What does 'home' mean to you?
“For Jawitz, homes are more than just inventory or stock, they represent memories of sellers and dreams for interested buyers. We are delighted to have Lucas on board, sharing his story, in order to encourage South Africans to share theirs,” says Herschel Jawitz, CEO of Jawitz Properties.
Here, Taryn Sharman, ECD and co-founder of Faith&Fear, the lead agency on this project (along with seeding agencies Retroactive and PR Machine) tells us about the thinking behind the creative and the remarkable response to the campaign just two weeks in…
What was the brief and key insight?
From both a business and marketing perspective, the challenge was how to modernise and gain relevance in a depressed and highly competitive property market. We needed to create a meaningful campaign that embodies the relevance of Jawitz and connects emotionally with its stakeholders in a way that leaves an indelible social imprint in their minds.
How did you come up with the idea, and to feature Lucas Radebe specifically?
Firstly, it's authentic as Lucas is a Jawitz client. We wanted to harness real-life stories that South African's could relate to, and be inspired by. Home ownership is a big thing in our culture, and we wanted to share stories that spoke to what the difference between a house and a home is.
The Lucas Radebe story is a rich and powerful one, one that is not all that well known in South Africa, and yet has hero status in the UK.
We wanted to connect the emotional and relatable power of Lucas's incredibly inspirational story - linking the significance of his ‘home’ in this story and then inviting the public to engage and share what home means to them. Overall a perfect fit between values, legacy and personality to personify the Jawitz brand.
What is the objective?
To position Jawitz Properties in the hearts and minds of consumers, as a brand that believes in keeping it real.
#RealLifeRealEstate is about showcasing and deepening our understanding of the emotional process of both buying and selling a home, partnering with clients along the journey of one of the single biggest investments of their lives.
What has the response been?
To date (according to Brandseye and Newsclip data), we’ve reached close to 12 million South Africans - 7.9 million online alone and 3.5 million via traditional channels, such as radio and print. We’ve had 35,000 video views on YouTube and Facebook, close to 100 pieces of editorial coverage and received hundreds of submissions of 'what makes a house a home' - all in the space of 6 days!
What’s next?
We'll be looking to make a meaningful impact to the homes and lives of those in need over the festive season through various radio station end-of-year donations, as well as launching part two of the campaign with the release of personal interviews with Lucas and South Africans from all walks of life, further answering what home means to them.
Jawitz encourages South Africans to submit their #RealLifeRealEstate stories on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The property company will be surprising and delighting fans this festive season with appliances, vouchers for home furnishings and the option to contribute to rental and property upgrades for those in need.
The campaign runs from 15 November 2018 to 28 February 2019.
For more, go to Jawitz.co.za.
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