Zillow got to be biggest name in real estate search “without spending a dollar on advertising,” says Chief Marketing Officer Amy Bohutinsky. So why did the company spend $40 million on advertising last year, and up that outlay to $65 million for 2014?
Because it saw an opportunity for Zillow to “become that household name that our children and grandchildren will know,” Bohutinsky tells Investor’s Business Daily’s Kevin Shalvey.
Zillow doesn’t just shovel money into ad campaigns and hopes they will work — it measures results “very, very deeply,” Bohutinsky says. The company dipped its toe into advertising in the fall of 2012 and early 2013, conducting tests that generated “tremendous results.”
The goal is not only growing traffic, but attracting more homebuyers who need real estate agents who will contact real estate agents who advertise on the site.
You’re more likely to run across a Zillow ad this year than last, because they are appearing on network TV, not just cable. The company has added radio and print ads to the mix, after testing those channels and finding “these are meaningful channels for people who are shoppping for a home now or could be shopping for a home in the near future. Source: news.investors.com.
