahead of myself, but I’m excited about our upcoming TV commercial concept, which will soon reach the viewers.
Can you provide some examples of your marketing activities where you have distinguished yourselves from competitors?
I don’t have anything extreme to offer, but I always come back to honesty – we have filmed our customers in their new homes. I believe this is the best marketing approach. No other real estate developer is presenting pictures of completed homes today; usually, they present show apartments or empty rooms. These videos and photos are the best way to build trust and demonstrate that we can create awesome homes together.
MIXD is a member of the Estonian Marketing Association (TULI). MIXD operates at the intersection of advertising, creativity, and technology. They go beyond production and media planning to help clients sustainably grow their business through new technology and analytics, leveraging all the possibilities that technology offers. MIXD is an interdisciplinary hybrid agency focused primarily on increasing brands’ return on investment (ROI).
TULI brings together all marketing professionals who are interested in raising professional standards and being among the brightest minds in the field. Currently, TULI consists of 77 companies.
Silja Oja, TULI