Phase 1: Positioning the Brand
Houwzer was struggling to explain their business model and communicate their value effectively to potential customers. Houwzer engaged Brolik to help clarify their top audience segments and test the right positioning and messaging that would resonate.
Target Audience Analysis
Brolik created a detailed target audience analysis in order to help pinpoint the key demographics of Houwzer’s most important customer segments. We started the process by refining Houwzer’s brand messaging to better resonate with customers.
Brand Messaging
We started the process by refining Houwzer’s brand messaging to better resonate with customers.
Phase 2: Houwzer’s New Web Presence
Brolik simplified the way Houwzer explained their business model and value, then illustrated it visually for their new website. Then we led the planning, design and development of the new Houwzer website.
The Goals
- Quickly explain Houwzer’s unique business model and the value it brings to customers.
- Establish credibility for a “startup brand” in an industry that has trust issues.
- Direct users who are selling or buying a home to the Sell or Buy page, so they can understand the value proposition and start working with Houwzer.
First, we infused the value that Houwzer brings into every tagline and every page, to directly reflect their focus on their customers.
Educating The Market
Through our target audience research, we found that many consumers simply didn’t understand how the real estate market worked. Therefore, it was crucial to educate users and show them how much money they could save working with Houwzer. It was also very important to show potential customers that Houwzer is comprised of passionate individuals that are focused on their communities by saving them time, money, and sanity.
Phase 3: A New Approach To Marketing
Our research revealed that people tend to move at transition points in their life, like getting married, retiring, or having their first (or second!) kid.
Brolik developed a new marketing campaign based around moments of change.
Houwzer Social Video
We created a social video ad to introduce Houwzer to potential clients on Facebook and illustrate that their clients save an average of $12,000 when they buy and sell with them.
Customers Take The Spotlight
Brolik interviewed Houwzer customers, to better understand their pain points and behaviors and then photographed them in their new homes. It was apparent that homeowners most often find agents from recommendations made by friends and family, so we focused on referrals and created personal customer stories to give a human perspective.
Tyler Walton
Director of Growth Marketing, Houwzer
“Brolik is a top notch team. From the brand discovery to digital marketing, design, and strategy- they do it all with great organization and execution.”
Focusing on SEO
In addition to taking over paid advertising, Brolik launched into longer term organic initiatives like developing long-form content and improving Houwzer’s SEO foundation.
We developed plans for a neighborhood guide series to draw customers through organic search and get them interacting with the Houwzer brand and to connect with customers early in their journey, before they are ready to move to find an agent.
Phase 4: Outdoor
Following the website and marketing relaunch, Brolik completed the overhaul of Houwzer’s full visual identity including bold new ‘for sale’ signs and Houwzer’s first billboard campaign.
Home Closings
2016 vs. 2017
Houwzer more than doubled closings in 2017 over the previous year, and followed it up with a funding round to fuel expansion. Brolik supported their growth as a true partner should, balancing current brand awareness campaigns in Philadelphia while building out the roadmap for future growth into areas like Washington DC and Baltimore.
Tyler Walton
Director of Growth Marketing, Houwzer
“It can be really tough for an agency to integrate into a fast-moving company because they are not here every day and are working on limited hours every month. However, there is no doubt that everything is very well thought out with Brolik. They don’t miss things, and they are very detail oriented.”
