Mumbrella360: How Rose Byrne and Bluey helped Domain ‘challenge the status quo’
49% of Domain’s 7.4 million monthly users are actively searching for a property to rent or purchase, chief marketing officer Rebecca Darley revealed at Mumbrella360.
Considering people, on average, purchase a property once every seven to 10 years, Darley said the other 51% are on the property website researching and looking for inspiration.
“How do we keep those people engaged, interested, and nurtured, so when they’re next in the market for a home, they come to Domain?” she said.
“Fundamental to delivering that was the shift in the journey we’ve been on in the last 18 months.”
Rebecca Darley
The property giant’s first step was to fundamentally reshape the composition of its marketing team, shifting from generalists to dedicated technologists, data scientists, and tech experts, with a focus on personalisation.
“We are outspent two to one by an incredible competitor,” Darley said, referring to Real Estate Australia, the other prominent player in the Australian property market duopoly.
“We weren’t going to get there on spend alone. We had to find ways to make this brand feel bigger than what it is.”
To “challenge the status quo of the property market”, Domain teamed up with a handful of third-parties, including Howatson+Company, PHD, House of Brand, and Nine.
A strategic decision was made to integrate “humanise property conversations” into its brand strategy, utilising the influence of celebrities, popular reality TV shows, and even one beloved children’s cartoon.
In collaboration with Howatson+Company, Domain debuted a TV ad starring Australian actress Rose Byrne and her husband, Bobby Cannavale. The whimsical ad showcased the couple attempting to befriend the local school principal at a Spin class in the hopes of securing a spot for their daughter despite living just beyond the school’s catchment area.
Domain also “infiltrated itself” in the most talked about TV shows, including the Australian Open, The Block, and Married at First Sight.
“We completely overhauled our content to add more value to every part of the property journey,” Darley explained.
Also leveraging earned media, Domain made headlines in April this year when they partnered with ABC and listed the Bluey house from the hit Aussie cartoon for sale.
“This is an example of an incredible partnership. Some might say big bets, some might say riding the zeitgeist, and it was nothing short of a zeitgeist moment for the business,” she continued.
“A listing on a property might have anywhere between 500 and 1,000 listing views; this had 780,000 in two weeks. These are the moments where we bring together incredible brands around a really special cultural moment.”
Domain took advantage of the success of the Bluey campaign, developing a mockumentary featuring their real estate agent partners.
These efforts translated in numbers, with property search growing by almost 5%.
“Our major competitor, who over time has outspent us two to one, grew by almost 4%. Domain’s growth was more than two times that, at 10.7%. We cemented our position as Australia’s most engaged property platform on social media. 47% are more likely to consider Domain, and 30% went to Domain after seeing the campaign,” Darley said.
“Big bets deliver results. Art and science combined deliver results.”
To watch this session recording and more from Mumbrella360, head to Mumbrella Pro.
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Got a tip?
topics
Bobby Cannavale
Domain Group
House of Brand
Howatson+Company
Mumbrella360
Nine
PHD
Real Estate Australia
Rebecca Darley
Rose Byrne
Have your say