Dev Log Major Project

Post Four: Marketing

by ward2021

This post details how I’ve chosen to market Wardell Homes and showcase the designs through mock-ups. Marketing plays a crucial role in attracting attention from potential future customers. Unlike many businesses similar to Wardell Homes that primarily market themselves on social media, I opted for a more traditional marketing route. The business’s unique selling point drove this decision: the utilisation of AR in real estate. By incorporating AR into the advertising, I aimed to make it more interactive, giving them a more immersive experience, turning it into a compelling selling point and enticing future customers to engage with the business. Whilst this isn’t a major component to the overall project, it acts as a secondary component to show how the feature can be marketed. It also allowed me to incorporate knowledge and skills I have used throughout my degree which is something I aimed for in my final project.

Research

Before creating designs, I thoroughly researched how other brands have leveraged AR in their marketing strategies. This exploration served as a source of inspiration, providing valuable insights into innovative approaches and best practices in AR marketing.

The most notable examples were as follows

Toyota’s AR vehicle visualisation and test drive

For the 2023 Toyota Crown launch, Toyota partnered with Yahoo Advertising to create an immersive AR experience. Through augmented reality, consumers could virtually explore the Toyota Crown, customise its colours, and even take a virtual test drive. This interactive campaign collected data on user preferences. Toyota’s marketing efforts included DOOH ads with scannable QR codes, banner displays, and connected TV advertising. Augmented and virtual reality have become popular among automotive brands, allowing buyers to experience cars remotely, a trend accelerated by COVID-19. In March 2023, Ford similarly launched its All-Electric Explorer virtually.

This example closely resembles my approach to marketing Wardell Homes. Like them, I aimed to utilise a QR code to let users explore and interact with the 3D model. This blend of traditional marketing with modern technology served as excellent inspiration for my strategy.

Amazon | Halloween surprise

Amazon launched a fun campaign to spark creativity during Covid-19. Customers received a box featuring a pumpkin they could customise with every order. By scanning the QR code, their doodled pumpkin comes to life. They could even personalise it online and use it as a face filter. 

While Amazon’s use of AR doesn’t align directly with Wardell Homes’ AR goals, it did inspire me to incorporate a similar concept. Their approach allowed engagement with children and repurposing packaging, which intrigued me. This idea led me to consider implementing a comparable feature on Wardell Homes’ brochures. Users could colour in a black outline of a home and then view their designs in AR, enhancing engagement and giving the brochures an added purpose.

Marketing Strategy

Developing a marketing strategy is a crucial practice for brands. It provides a roadmap for aligning marketing efforts with business objectives, staying connected with the customer base, and effectively communicating product information. By creating and adhering to a marketing strategy, businesses can set clear direction for their marketing activities and ensure consistency across all operations.

Recognising the importance of this, I opted to create a basic strategy for Wardell Homes. This strategy will help me comprehend and articulate the reasons behind my marketing approach, ensuring it effectively resonates with our target audience and supports the business’s overall goals.

Marketing Strategy PDF

Wardell-Homes-Marketing-StrategyDownload

Designs

After defining my marketing approach, I began crafting content for advertising Wardell Homes. I focused on three mediums: a London Tube banner, a brochure, and a bus stop banner. 

Consistency was vital across all designs, ensuring the brand stood out prominently. By maintaining a cohesive visual design, incorporating the colour palette, logo, and typography, I aimed to enhance brand recognition. This uniformity helps people recognise that the marketing materials originate from the same business. Any differences in design were primarily to accommodate the various shapes and sizes of the banners.

Read image captions

Billboard

Figure 1: A billboard banner design advertising Wardell Homes. The design is kept simple and bold using the Wardell Homes colour palette. It includes the logo, the company’s quote and the email with annotations to also show the website and social media handles. It also includes imagery of a mobile phone with the QR code leading the reader to the 3D model where they can view it in AR.

Brochure

Figure 2: A brochure design of the Burton Lakes development of Wardell Homes. The design fits the brand style guide and guidelines. It displays the from cover, Wardell Homes story and information about a house. Included is a picture people can colour which they will then scan the QR code to bring the picture to life using AR technology.

Bus Stop Banner

Figure 3: A design of a bus stop poster. This design is the same as the billboard design. The composition has been modified to fit the template.

Design Application

Visualising how the designs translate to their respective advertising platforms is crucial for comprehensively understanding their impact. Below, I’ve included the designs applied to the appropriate advertisement platforms using existing mock-up templates. Doing this allows for a clear visualisation of how the designs appear in real-world settings.

Billboard

Figure 4: The billboard design on a mockup to show how the design would look in real life.

Brochure

Figure 5: The brochure design on a mockup to show how the design would look in real life.

Bus Stop Banner

Figure 6: The bus stop design on a mockup to show how the design would look in real life.

How the post contributes to the project’s objective

Using AR in marketing reached a wider audience, showcasing the technology’s benefits and attracting more potential buyers in real estate. The content aided in how the feature can be applied to designs for marketing.

Time Management Reflection

Regarding time management, I stuck true to the time I dedicated to the marketing section of the project. The process was straightforward since I had gained skills previously in both knowledge and software.

Figure 7: The time management Gantt chart which was created at the beginning of the project to show how time will be dedicated.

References

Research

  • Gilliland, N. (2019). Econsultancy. [online] Econsultancy. Available at: https://econsultancy.com/14-examples-augmented-reality-brand-marketing-experiences/. (Accessed:20 April 2024)
  • www.vrowl.io. (2021). The 20 Best WebAR examples to inspire brands | VR Owl. [online] Available at: https://www.vrowl.io/the-20-best-webar-examples-to-inspire-brands/. (Accessed:20 April 2024)

Marketing Strategies

  • ‌Optimizely (n.d.). What is marketing strategy? [online] Optimizely. Available at: https://www.optimizely.com/optimization-glossary/marketing-strategy/#:~:text=Your%20marketing%20strategy%20helps%20you. (Accessed:20 April 2024)
  • www.manypixels.co. (n.d.). Why Is Consistent Graphic Design Important for Marketing. [online] Available at: https://www.manypixels.co/blog/graphic-design/consistent-design-marketing. (Accessed:20 April 2024)

Images Used

  • ‌
  • Pinterest. (n.d.). Bus Stop Sign Mockup. [online] Available at: https://pin.it/4p89g3daa [Accessed 22 April 2024].
  • Pinterest. (n.d.). Pin by Steffany DeVoursney on Billboard design | Bilboard design, Billboard design, Real estate marketing design. [online] Available at: https://pin.it/RNvLMyC37 [Accessed 22 April 2024].
  • Welham.(Unknown).Peter Ward. Available at: https://peterwardhomes.co.uk/ward-hills-bridlington/welham/. (Accessed:20 April 2024)

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