Sky AdSmart (TV) (North West region)
Sky AdSmart (TV)
PMAX
Out of Home (OOH)
The Build to Rent (BTR) sector has struggled to achieve widespread brand awareness, with research showing that 39% of those surveyed were not familiar with what BTR was. This is due to the broader challenge of building nationwide awareness due to high marketing costs and fragmented geographic coverage in the UK.
Simple Life, a leading nationwide BTR provider specialising in single family housing (SFH) wanted to change this through its first-ever TV advertising campaign – a first for the sector too. We sought about educating potential renters in the North West about the benefits of BTR and positioning Simple Life as a premium choice in the rental market while ensuring measurable results despite the complexities of brand awareness tracking.
To overcome lack of brand and sector awareness, in collaboration with Simple Life, the “Go Get the Simple Life” campaign was launched, using a multi-channel strategy combining TV, OOH, and digital marketing (including PPC, Programmatic Display and YouTube).
The campaign leveraged Sky AdSmart to target non-homeowners with targeted TV ads, ensuring effective ad spend. The campaign aimed to elevate BTR’s perception and position renting as an aspirational choice.
The campaign introduced a fresh perspective on BTR, positioning it as a long-term and desirable housing option. The results demonstrated early success in driving engagement and website traffic, with 525,000 impressions over six weeks, and a 16% month-on-month increase in web enquiries. With OOH securing an estimated 7.6 million impressions, and digital acquiring 15,500+ clicks one month into the campaign.
While direct conversions take longer in BTR due to leasing cycles, the campaign has laid the foundation for future brand recognition and long-term tenant acquisition. Measurement tools, such as IP tracking via Sky AdSmart, will give further insights into campaign effectiveness over time.
The campaign achieved the Highly Commended Award for Best Build to Rent Marketing Campaign at the Love To Rent BTR Awards.
