Housing.com: Home is where the heart is

Online real estate platform Housing.com's first television campaign plays on emotions attached to home ownership and uses the IPL as a platform to improve reach

The very first and last frames of Housing.com's maiden television campaign (TVC) seem to emerge from the company website, as an image pops out to fill the entire screen for over a minute-long ad film and refits the picture slot on the "webpage". While they emphasise the company's identity as an online real estate platform, between the frames are multiple sequences of a single ad that show the joys of having a home of one's own.

There is the excitement between a man and his wife, who playfully gets him to polish her nails, as they laze in a sofa in a home they've just moved into. A little boy, with the help of building blocks, makes a nameplate for himself to go with that of his parents. There are two more sequences, one featuring a youth and his mother and the other a football fanatic elderly getting a surprise birthday cake.

The realty portal, which was founded in 2012, plans to invest heavily on advertising this year in a bid to consolidate its brand equity. No wonder, the TVC plays on emotions attached to home ownership. It targets first-time home buyers between the age group of 25 and 40 years. The ad, conceptualised by Propaganda India, has a voice-over with the message, "Yeh ghar sirf ghar nahi, yeh ghar meri jaan hai".

Nikhil Rungta, chief marketing officer of Housing.com, explains, "Our research on home buying patterns clearly showed that even today, it remains an emotional decision and is still considered as an once-in-a-lifetime decision." He adds, "We have tried to showcase some of those special and unforgettable moments through this TVC. Housing.com has always gone that extra mile to transform home-buying from a stressful process, to one full of ease."

He concedes that real estate as a category faces a perception of lack of trust and credibility. "With this campaign, we want to build an emotional connect with our consumers and establish Housing.com as their trusted partner to find the perfect home."

When asked about timing the campaign to coincide with the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Rungta says, "IPL is the new Diwali for marketers in India. India is a cricket-frenzied nation and it unites people across all age groups. IPL offers brands a great platform to reach out to audience on a national level. It offers the most reach when it comes to TV advertising. We want to deepen the emotional connect with the brand and felt IPL would be a great vehicle to reach out to a new set of audiences who might not have explored Housing.com yet."

Priya Jayaraman, co-founder and business, Propaganda India, says, "Home ownership is a feeling of pride, something that shapes our lives. Homes play a central role to each one of us growing up, there's a lot one puts into it while looking for a home. Yeh Ghar Meri Jaan Hai captures that emotion and how a brand like Housing.com has made this journey as much theirs."

The campaign budget is estimated at Rs 10-12 crore. The Indian real estate market is expected to touch $180 billion by 2020, while the housing sector alone contributes five-six per cent to the country's gross domestic product, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation. Housing.com's competitors include MagicBricks, PropTiger and CommonFloor.

Housing.com's attempt to refresh its branding follows a period of internal turmoil last year when co-founder and chief executive officer Rahul Yadav was reportedly asked to leave. This year the portal has announced plans to spend up to $7 million on advertisements. With this TVC, its media outreach will include channels across general entertainment, sports, news, movies and regional. The campaign will also be amplified across online, social and mobile platforms.