Dominating earned media share of voice in a declining media market

In a competitive market, realestate.co.nz needed to stand out, build trust, and cement its position as New Zealand’s leading property platform. With 18 years of data, it had unmatched market intelligence, but we needed to ensure it was seen as the go-to source for agents, sellers and buyers seeking property insights. Our strategy focused on boosting media impact, credibility, and share of voice while aligning coverage with business goals. 

Objectives:  

1. Prove media impact by achieving a clear correlation between coverage volume and Google search interest over 12 months, showing increased consumer curiosity and intent. 

2. Maintain the highest share of voice in earned media compared to competitors over 12 months. 

3. Enhance credibility by achieving a 20% increase in coverage volume within high-trust outlets (as defined by the AUT Trust in News Report).

What we did: 

With traditional media shrinking, we built a multi-channel communications strategy designed to broaden reach and deepen credibility. At its core was regular property reporting, consistently picked up by major outlets and repurposed across realestate.co.nz’s owned platforms. But we didn’t stop there.

We expanded beyond traditional PR to engage a wider range of voices, connecting with key property and finance influencers, forming new media partnerships, and tapping into highly engaged podcast audiences. We also turned emerging trends into timely, agenda-setting stories that positioned realestate.co.nz as a trusted authority in property conversations nationwide. For example, when Trump was elected, we spotted a surge in US buyers searching for NZ property and turned it into a national news story that drove conversation nationally. 

The results: 

1. We proved the impact of media coverage Our media coverage resulted in more people searching for the brand, with a 53% correlation between media volume and Google searches. We exceeded targets, proving media coverage turned awareness into consumer action, as seen in increased searches. 

2. We dominated share of voice with a 47.2% share of voice over compared to competitors. Secured 750+ stories - more than two a day! 

3. We strengthened our credibility in high-trust media, exceeding our 20% target with a 39% increase in top-tier coverage. Notably, mentions in RNZ grew by 53%, and Otago Daily Times coverage more than doubled, rising by 116%. Amid a 14.4% decline in total media mentions, this proves our focus on quality in a year of media decline.  

AUT Trust in News report 2024, top outlets.