Indian conglomerate Confident-Group has been in existence for the past 15 years. Dr C J Roy, Chairman of the group, believes firmly that any brand campaign from his organisation will create value for the customer rather than just being another sales pitch.
In an exclusive conversation with MediaNews4U, Roy said that home buyers’ expectations had changed drastically in the past 15 years.
“Earlier, while everyone was keen on living a secluded life moved towards socially making their life. The need for health, lifestyle, modern amenities had taken the front seat. At the same time, the other aspects like safety, security were the additional reasons for making one think to live in an apartment and needless to say the sky-high rates of the land,” Roy said.
Speaking on COVID-19 and its impact, Dr Roy gives a different opinion on the realtor sector. To his surprise, his organisation’s booking had increased to 300% in this pandemic.
“With work-from-home culture mushrooming, the lines between their personal and professional lives are getting blurred. An average tech-professional working in Bengaluru spends most of their working days in the office and travel, and with this new normal, two or three members in the family have to work in the same place, which makes them look for a better home of 2.5BHK or 3BHK.”, said Roy.
He added that the maximum ranges which had sold were the Rs 40 Lakh to Rs 50 lakh ranges.
On Brand Campaigns:
According to Roy, Confident Group were the early birds to introduce customised particular pages in leading English national dailies.
Speaking further on their brand campaigns, he said, “While Confident group’s most buyers are first-timers, our customers were moving away from the print medium to digital medium. While advertising in print on a real-estate page, most chances are there. The customer might completely ignore those pages and move to other pages. However, the group does not invest in print anymore. While latest technologies like AI, block-chain and digital media are picking up, we want to be in the place where a tech-savvy, Gen-X or Gen-Y crowd is present,” he added.
Confident-Group also had invested a good chunk on the TV media, especially in the regional shows. Speaking on the specialities of his campaign, he feels that, “Our key motive in any of our campaigns is not to tell the buyer what we sell but make them realise why they should own us. Today everyone sells the product rather than telling the customer why they need us. Thus one common mantra of our campaign would be to make them buy from us”, said Roy who is a staunch believer of personal branding and says it works well for him too.
Speaking on the challenges from the marketer perspective, he says that options are many these days and marketers are confused where to spend and where not.
“Earlier, advertising options were like ala-carte menu, while options today are like a buffet. Beyond your appetite, you were given options and in most cases, we fail where to invest and where we lose money. Thus, finding the right medium to advertise in the right way is the key”, he said.
Speaking on the expansion plans, Roy said that the Confident-group is keen on focussing in the existing markets and remains a home builder for the untapped markets.
“Being in the construction sector is a regional game and that is why one cannot find a global brand in this sector alone,” concluded Roy.
