We are proud to announce that the brand marketing team at Coldwell Banker® has achieved silver in the BEST USE OF SEARCH – REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY category at the 2023 US Search Awards for their work on the Coldwell Banker “Dream” campaign! This was achieved in partnership with the brand’s media agency of record, Stella Rising.
The US Search Awards recognize, reward and celebrate the very best in PPC, SEO and Content Marketing across the United States.
Campaign Objective
For well-known reasons, 2020 was a transformative time for how and where people lived and the rise of remote work. 2020—and 2021—were also momentous years for the real estate industry. However, inventory quickly became an issue; as a solution, Coldwell Banker executed creative that inspired consumers to dream: where would they most like to live, since they could live anywhere? This campaign was primarily seller-focused, as it encouraged consumers to list their homes and dream big, thus alleviating the issue of low inventory. To complement the campaign, Coldwell Banker created a new website with tools so consumers could compare the price of living in their dream destination versus their current location, see home estimates, and more.
The primary objectives of the “Dream” campaign were to establish a connection with today’s modern home buyers, differentiate Coldwell Banker amidst fierce competition, and enhance brand awareness. To achieve these goals, Stella Rising employed a comprehensive multi-channel approach, with a significant emphasis on search marketing. By leveraging search marketing strategies, they ensured that Coldwell Banker remained top-of-mind with consumers throughout their home-buying journey.
Target Audience & Strategy
A major element of Stella Rising’s strategy focused on consumer research. They determined two triggers for moving. In the first group were “upgraders”; upgraders’ homes were too small. That set, aged 25-to-56, was comprised of Young Millennials, Older Millennials, and Gen X; they could be triggered to move because:
- They had a change in family—marriage or childbirth
- Their job was relocated (or they could work remotely) and they wanted a new, bigger location
- Their started working remotely and wanted to upgrade as they were spending so much time at home
The second set, “rightsizers,” aged 57+, wanted to move because their home was too large. They might be inspired to downsize because they wanted to:
- Move closer to family.
- Were Retiring.
- Their home upkeep was too difficult.
Implementation
Stella Rising identified two tentpole activations: Men’s National College Basketball and Professional Golf Tournaments. With both the Coldwell Banker brand and Stella Rising’s combined awareness of the consumer, we understood those key moments would prove timely and engaging.
Paid search supported linear and Connected TV activations during these championships (and beyond), amplifying the awareness of Coldwell Banker during those key cultural moments and keeping the brand top-of-mind.
The paid campaigns drove qualified reach that led to specific site or content actions against the aforementioned, key campaigns. Stella leaned into the Dream and Seller Strategy (Move Meter and CB Estimate tools) to increase awareness and drive tool usage. Collaboratively, we redefined each campaign objective with actionable goals (on platform and on-site) to enhance performance.
Results
The campaign exceeded the overarching goal of brand awareness—beating our impressions KPI across all channels and across paid search—placing Coldwell Banker at the right place, at the right time, and with ideal frequency—with the correct consumers.
The Coldwell Banker marketing team, with Stella Rising, also delivered for the business, procuring leads, by implementing our integrated mix of digital channels to convert consumers on the new Coldwell Banker website. This represents an exciting step forward for the Coldwell Banker brand, and an engaging time in its lifecycle with key consumers.
The complete list of 2023 US Search Awards Winners can be found here.
