PurpleBricks: Does the double act hit the mark?

Описание: 2015’s breakout online estate agent (OEA) is undoubtedly Purplebricks.com. Their simple, no-frills ad aims for honesty and a clever message delivery, but in the end comes across slightly annoying with Blackpool promenade-esque comedic standards. The selling points are delivered in a flurry of double-act dialogue, with no visuals to ensure the facts stay in the viewers’ mind, and as such the message could possibly be lost the delivery. The web call to action, which includes a new fact not mentioned in the main body of the ad – ‘Nothing to pay upfront’ – only appears for the final 5 seconds of the spot.

Our data scientists estimate that Purplebricks achieved a cost-per-visit (CpV) of £27.39 for this campaign, supporting the notion that it possibly missed the mark. In saying that, it must be noted that their TV activity, built on the foundation of their earlier inserts campaign, caused a sustained surge in web visitors for them and firmly put Purplebricks on the map as a main player in this new sub-sector. One wonders how much stronger their position could have been – or could still become – with a less cluttered and more visual viewer interaction.

One reason for the slightly inflated CpV could be the fact that the vast majority of Purplebricks’ TV spend was plastered onto peak times, 63% in fact. This shows a considerable lack in campaign efficiency, as peak is of course the most costly day-part to appear on and not the most responsive. For startups such as Purplebricks, having the most cost-effective media campaigns is crucial to achieving the rapid growth that investors cry out for. Every ounce of ad spend needs to go as far as possible, in an increasingly competitive emerging market.