Zoopla Property Group has appointed Gareth Helm, brand director of MoneySuperMarket, to a new senior role - Chief Marketing Officer.
Helm has over 25 years' experience in key marketing roles. At MoneySuperMarket Group he was responsible for brand marketing across MoneySuperMarket, TravelSuperMarket and MoneySavingExpert. Prior to that he was marketing director at Mars UK and Innocent Drinks and has previously worked at Nestle and Unilever.
The newly created position will form part of ZPG's Executive Team' and Helm will report directly to chief executive Alex Chesterman. Helm will be responsible for the group's overall marketing strategy.
I am looking forward to ensuring that we continue to drive usage amongst digital property consumers and that our advertisers are fully aware of the value of our audience and the products that we offer for their benefit says Helm.
Alex Chesterman says: His wealth of marketing experience and the results achieved for an array of big consumer brands is extremely impressive and I'm looking forward to having him working on our brands to ensure that we are the number one choice for consumers when it comes to the property market.
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Comments
Just HOW MUCH do you think there is to "save" here RM are a plc - profit and turnover is their only driver. They commit to making MORE money every year for their shareholders - and every year their rates rise. The animal continues to bite the hand that feeds it year on year because it has to - so that ain't gonna change soon. Z want to be in the same position and have basically announced to that effect. They have been cut badly by OTM but that's just made them mad so expect more of the same from them.
IF the portals were to reduce their charges you'd be looking at HUNDREDS per annum, not thousands. How much of that do you think Agents will "pass down" to their clients - and mores to the point how much would that mean to the average customer in respect of "reduced" fee
Zoopla & co will now solely be focusing they're campaign even less on the agent and even more on the consumer. Expect some of they're 'consumer friendly' contacts in the press writing articles and blogs about how great it is for the consumer to "research" about property on Zoopla.
Zoopla have and always will be anti agent not that they care.
PeeBee,
In response to your most recent comments, the competition means lowered rates for estate agents for instance let us assume that if Zoopla overtakes RM in terms of traffic figures, and really become the 'go to' portal.
Zoopla subscription is far cheaper than RM's so what do you think RM would do, they'd naturally either UP their game or lower their prices. That can only mean good things for estate agents and I am sure some of them will pass their savings on to their vendors.
PeeBee, I have known the guys these portals from the beginning, it is true I have forged a much better relationship with Zoopla than RM and with FAP before them. All of this pre-dates my involvement with AM. Although I have received a lot of flack for my opinions, they have always been my own, they are not for sale. I have been accused of not knowing what I'm talking about, of being too opinionated etc etc but I would put my credentials up against any of my detractors any day. My experience is such that it's hard to be popular at least for me ;( and harder still to be popular and right, especially about emotive issues. 'You can't please everybody so you better please yourself'
"If I were appointed the marketing guru for Zoopla I would focus on educating the public to the fact that Z represents a much better place to do their research."
I dare say you would - seeing as that is where the site does most of its' damage.
@SimonShinerock - to be fair, while RM has many more properties, the process of searching for a house is actually much quicker on Zoopla (even OTM doesn't fare too badly in this respect). It's a one step process - type in the name of the area you're looking to buy or rent in and click search, nice and simple. Rightmove is slightly more long-winded because it gives you more options to narrow your search (something that some people will appreciate and something that Zoopla isn't so good at).
All the portals, even OTM, have good and bad points. But the depth and range of RM is the reason why it is where it is - the top dog in the market.
Yesterday I wanted to look at new property around the country and I tried RM and Zoopla. I gave up with RM after a few minutes whereas Zoopla gave me most of what I wanted very quickly. If I were appointed the marketing guru for Zoopla I would focus on educating the public to the fact that Z represents a much better place to do their research. Now I realise that traffic per se does not mean more sales directly but a more engaged visitor is more likely to go on to enter the market, in this respect I feel Z has a marketable advantage over RM to both clients and agents.
That opinion is dependant of course on whether or not he actually WAS instrumental in raising the profile of his last employer. Can that be measured Quantified Confirmed Or, as is the situation in many instances when one butt lifts off the chair to make way for the next, will it simply be a case of same old: same old
I'm a Meerkat man, myself - so I couldn't tell you the first thing about MSM. They don't even register on my radar, because I can get what I want elsewhere.
Had they displayed true marketing genius - then that would have been different.
Back to your opinion - Z [b]have been [/b] "head to head" with RM for some time now. Has it driven down prices No (and that's not just MY opinion...). Has it produced healthy competition No.
A "decent amount of visitors" means nothing whatsoever, I'm afraid. Millions upon millions of "visitors" break down into what, in terms of genuine, pure business that would not have gone to the Agent in any event
Over to you...
PeeBee
My opinion is that if he can raise the profile of MoneySupermarket he should be able to do his magic on Zoopla. Zoopla does have a decent amount of visitors in the North and I suppose they'd like to go head to head with Rightmove nationally.
Surely that can only be a good thing for vendors and estate agents. A healthy competition driving down the prices
Stressed Not even maybe.
What about you I sense some tetchiness in your posts.
And getting back to the subject of the article, YOUR opinion as to this new appointment would be [b]what[/b], exactly
You now how I enjoy your opinions...
OK PeeBee
You are the expert, we do not know anything.
Seriously are you here to wind up any other contributors. In a real life situation you'd be pulling up people's shirts. Relax getting stressed out will only mean an early grave via a fast track heart attack!
I think my first sentence made my opinion clear, Mr Shinerock...
So exactly what kind of experience do you think would be appropriate An ex estate agent perhaps
@AlgarveInvestor - the latest advert is quite funny, other than the presence of Sharon Osbourne, but I agree that the whole 'Dave saved money on his car insurance and he now feels epic' gets boring after the 20th time of watching.
As for the appointment, seems quite a shrewd one. Whether you like MoneySuperMarket or not, they've certainly established themselves as a brand. But, as others have said, there is no guarantee that success in one arena will translate to success in the property sector.
I'd be inclined to agree, PeeBee. We've seen it with easyProperty and Houser in recent months - people quickly finding out that the property industry is a whole different beast.
If he was also responsible for those awful MoneySuperMarket adverts - which most certainly don't make me feel epic - then I'd say he's a bit of a rubbish appointment.
Yet another "marketer" with no perceivable knowledge of product enters the industry through the back door.
Oh, joy. Still - he will fit right in with all the others at Z etc who simply don't understand...