Marketing Plan - Marque by Andrew Le

MARKETING PLAN MARQUE PROPERTY GROUP 1

MARKETING OBJECTIVES INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS

DEVELOP STRONG POSITIONING

The goal is for Marque to be seen, heard

Strategically posi<on the brand as unique,

and read. For consumers to place the

credible, service-‐focused and luxurious,

brand highly in their considera<on set.

ENHANCE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Become a market leader in customer experience through all touchpoints, such as servicescape, process and CRM.

INCREASE SALES PIPELINE Increase traﬃc, web leads and sales conversion to ensure successful ﬂow of jobs and opportuni<es for referrals.

changing the game in a compe<<ve market.

MARKETING OBJECTIVES

MAKE A MARK As a new entrant, Marque needs to reinforce its posi<on in the market, stand for something and show that it’s in it to win it.

IMPLEMENT BRAND CONSISTENCY Ensure consistency and quality in branding across all touchpoints and internal/external communica<ons.

OVERVIEW OF MARKETING PLAN

CUSTOMERS

COMPETITORS

SCO

RECOMMENDATIONS

APPENDIX

An in-‐depth analysis of Marque’s target segments, to beWer inform marke<ng decisions and business objec<ves.

A cri<cal evalua<on of Marque’s key compe<tors within the high-‐end residen<al building market.

Detailed analysis of Marque’s strengths, complica<ons and opportuni<es to guide next steps and recommenda<ons.

A brief overview of recommenda<ons that will build the brand and achieve a compe<<ve edge in the marketplace.

Resources, screenshots and data that may be usefulfor marke<ng decision-‐ making and further research. 3

CUSTOMERS “Young Guns” •  •  •  •

Demographic Geographic 30 to 39 years of age •  Located within metropolitan and Mixed cultural backgrounds inner urban Melbourne areas Young and ambi<ous •  Living with partner in 1st home, professionals poten<ally with 1 child Middle to upper class with a busy •  Looking to knockdown exis<ng social lifestyle home or investment property

•  •  •  •

Behavioural Wants to be seen as successful and driven Very high expecta<ons for service delivery, want upfront pricing Needs reassurance and guidance Wants to associate with a luxury and pres<gious brand

“Busy Parents” •  •  •  •  •

Demographic Parents aged 40 to 55 Mixed cultural backgrounds Several children living at home Upper class family unit Big spenders who are willing to pay the price for quality

Geographic •  Located within metropolitan and inner urban Melbourne areas •  Living with partner and kids in 2nd or 3rd family home (owner-‐ occupiers) •  Looking to knockdown and rebuild on exis<ng block

•  •  •  •

Behavioural Purchases for the greater good of the family Busy people; want a streamlined process and upfront prices Emo<onally aWached to old home Wants a premium quality product, can be swayed by promo<ons

CUSTOMERS “Savvy Investors” Demographic •  A wide range of people aged 30 to 50 years •  Mixture of male and female investors •  Mixed cultural backgrounds and professions

Geographic Behavioural •  Located within inner urban •  Wants value for money and Melbourne areas, or overseas extensive standard inclusions •  Owns a number of proper<es in •  Expects a ﬂexible and streamlined and around Melbourne build process from start to ﬁnish •  Mixed living condi<ons, e.g. •  No <me for messing around and single, with partner, with kids etc. expects quality service •  Not emo<onally aWached, wants to sell/lease home once complete

“Empty Nesters” •  •  •  •  •

Demographic 51+ years of age Mixed cultural backgrounds, predominately Western and Asian backgrounds Children have led home Upper class and luxury lifestyle Looking to relax and wind down

•  •  •  •

Geographic Household Located within metropolitan and inner urban Melbourne areas Looking to knockdown exis<ng home or investment property Poten<ally building in beach area

•  •  •  •

Behavioural Willing to spend and upgrade the home to suit their needs Expects superior customer service and delivery of promises A keen eye for detail and quality Wants ﬂexibility and customisa<on in ﬂoorplan 5

COMPETITORS

STRENGTHS

•  Dynamic website along with strengthened brand posi<oning, award credibility and range diﬀeren<a<on •  With over 35 years of experience, Metricon has strong brand heritage and pedigree – “love where you live” •  Sophis<cated marke<ng collateral, selling environments and on-‐brand photography, messaging and adver<sing •  Very high media spend of $4.3m PA in Victoria alone •  Strong website traﬃc of 330,000+ unique visits in March 2015

•  Interac<ve website with hero imagery, calls-‐to-‐ac<on and clear brand posi<oning •  Stands for individuality and diﬀerence by design •  Bou<que size of the business means a higher level of personalised service and process •  An award-‐winning builder with accolades from HIA and MBAV, such as Most Professional Medium Builder •  Established brand with solid awareness and presence within the custom builder market

WEAKNESSES

•  Poorer level of service given that it is the 3rd largest volume builder in Victoria, with 1,579 site starts in FY 14 •  LiWle to no flexibility in changing and modifying floorplans •  Compromised quality and workmanship •  Lower base prices with lower base specifica<ons to aWract more price-‐sensi<ve customers = misleading

•  Rapidly growing business branching out into Esperance Homes and L37 Projects, therefore not as “bou<que” as it claims •  Only 1 display home for poten<al customers to visit •  Limita<ons in build areas, such as not building in West or Yarra Glen for example •  Branding does not reﬂect L37’s premium product or pricing, looks slightly cheap

COMPETITORS

STRENGTHS

•  Private family-‐owned and award-‐winning builder with over 50 years experience •  The Glenvill name has heritage and pedigree, people have an aﬃnity with the brand •  Recently restructured all processes and systems to ensure the delivery of “the best client service” •  Claims to cap its custom builds at 60 per year •  Flexibility to design a custom home from scratch or modify an exis<ng design

•  Simple, sleek and modern website that reﬂects brand image and values •  Strong brand and clear posi<oning, innova<ve designs and a commitment to customer service •  On-‐brand messaging and marke<ng collateral •  Only a few years old however it has built a solid reputa<on and is currently increasing in awareness •  Flexibility to build both custom and pre-‐designed homes

WEAKNESSES

•  Ineﬀec<ve website due to poor design and low func<onality •  A brand that is star<ng to fade and date in a highly compe<<ve market •  Lack of engaging or interes<ng content; for example, a lot of wriWen tes<monials but no video tes<monials •  Some homes are built under a franchise (not common knowledge)

•  “Just another volume builder” •  Not as ﬂexible as it claims to be •  Low social media following of 358 on Facebook and 1,741 on Instagram •  Ineﬀec<ve social media strategy with posts that are inconsistent with the brand and do not engage with consumers

COMPETITORS

STRENGTHS

•  Exclusive builder that limits the amount of homes it builds •  Personalised luxury homes that are both visually appealing and func<onal •  Award-‐winning builder with over 30 years of experience •  Known for innova<on, consistency and quality •  Strong brand heritage due to reputa<on and being a family-‐owned business •  The “Englehart” name gives homes a real edge when they are sold later down the track

•  Backed and owned by Englehart, posi<ve brand associa<ons as a result •  Clear posi<oning around aﬀordable luxury, aWen<on to detail, quality cradsmanship and customer service excellence •  HIA and MBAV accolades against its name •  Targe<ng a broader market and lower price point than Englehart

WEAKNESSES

•  Poorly designed website, lacking simplicity and func<onality •  Possibility that you are paying more purely because of the brand •  Not a truly bou<que builder •  Poor social media presence with 129 likes on Fecebook and no other online plasorms

•  Brand is s<ll rela<vely new and growing within the market •  Very low social media following of 51 on Facebook •  No brand heritage whatsoever, what is the meaning behind the name? •  Branding and use of colours does not reﬂect luxury posi<oning •  Messy, convoluted website 8

SCO Strengths

ImplicaMons/So what?

PRODUCT •  High quality product backed by trusted, premium brands that are known and loved by ü  target customers •  Flexibility to build custom homes from scratch as well as modify wide range of pre-‐ ü  designed ﬂoorplans

Opportunity to leverage product excellence and exploit inclusions and supplier brands as a point-‐of-‐diﬀerence Here, there is an opportunity to to increase awareness of our ﬂexibility and openness

STRUCTURE •  Rela<vely new builder focusing on a niche market •  A truly bou<que and small custom builder commiWed to personalised service •  Flat and lean company structure with an engaged, energe<c workforce

ü  Opportunity to make a mark and carve market share ü  Ability to gain consumer conﬁdence and trust ü  Build the employer brand in order to add personality to the broader Marque brand

DIGITAL •  Strong Instagram presence and following of 2,521 people, consistent post strategy and eﬀec<ve design focus BRANDING •  Logo and brand colours align with premium look and feel

ü  A solid starDng point from which we can evolve the brand and engage even more with consumers ü  Customers associate black with premium, high-‐end and luxury

DISPLAYS •  Very high quality display homes in the perfect loca<ons

ü  We have the right ingredients for success and need to improve and reﬁne markeDng output

SCO ComplicaMons

ImplicaMons/So what?

POSITIONING •  Brand posi<oning is currently one-‐dimensional and weak. Marque currently stands for product excellence only – and about can be more than just this •  Home photography is ineﬀec<ve; poor ligh<ng, unstyled shots, poor retouching •  Copy on website and current collateral is not punchy or eﬀec<ve

ü  Opportunity to reposiDon brand, stand for something unique and excel at more than just product level ü  Assess the possibility of redoing home photography ü  Need to set a tone of voice and ensure that brand posiDoning is reﬂected and consistent at all touchpoints

DIGITAL •  Email signature is too sta<c, does not state posi<on <tles and <le does not hyperlink •  Other than the website and Instagram, the Marque brand does not have any other digital assets or social media plasorms •  Website is currently one-‐dimensional, disengaging and minimalis<c

ü  Design new email signature ü  Increase social engagement with customers ü  Opportunity to improve and revamp the website to reﬂect posiDoning and price point of our homes

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE •  Sales office is uninspiring, lacks Marque branding and does not strategically consider ü  customer’s journey through the office •  The display homes are also uninspiring and silent, with no music, TV visuals or signage ü  to augment the customer experience COMMUNICATIONS •  Being a new brand, Marque lacks rich pedigree or heritage; this is where the likes of Metricon have a clear advantage •  Current brochures are ineffec<ve and overly minimalis<c. Don’t have any collateral or messaging on who Marque is

Opportunity to improve the customer experience and engage all 5 human senses In order to sell a premium home, the display experience must be premium and top notch itself

ü  Build credibility and trust through industry awards and tesDmonials ü  Need to develop a suite of new markeDng collateral

SCO OpportuniMes ADVERTISING •  As a new builder, we have the luxury of trying diﬀerent media mixes and adver<sing strategies CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE •  Increased focus on customer rela<ons management (CRM) would enable Marque to become a client-‐led organisa<on with personalised service at its core PROMOTIONS •  Overcome compe<<veness in market by implemen<ng promo<ons and campaigns designed to steal market share and provide a beWer oﬀering for customers

ImplicaMons/So what? ü  Leverage adverDsing opportuniDes and test them! ü  Opportunity to implement CRM iniDaDves to augment the customer experience and become a market leader in the custom builder market ü  As a new player, Marque needs to ensure its oﬀering is always compeDDve and unique; our target customers love a good deal even if they’re big spenders

RECOMMENDATIONS

PosiMoning

CommunicaMons

Customer Experience

Digital

Campaigns

AdverMsing

POSITIONING REPOSITIONING Currently, the brand stands for product excellence only. However, product excellence by itself is not enough. Reposi<oning will allow the brand to shine and ensure that the brand sings at both the product and experien<al level. Marque would therefore stand for: •  Premium product •  High quality •  Luxury inclusions •  Changing the game •  Thinking outside the square •  Customer service excellence This posi<oning closely aligns with the needs and wants of the target customers while also oﬀering a point-‐of-‐diﬀerence against key compe<tors.

PHOTOGRAPHY Current home photography is not cas<ng homes in best possible light. Under the new reposi<oning, it is crucial that every element of marke<ng looks and feels premium. Current photos have poor ligh<ng, unstyled shots and poor retouching to facades. New photography may be taken for approximately $3-‐4k per display, including all styling and retouching. Styling would reﬂect new posi<oning and include items such as champagne, throws, glasses, magazines etc. to make the homes look lived in. New photography may be used for brochures, signage, website and award submissions. See Appendix 1 for samples of photography.

COPYWRITING In order to reflect reposi<oning requires an update to all copy in print and web. Current copy consists of spelling errors and does not flow. New copy would contain a mix of emo<onal messaging (“Luxury brands you know and love”) and ra<onal messaging (“Unwavering commitment to quality”) as well as a story about who we are. The overall flair and style of new copy would be similar to below: •  Introducing Marque •  Commitment to excellence •  In a league of its own •  The Marque Experience •  The ulDmate in luxury living •  We’re changing the game •  We stand by every home we build •  Homes of DisDncDon •  Truly flexible customisaDon and design process 13

COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY AWARDS Being a new brand in the market, industry award wins would be highly eﬀec<ve in communica<ng Marque’s credibility and reputa<on. Award submissions must be treated in the same way as marke<ng collateral. Design, copy and photography must all be on-‐brand and reﬂect high-‐end posi<oning. Post-‐win communica<ons would maximise the opportunity through an integrated communica<ons strategy; posters, website, ar<cles, eDMs, signage and internal communica<ons.

MARKETING COLLATERAL A suite of new marke<ng collateral for Marque should be developed in order to reﬂect the reposi<oning and branding rollout. New collateral includes the following:

•  New Home Product Guide: Who we are, build process, standard inclusions, designs, varia<ons, facades, display loca<ons •  Display Centre Brochure: Floorplan, dimensions, façade op<ons, design consultant’s s<cker •  Inclusions Brochure: Luxury inclusions showcased in detail •  Suppor<ng Collateral: Price lists, as displayed spec sheet, referral form •  Corporate Materials: A4 folders, leWerheads, compliments slips, envelopes, pens, bags, keyrings See Appendix 2 for samples.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SALES OFFICE Well designed sales offices and branded environments can significantly heighten a customer’s experience and showcase the brand – in a physical sense. Improvements to the sales office include: •  Styling and decora<ons •  Considered use of colour •  Use of pendant ligh<ng •  Storage and cabinetry •  Interac<ve desk space •  Chairs for customers at the desk •  Wall decals, signage and A1 posters •  Brochure stands •  Business card holders •  Street and main road signage •  Blade wall to display entry

See Appendix 3 for photos.

DISPLAY EXPERIENCE The best display home experiences are those that engage all 5 human senses. For Marque, this means bringing the brand to life and developing a customer-‐ centric strategy for the display homes. We can engage the 5 human senses through: •  Touch: The display home itself •  See: Videos (who we are, customer tes<monials, inclusions etc.) playing on loop on TVs •  Hear: In-‐ceiling speakers playing selected music through the home and office, low volume only •  Smell: Diffusers and AirWick powerpoint fresheners through the home and office •  Taste: Run event ac<va<ons on a regular basis complete with coffee carts, canapes, etc. – all part of the Marque experience

CRM Improving our CRM processes will in turn heighten our customer service delivery. We can improve our CRM through the following: •  Automated “thank you for visi<ng” emails to clients on the Monday following their visit •  Marque NewsleWers to en<re database of leads •  Occasional database cleanups

DIGITAL ONLINE PRESENCE Need to evolve the Marque brand and increase online presence through the following plasorms: •  YouTube: Develop who we are video, home walkthrough videos, tes<monial videos; engaging content that gains trac<on quickly and eﬀec<vely •  Facebook: Create an engaged community of followers, with a focus on design, news, compe<<ons and events •  LinkedIn: Build employer brand by crea<ng a Linkedin company page and post about product news, careers and staﬀ events twice a week. Future employees can be future clients, current employees can also be future clients •  Product Review: Develop a company page and ac<vely monitor and respond to reviews objec<vely and transparently

EMAIL SIGNATURE The email signature should be updated to include posi<on <tles and hyperlink the <le to the Marque website. It should also be updated seasonally or to coincide with campaigns, display home launches, award wins and so on.

WEBSITE Proposed website updates and improvements include the following: •  Full screen home gallery •  Improved func<onality •  Calls-‐to-‐ac<on throughout website •  Improve lead form •  Include disclaimers •  Improve display loca<ons page •  Updated copy •  New minimalis<c design

ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS ADVERTISING Depending on budget, we should assess the need for adver<sing and trying out different adver<sing mediums. Effec<ve mediums include: •  Digital retarge<ng •  Digital ads (Outlook, Google, YouTube etc.) •  Facebook ads •  Radio •  Local press •  Billboard PROMOTIONS Also depending on budget, we should assess the possibility of execu<ng promo<ons and promo<ons and campaigns, such as: •  Bonus offers •  Pay $X to receive $Y in value •  Big Brands •  Price Freeze 17

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Element •  •  PosiDoning •  •  CommunicaDons •  •  •  Customer Experience •  •  •  Digital •  •  AdverDsing & PromoDons •

RecommendaMon Reposi<oning work Redoing photography (if budget permits) Upda<ng copy Award submissions Develop new marke<ng collateral Sales oﬃce improvements Display home improvements CRM ini<a<ves Develop online presence New email signature Website improvements Test out adver<sing mediums (if budget permits) Execute campaigns (if budget permits)

AcMons •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

Further research, brainstorming, approval Receiving quotes, booking, selec<on Wri<ng, proofing, approval Wri<ng, design, proofing, approval Concept, design, wri<ng, proofing, print, distribu<on Signage, furniture, styling Speakers, video content, diffusers, events plan & rollout Automated email rollout Set up FB/LinkedIn/YouTube/Product Review, content, ads, pos<ng Concept, liaise with IT, design, approval, rollout Brainstorming, tes<ng, liaise with digital agency, concepts Scoping, design, pricing, rollout, evalua<on Designing the offer, cost & benefit analysis, design, rollout

Summary Marque has an excellent product with a very high base speciﬁcaDon, an engaged team and the perfect display locaDons in the perfect growth markets. However, improvements need to be made predominately in posiDoning, communicaDons, customer experience and digital in order for the brand to tell one uniﬁed story. The ingredients are there to reap market share and become a market leader. Premium, luxury homes must be supported by premium brand posiDoning, stylish collateral, excepDonal customer experiences and unique ways to engage with the brand online. 19

APPENDIX – SAMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTACT EMAIL

andrew.le@live.com.au

MOBILE 0421 106 344