Century 21 Plays 21st Century Marketing Game
We live in the twenty-first century, and Century 21 is making sure its marketing programs are modern enough to reach the next generation of home
buyers.
Beginning on Oct. 17, Century 21 is out with a three-week presence in EA’s SimCity social game on Facebook. As part of the promotion, players will be able to purchase and “build” a Century 21 building to earn the game’s virtual currency, as well as have the ability to perform so-called “friend or foe” actions on other players’ buildings (such as consulting with an agent or taking open house cookies) for additional points in the game. They’ll also be able to have the opportunity to earn energy boosts by watching an in-game Century 21 advertisement.
“It’s positioning our brand and our ‘smarter, bolder, faster agent’ for this game,” Bev Thorne, Century 21’s chief marketing officer, tells Marketing Daily. “And they’re doing exactly in the virtual world what consumers do in the real world.”
This is the second foray into the gaming world for Century 21, which last year appeared in ngmoco’s mobile game, We City. The jump into a Facebook-based game, however, gives Century 21 a much larger platform that is played by people between 25-34, or as Thorne calls them, “the next generation of home buyers.”
“There’s been phenomenal growth in Facebook,” she says “It’s where our consumers are. Marketing 101 says you want to be where your target consumers are.”
At the same time, Thorne knows a three-week presence in a social game is unlikely to translate into immediate new business for Century 21 or its agents, particularly in a still-soft housing market. But she hopes it will pay off as the economy and housing market improves.
“My hope is this next generation becomes more aware of what they might already be of Century 21, and I’m hoping to build an affinity for the brand,” she says. “I’m hoping their consciousness of a brand translates for that percentage of them into buying or selling a home in the real world.”
Recent Marketing Daily Articles
-
Dodge Goes Social With 'Defiance' May 21, 4:44 p.m.
Chrysler LLC's Dodge, which has category-exclusive sponsorship of the "Defiance" TV show and online game for ... -
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One May 21, 2:34 p.m.
For a presentation that was obstensibly about a new gaming console, Microsoft’s unveiling of its next-generation ... -
Telematics Ecosystem Booming, But Caution Advised May 21, 2:05 p.m.
The head of marketing for, say, Starbucks, is probably thinking about cars. Specifically, how to go ... -
Sony Touts Ultra High-Definition TVs May 21, 12:19 p.m.
We’ve been through the HDTV era and the 3DTV era -- now get ready for the ... -
Destination XL's Pixelated Privates Cause Controversy May 21, 11:03 a.m.
Specialty retailer Destination XL is Super Sizing itself, and not everyone is comfortable with its frank ... -
Skyy Launches 'Be Part Of The Art' May 21, 5:57 a.m.
To support the debut of its new Skyy Infusions Moscato Grape variety, Skyy Vodka has launched ... -
Miller64 Partners With Former Pro Athletes May 20, 10:30 p.m.
Miller64 is launching "GO64," a summer-long initiative that will include local events, celebrity appearances, giveaways and ... -
Vespa Looks Back: 50 Years Of 50cc's May 20, 4:36 p.m.
Vespa has been tooling about since the ’40s, and sidelining as a movie star since the ... -
Industry Satisfaction Lagging, But Improving May 20, 4:02 p.m.
For the first time in years, the telecom industry is seeing improved customer satisfaction scores. But ... -
OMMA Social: Macy's Looks To Social For Connection May 20, 3:25 p.m.
Macy's is using social to connect with customers. That, said Jennifer Kasper, VP of digital media ...
Be the first to comment on "Century 21 Plays 21st Century Marketing Game "
Leave a Comment