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And cheers for what's new in 2007
By Gregg Stengel During the Annual Convention's closing General Session, VP of Marketing Mark Hagen delivered a review of his department's goals for 2006, and the stats to show that there was reason to celebrate. The goal was to increase buy leads by 5% while decreasing the cost per lead by the same percentage. The Marketing Department initiated numerous projects to accomplish the goal, including a per-inquiry Internet lead program, and a new advertising testimonial campaign. System-wide, leads shot up an average of 20% per while cost per lead dropped more than 15%. But that's not what prompted the cheers of the convention audience. Let's Hear It for Outdoor
 | | Mark Hagen gets into character to reveal a new marketing strategy | | HomeVestors' most influential medium in terms of brand building has always been outdoor advertising. "Our highly successful outdoor campaign is going stronger than ever," said Hagen. "But to be successful, you're always looking for things that will keep the customer's focus on something different, something new. So we thought we would build on the strength of our current board and expand the understanding of what 'ugly' means, and communicate the idea that we also buy houses that aren’t ugly."Hagen then introduced three new billboards for 2007 that work together to accomplish this goal. All three utilize HVA's trademark branding elements, with a slight twist to the message. One board reads "Facing Foreclosure?" while another reads simply, "Ugly Situation?"  It was the introduction of the third board -- "We Buy The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" -- that got the convention crowd cheering. All three billboard concepts will be tested in rotation with the current board in several markets in the first quarter of 2007.
More Reason to Cheer
Another marketing highlight: The release of HomeVestors' 10th anniversary magazine, created to inform the public, the media, and politicians about HomeVestors and the real estate investing industry. Each franchisee left the convention with four copies of the magazine, and additional copies may be ordered through the company store, Workflow One. TV and Radio
Heading into 2007, the Marketing Department will continue usage of its highly successful testimonial TV and radio campaign. "We now have three spots, each focusing on a different scenario," explained Hagen, "Seniors in transition, no-hassle sales, and problem rental/inheritance. The new spots fit very well with the current market conditions because they involve foreclosure, from both the customer and the franchisee perspective." HVA tests many of the creative programs in both small and large markets before launching them nationwide. If you or your Ad Council would like to participate in testing any of the new creative, please contact your regional marketing manager. Your RMM also has DVDs available which showcase some of our latest marketing creative.
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