2012 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

By giving users the opportunity to virtually experience DPG properties, we not only reduced the amount of time people spent physically viewing properties but also improved the quality of leads to the sales team. Our virtual MPU was 5 times more effective in generating 1 click from every 156 impressions served compared to 1 click generated from 666 impressions on a standard DPG banner ad. The increased impact of our innovative format led us to reduce the cost of home-page landings by 38%. Finally, from a business perspective we improved conversion rates from ad impressions to leads by 250%

Creative Execution

We created a regional first media execution by developing 360 degree virtual tours of DPG rental properties that were integrated into expandable MPU formats online. Targeting users surfing top property sites or searching online for similar rental properties/ locations and serving them the DPG virtual tour creative, our MPU’s invites users to enjoy a ‘virtual experience’ of one the properties. This interactive ad gave people the chance to experience everything from the bedroom to the balcony at the click of a mouse. By allowing users a ‘real’ look inside we could effectively bypass the need for an actual on-ground inspection and move into the serious consideration phase. In addition to the expandable MPU’s we also extended the idea further by inserting the virtual tour into property-related articles featured within the real estate section of the popular portal ‘Newsglobe’.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

The internet has undoubtedly made researching properties to rent incredibly convenient. However, when it comes to physically viewing properties the amount of time and money spent inspecting places remains an inconvenience. In addition, there is a large amount of distrust from consumers as many property developers will often post inaccurate details or misleading pictures. Therefore, we needed to find innovative ways of showcasing DPG rental properties and improving the quality of enquiries. We knew that when a person views a property in the flesh, their mind is often made up within the first few minutes of the viewing – it’s the key decision maker. Therefore, our idea was to allow people the chance to walk through the front door of a property virtually using their PC or lap-top – reducing their time and improving the quality of DPG rental leads.