Advertisers need to reassess how they are communicating with their target audience in the homes category as consumer behaviour shifts rapidly.
Looking at the impact of Sydney’s expensive housing market and millennials entering the space, Pacific Magazines commercial director Prue Cox said the great Australian dream is no longer the ultimate aspiration, as more people are happy to rent or live at home with their parents.
As a result and off the back of new research identified by Pacific Magazines, Homes Beautiful magazine and Better Homes & Gardens are tapping into new trends in 2017 both editorially and commercially.
Speaking at the annual Australians at Home event in Sydney, Cox said: “The homes market is having a moment. Non-traditional brands are edging into the category. It’s no longer a niche space for the affluent.”
“There are new emerging markets, such as ‘forever renters’. With these changes in play, we need to look how to communicate and target new audiences with unique requirements, such as the introduction of more technology in homes,” Cox said.
Speaking to AdNews after the event, Cox said it’s a great opportunity for FMCG brands and tech brands like Telstra to start targeting emerging markets.
“Brands can no longer assume everyone’s a home owner – or is every going to be. For those customers decorating isn’t about renovating, it’s about utilising the renting space through furniture and artwork. That’s where the opportunities lie,” Cox says.
Home Beautiful editor-in-chief Wendy Moore says that brands are missing the opportunity to emotionally connect with consumers over purchases such a new couch – which she says can be a big moment in renters’ lives.
“There’s an opportunity for clients to connect more with consumers in an emotional way. We are working with more of our clients to create branded content to do that,” Moore says.
“There’s a lot of marketers who are quite lost in how to communicate with these people and earn their trust.”
While print is obviously a key part of the homes experience, Moore says she never considers Homes Beautiful a magazine.
“We would never answer a brief with only a print response. For our Bed Bath N'Table room makeover we used our editorial team to makeover the room, which created content. We then had an Instagram video competition and also drove people to a physical bricks and mortar store… All the platforms work together to extend the story,” Moore says.
Key home themes for 2017:
1. Happy home alone: We are all seeking more time home alone
Australians are spending more time at home alone than we were five years ago, plus the number of single person households is on the increase. We are not recluses though, we are happy about it, and some (especially women) are seeking more time home alone.
2. My home: For me, by me – my home, my way
A movement away from showy, status driven choices and a focus on creating a home that first and foremost is designed to service the people living in it – not those visiting. In terms of improvements, the main bedroom and living rooms have seen a marked increase in attention, and we‟re living more for ourselves.
3. Re-zoning: We are creating dedicated ‘zones’
Australians are moving away from the completely open plan layout – we are creating dedicated zones – some of which are "just for me‟.
4. My home my cafe – We are entertaining differently…more frequently & more casually
We are still entertaining in our homes, but differently…it‟s no longer about the monthly dinner date. We are entertaining more informally and at different times of the day.
5. Smart living - Home life enhanced
Interest in smart living is evident for all ages and life stages, especially sustainability, but also the „connected‟ home. When it comes to technology it needs to bring utility - enrich our lives, solve pain points, make our lives easier at home.
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