technological marketing

Marketing Focus
Are technology based marketing methods relevant or effective for the show home or marketing suite?



There has always been a debate about the use of new technology in a client facing environment and the show home and marketing suite is no different. Both sides of the debate are relevant and have important points to consider. Avoiding mistakes with new technology is crucial in maintaining credibility and strong client relationships. As there are so many options available, it is difficult to sift through them all to establish which offers the best value for money, quality, longevity and result. So, which technologies can enhance the marketing process for a marketing suite? 

Well the main rule is to avoid anything gimmicky – it is always seen for what it is by the client, has little purpose other to impress, and is almost guaranteed to break through overuse or poor construction. We will focus on touch screen technology, Bluetooth and SMS marketing as three technological marketing tools that are currently available. According to House Marketing director, Jeremy Hinton, new technology is becoming essential in the modern show home or marketing suite, but it is important to avoid untested technologies for client facing work. “New technology is increasingly popular among our property developer clients. In particular, touch screen presentations and Bluetooth and SMS marketing are revolutionizing the way that these companies approach and present to local customers, lowering the costs associated with traditional print based marketing.” Presentation of information in a marketing suite has typically been through printing on information displays or graphic panels, which clients peruse as though they were at an exhibition or art gallery. The drawback? 

When any changes are made to the product, a lengthy and costly amendment process ensues. It also prevents the potential client from choosing what they want to learn about specifically. Interactive and digitally based presentations can be easily and inexpensively amended to make sure that all information is up-to-date. Touch screen technology in particular allows the customer to interact with the presentation, selecting those elements in which they are interested and giving the sales person a better indication of their requirements. Why not simply use a computer terminal you might ask. Well, customers much more likely to interact with a touch screen than a computer terminal as it is perceived to be effortless. Are technology based marketing methods relevant or effective for the show home or marketing suite? Marketing Focus It is crucial that the presentation on a touch screen takes the client through the story, enabling them to select offshoots that are of interest while ensuring that they are exposed to the big picture selling points of the product. Great care must therefore be taken when structuring the navigation of such a presentation and it must be clear throughout the presentation where to find the next part of the route. 

Lead generation through technology in the show home or marketing suite can be an innovative and direct way of reaching potential clients on a geographical basis. Bluetooth and SMS marketing are two of the primary means of technological lead generation utilizing the show home or marketing suite as a base. Bluetooth technology, like touch screen technology, benefits from consumer interaction, as the consumer has to accept the promotion allowing you to capture and use their details in future. This allows you to get a time specific ‘invitation’ to your potential consumer and measure the outcome. This Bluetooth technology is geographically activated, meaning that you can approach people coming into the local area surrounding your location. This can be as simple as placing the communication device in the show home or marketing suite itself, or looking further afield to a local train station, busy shopping area or other high traffic area to pass out a promotional message to generate traffic to the marketing suite. SMS Marketing is another method of generating traffic to the show home. There are two primary methods of utilizing this technology, either you can compile a list of numbers and send your message to this number, or alternatively you can advertise the number encouraging the consumer to contact you directly. SMS messages have a much higher open rate than email and so it is more likely that your target market will actually open the promotion. 

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