Wins over consumers and businesses alike
Challenge:
Launched at the end of 1997, Homebid promised to revolutionize the
change-adverse and very traditional (brick-and-mortar) real estate
industry. Our task was to convince the press, and through them
consumers, that home auctions via the Internet were a viable alternative
to traditional channels. In addition to winning over consumers, we also
needed our message to appeal to the businesses (brokers, MLS' and
realtors) that would be involved in purchasing and using the product.
Solution:
To achieve these goals, Buzz Strategies partnered with Homebid's
in-house PR group. The team's strategy was to focus on dailies in order
to reach the consumer market and the business/real estate trade
publications and newsletters that were read by the top 25 US brokers.
Our plan was to engage several leading brokers and to convince them to
buy into the technology. With their endorsement, we believed that the
other brokers would soon follow.
In the course of a year, the team secured an incredible amount of
press. In a year, Homebid and its founders appeared in Forbes, Business
Week, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC,
countless radio shows and the Upside 100. Their CEO was named one of the
most influential people in real estate and technology and had appeared
on the cover of publications ranging from Information Week to National
Real Estate and Relocation Magazine. That year Homebid partnered with
Yahoo and the CEO of Prudential California Realty to successfully launch
online homesales.
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Coverage:
- Forbes
- Business Week
- The
New York Times
- USA Today
- The Wall Street Journal
- MSNBC
- the Upside 100
Awards:
- CEO was named one of the most
influential people in real estate and technology
- Partnered with Yahoo
and the CEO of Prudential California Realty
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