Domain launches Spring campaign with new app at its centre
Two weeks after Fairfax Media announced it would spin real estate cash cow Domain off into separate company, the division is launching its crucial Spring marketing campaign aimed at driving home buyers and sellers to its revamped app.
Domain has also locked in a second year’s sponsorship of Nine’s The Block and will continue to drive its own content offer with the launch of a second online series of Avalon Now.
Melina Cruickshank, Domain’s chief of editorial and marketing, said the push to drive people to the app was aimed at making it the default real estate choice on people’s phones.
“We are hoping that this campaign will generate a lot more excitement and confidence in the property market,” Cruickshank told Mumbrella.
The app has been upgraded, offering users automatic bluetooth check-in at open houses where agents are using Domain, a more streamlined price estimate guide and information on school catchments.
“We are putting our app at the forefront of looking for property,” she said.
“Time and time again we get feedback that the property process can be incredibly frustrating and that people find that there is a lot of emotion in looking for property. “So we have put a lot of effort into our products to ensure that they are helpful.
“It means you can download the app, put on bluetooth and check into an inspection. You know how hard it is when you are lining up and you have six open for inspection?
“Domain check-in for us is a game-changer.”
The app also allows home buyers to highlight an area by circling it with their finger, avoiding the extra time of typing in addresses or suburbs, and the app will also feature the debut of agent chat where it will be possible for users to message agents rather than having to phone or email.
The check-in feature will also allow Domain to gather basic data about behaviours and trends.
“At this stage it’s very basic data – coming down to where a person has checked into and that will be of benefit to both the agent and the consumer, but we believe it will add enormous value.”
The decision to sponsor The Block for the second year running is crucial to the success of the spring campaign, said Cruickshank.
“Every time we see The Block on TV we see a significant spike in app sessions and also downloads.
“It’s been a really good way of proving that television works with that second screen at home. From the first week of room reveals viewers will actually be able to use the Domain app to explore a lot of the rooms with exclusive access to 360-degree photographs.
“The fact we have the Domain brand embedded into the show means that the brand is actually visible throughout the series.
Avalon Now, which Fairfax stumbled upon in a story on Domain two years ago, will add another pillar to the marketing strategy, with characters from the show featuring in Domain ads as well as the new series.
“We have a lot of investment in outdoor, (and) social media is crucial to our acceleration … but I wanted a content series that would also cut through to those people who might not have thought about Domain in the past, they are wedded to other brands, but I wanted something that would connect and I think humour is something that makes people want to pass them on.
“It’s highly shareable and you don’t have that hard sell with brands.”
The first episode of Avalon Now 2 showed online a week ago and has already clocked up 890,000 views. ME Bank has sponsored the show on Domain’s site.
“It’s not about a commercial proposition, it’s about cutting through to a whole raft of audiences that would not have come to us otherwise,”she said.
Cruickshank said that despite the planned spin-off, nothing would change about the brand’s approach to growing its share.
“Domain is a big engine and an important engine of Fairfax, but really it’s business as usual for us.”
She said the ultimate success of the campaign would be measured by clients in the real estate industry and by vendors asking agents to use Domain and the app.
In what world is this shareable? Try putting a marketer in charge of actual marketing rather than a digital ninja if you want something shareable..
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Love the subtle hat tip to avalon now (striped shirt)…really clever campaign
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I think the “Avalon Now” series if fantastic and creates a buzz about real estate. Great to see the new app features too. Not sure what the old school marketeers gripe is about “shareable”
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Domain are making buzz and noise and just look confident. Every bus I get on seems to be Domain. I am off to buy some happy euthanised bacon. Good campaigns!
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Ads are funny and Avalon Now pretty bold me-thinks. Well done to the team involved. Domain smashing it.
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Judging by the above comments it seems Domain’s marketing team have been busy on the blog. The only way this will get views and hits is by buying them. Unless you like very forgettable work.
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In response to “Horse Meat”, it may be that the only people who read and respond to Mumbrella et.al. are those featured and their competitors. No one else gives a toss! We can all make bold statements whn we don’t put our names to them. “Hello” to other 6 people in the universe who visited the website and felt engaged enough to comment
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Would be sooo much better if Mumbrella were to disabled anonymous commenting. You might actually attract some interesting debate rather than just nasty comments.
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Amazing innovation in property sales and marketing enables privacy also exposure to market and requirements without external influences
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