UkrBud
How We Elevated the Brand to Market Leadership in Three Years
- Client: UKRBUD
- Industry: Real Estate
- Country: Ukraine
- Period: 2015-2019
- Services Provided: Operational marketing, lead generation, digital marketing, web development, call tracking.
About the Project
In 2015, we began collaborating with a young developer, "UkrBud." Client Ambition: To become a leading brand in Ukraine’s real estate market. Our Task: Operational marketing and lead generation. Result: Within a few years, "UkrBud" caught up with — and even surpassed — the market's number-one brand.
How Was This Achieved?
One of the key steps in our partnership with "UkrBud" involved not only redirecting the marketing budget from outdoor advertising to digital channels but also restructuring expenses. We allocated 50% of the budget directly to branding, which soon yielded striking results.
The "UkrBud" brand outperformed all 30 websites of residential complexes combined in terms of inbound inquiries. The "Projects" category on the developer's site generated as many calls as all the residential complex sites combined. Potential clients focused more on the brand than on individual projects.
Optimizing the Marketing Budget
Marketing costs represented 3% in total sales, and in peak years, 2.7%.
Marketing expenses in the real estate industry are typically classified as follows:
- 10% – critical, abnormal, low marketing efficiency
- 1.5% – nearly unattainable
- 5% – conditionally acceptable
- 3% – the ideal balance
"New Housing – It’s UkrBud."
The number of calls is increasing, and the cost per lead is decreasing.
We built an analytics system based on call tracking, which accounted for all traffic types, inquiries, visits, sales, and revenue. We later integrated CRM, and all analytics were consolidated in PowerBI. This enabled us to assess the effectiveness of marketing activities accurately and make necessary adjustments in time.
Previously, the website served primarily as a presentation tool, limiting its functionality and effectiveness in attracting leads. The new version of the site was structured like a real estate portal, offering a wide selection of diverse properties, comprehensive information on each object, easy search and navigation, multiple filters, modern design, and high-quality visual content.
Old version of the UkrBud website.
Updated version of the website.
The graph shows how the number of users visiting the site correlates with the number of calls. As user numbers increase, so do the calls.
How does the number of users who visit the site correlate with the number of calls?
We also implemented centralized content management across all residential complex sites via a single administrative panel and developed a template allowing new complexes to quickly launch their own sites.
What happened to the number of users after turning off advertising?
The graph shows a week with advertising and a week without advertising.
What will happen even to a huge brand if advertising is turned off.
Estimated number of calls for October and November without advertising
Results
- 2018: "UkrBud" became Kyiv's most recognizable developer, as indicated by brand awareness research from the apartment search service LUN. Brand recognition reached 93%.
- 2019: "UkrBud" ranked 36th among Ukraine's most valuable brands, becoming the only construction company in the TOP 50.
Even in 2023, years after UkrBud's decline, its brand remains in the top five for recognition metrics. Investments in the brand continue to yield dividends over time.
Postscript
Although the actions of senior management ultimately led to the decline of this strong brand, the UkrBud case remains notable and rare in Ukraine’s real estate market, demonstrating what a company can achieve with properly structured marketing processes.
