Objectives

In developing the strategy and execution for Ashton Woods Homes' comprehensive digital rebranding, Definition 6 identified a unique opportunity to use social media as the primary platform for execution rather than just as supplemental messaging and collateral.

Objective: Fundamental to the rebranding was the introduction of a new personality and aesthetic that align with the 25-year-old brand's renewed focus on inspiring home design, creative possibilities, and personalization opportunities for homebuyers. By prioritizing social media and, in particular, expanding to platforms where AWH's target demographic flocks for home inspiration, we could engage the prospective homebuyer with the brand that makes their digital daydreams a reality while also positioning the homebuilder as a digitally sophisticated expert advisor.

Strategy: Executing the rebranding with a social media-first approach involved three strategies. First, we developed a multi-faceted content marketing strategy that includes planned, responsive, local, and real-time content, all on-brand and highest quality. Second, we empowered the 13 AWH divisions in their local communities by instituting best practices to drive engagement and expand follower bases, maximize social marketing for lead generation, and establish themselves as resources for local events and content. Third, we introduced two new social media platforms as priorities for reaching AWH's target homebuyer demographic.

As a result of our strategy, AWH experienced a direct and immediate impact on engagement across all their brand pages on Facebook and a substantial boost in the number of followers on both Pinterest and Houzz. Houzz even awarded AWH 'Best of Houzz 2015' in the Design category.

Strategy and Execution

Through an integrated digital campaign, Definition 6 led Ashton Woods through a comprehensive digital rebranding executed across their new corporate website and all their social channels.

Social First Strategy:

We prioritized social media as the primary platform for this and for tying together all the complementary digital components – website, social content, and video – to increase engagement with the target demographic and position AWH as a top of mind brand in the home design and construction industry.

Content Marketing:

• We developed a multi-faceted content marketing strategy using planned, responsive, local, and real-time content.

• We produced custom images and posts across multiple platforms, aligned to the communication needs of 140 AWH communities in 13 markets in the U.S.
• We produced three timelapse videos, a series of brand and designer story videos, and a series highlighting the brand on a local level, connecting with nearby communities.

• We converted lengthy new corporate branding materials into short, digestible content for social media.

• All new social media creative was designed to align with the new brand aesthetic – we dedicated a full-time designer to develop and maintain the visual persona.
• Our approach to creating and curating content aims to establish AWH as a top resource for customers; our social content reads like a magazine curated to appeal to their target audience.

Local Empowerment:

• We empowered the 13 AWH divisions in their communities by instituting best practices to drive engagement and grow fan bases, maximize social marketing for lead generation, and establish AWH as resources for local events and content.

• We developed training documents for the AWH marketing team, preparing them to represent the brand and support the new personality and aesthetic. Includes: social media strategy, social media manual, and response guidance.
• We do tactical community management for the AWH local and marketing teams, including monitoring of social channels so respondents can address complaints immediately.

New Strategy & Platforms:

• We introduced a comprehensive cross-platform strategy that included a complete revamp and rebuild of AWH's existing social media platforms with 13 Facebook pages and 6 Twitter accounts.
• Pursuing a social-first execution, we introduced two new social media platforms – Pinterest and Houzz – as priorities for reaching AWH's target homebuyer. We launched 45 boards on Pinterest and 17 projects and 7 Ideabooks on Houzz, fully branded and aligned with the new personality and aesthetic.
• Establishing a strong presence on these new social platforms was key for AWH to reach a target niche demographic with content that appeals to them at each stage of the home buying and designing process.
• Expansion to Pinterest and Houzz also strategically positioned AWH as a leader in home design on two highly visual platforms that guide people ideating and planning homes.
• Houzz is a new niche platform dedicated to the home building and design industries and a direct resource for users to discoverhome inspiration and source vendors, making it an ideal platform for AWH.

Outcome:

The ongoing strategic goal has been to establish AWH as an advisor and resource to homebuyers via social media, reaching them during allstages and decision points of buying a home: picking an area to live, school districts and amenities, home size and layout, personalized design consultation via The Studio by Ashton Woods, and discovering the superior quality of AWH products.

The work done by Definition 6 for AWH deserves recognition because we developed a strategy unique to this industry. By prioritizing social media first and expanding to platforms where AWH's target demographic flocks, we introduced the rebranded AWH organically, establish them as a trusted expert advisor in homebuilding and design, and increase engagement with the prospective customer early in the homebuying process. The results serve as proof that this increased brand engagement:

• After rolling out our new editorial strategy in August, AWH's Facebook following grew sharply with a 14% increase compared to the previous 6 month period. We also added two new pages. In that time, reach grew by 84%, and engagement on posts grew substantially with a 110% increase in Likes, 152% increase of Comments, and 162% increases of Shares.
• Twitter follower base grew by 69% across 6 profilesbetween August and December2014.
• Pinterest saw a 29% increase in followers with a 327% increase in Pins leading to an astounding 1126% increase in Re-pins.
• On Houzz, AWH has had a 46% increase in followers. Our work was awarded 'Best of Houzz 2015' in the Design category because content created specifically for this platform by our team ranked the most popular among the 25+ million monthly Houzz users.

Media