DRA Homes, a prominent name in the real estate sector, has built a solid reputation for delivering quality, trust, and timely projects. With a strong presence in Chennai and expanding into new regions, DRA Homes focuses on creating residential spaces that not only meet customer expectations but also elevate the living experience. The company is known for its ethical practices, commitment to sustainability, and innovative approach, including leveraging modern technologies and digital solutions to enhance customer engagement.
In an exclusive interaction with MediaNews4u, Manoj Vasudevan, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at DRA Homes, sheds light on the company’s brand vision, growth strategies, and its new initiatives like the ‘Home of Pride’ campaign. He discusses the strategic partnership with Rashmika Mandanna, DRA’s brand ambassador, and how the collaboration strengthens its reach and appeal. The conversation provides valuable insights into the company’s forward-thinking approach and how it continues to build lasting relationships with its customers.
Excerpts:
Can you take us through DRA’s brand vision and growth goals, and what is the strategy behind the brand’s recently launched ‘Home of Pride’ campaigns?
At DRA Homes, our brand vision has always been centred around delivering homes that truly resonate with quality, trust, and timely delivery. For the past 12 to 14 years, we’ve stayed focused on the fundamentals – ensuring that every homeowner who chose DRA could expect a fantastic home delivered on time, with all promises met. This commitment has been the foundation of our reputation and success.
Historically, we’ve been project-focused, which allowed us to sell out most of our developments even before the structures were completed. As a result, our presence in the media has been minimal, often limited to the occasional launch announcement. However, with our brand growing and our footprint expanding significantly, we felt it was the perfect moment to amplify our voice and share our story.
Today, we’re excited about the future, with at least four new launches lined up over the next three months. We’ve expanded our reach geographically, moving beyond our stronghold in South Chennai to include locations like Madhavaram and Western Chennai, with projects in Avadi and more on the way. This diversification and scaling reflect the positive momentum we’re experiencing, driven by the trust and appreciation of our customers.
The launch of our new tagline, ‘Home of Pride’, is a reflection of this journey. It’s not just a phrase—it embodies the feedback and experiences of our customers who’ve expressed immense pride in owning a DRA home. It’s a celebration of the trust they’ve placed in us and the exceptional living spaces we’ve delivered. Our marketing campaigns now aim to showcase this pride and communicate the values that make DRA a standout brand in the real estate landscape.
What makes Rashmika Mandanna an ideal choice as DRA’s brand ambassador, and how has her association impacted customer engagement and brand perception?
When we started evaluating potential faces for our brand, we were looking for someone who embodies youthfulness, vibrancy, and a broad appeal that resonates with a diverse and expanding audience. Rashmika checked all these boxes and more.
While our projects are currently concentrated in Chennai, we have ambitious plans to expand into cities like Bangalore and Pune. We needed a personality with a pan-India presence who could represent our brand across these regions. Rashmika, with her meteoric rise as a pan-India star, felt like the perfect fit. Her journey, from a small-town girl in Coorg to becoming one of India’s top actors, mirrors DRA’s own growth story—starting from a strong foundation in Bangalore and steadily expanding our footprint.
Her appeal transcends language barriers, as she has successfully bridged the gap between South Indian cinema and Bollywood. This versatility and her long-term potential as a star made her our first choice. We are also thrilled to have secured an exclusive two-year contract with her, which is quite rare in the real estate industry. During this period, she won’t endorse any other real estate brand, ensuring a focused and consistent association with DRA.
Although it’s early days to assess the full extent of her impact on customer engagement, the results so far have been overwhelmingly positive. Her association has significantly enhanced our visibility across multiple touchpoints—whether it’s the industry, our competition, or prospective customers, everyone is talking about DRA.
Our recent brand campaign, featuring Rashmika, was designed not around a single project but as a holistic representation of our brand ethos. This is a departure from the industry norm, where ambassadors are often tied to specific projects. Instead, Rashmika’s presence will feature across all our projects, strengthening our brand identity and connecting with audiences on a larger scale.
We launched an extensive campaign across outdoor and digital platforms, with a strong focus on OOH media. The buzz generated by these efforts has been phenomenal, sparking conversations and creating excitement about DRA Homes like never before.
What inspired the Times Square launch of DRA’s brand ambassador, and how has it impacted brand recognition and audience response both domestically and internationally?
The Times Square launch of our brand ambassador was a strategic move inspired by our evolving focus on the NRI market. Historically, DRA Homes hasn’t concentrated much on the NRI segment, but with our recent growth, both in terms of geographical reach and project portfolio, we felt it was the right time to engage this audience in a meaningful way.
This initiative coincided with the setup of a dedicated NRI sales team at DRA. Over the years, we’ve built significant goodwill among our existing NRI customers, and we wanted to leverage that trust while reaching out to a wider international audience. The Times Square campaign symbolized this shift in focus, serving as a beacon to trigger curiosity and start conversations about DRA Homes on a global scale.
While the physical impact of a Times Square presence may be limited, the true power of this campaign lies in its digital amplification. The campaign was designed to be heavily re-marketed and targeted to NRIs across various digital platforms, ensuring that it reached the right audience at the right time. The choice of Times Square, an iconic global location, added a sense of prestige and aspiration to the campaign, aligning perfectly with the expectations of the NRI market.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, creating a buzz not just internationally but also domestically. This initiative, coupled with our brand ambassador’s pan-India appeal, has significantly elevated our brand recognition and reinforced our position as a forward-thinking, customer-centric real estate brand.
This campaign is just the beginning. While the launch has set the tone, we plan to sustain the momentum with follow-up campaigns running through key periods like Pongal and beyond. Our goal is to build a lasting connection with NRIs, showcasing DRA Homes as a trusted partner for high-quality, timely-delivered homes.
What tangible changes in customer engagement or perception have resulted from the Times Square launch, and can you share any specific metrics showcasing its success?
The Times Square launch has already shown promising signs of positively impacting customer engagement and perception, particularly within the NRI segment. While it’s still early to measure tangible metrics comprehensively, we’ve observed encouraging results that underscore the effectiveness of this initiative.
One particularly heartening example came from an organic interaction. One of our existing customers shared how his friend, who happened to be in Times Square during the campaign, saw the launch and was intrigued. That curiosity led to a direct inquiry, and eventually, the friend purchased an apartment with DRA Homes. Stories like these, though anecdotal, reflect the buzz and credibility that this campaign has generated among potential buyers.
The digital reach of the campaign has been equally significant. Through our association with Rashmika Mandanna, we amplified the campaign’s visibility by sharing the Times Square video on her Instagram handle, which has a massive following. This alone attracted substantial attention and gave us the opportunity to engage with a much wider audience. Additionally, we have been strategically targeting this content to NRI audiences across digital platforms, ensuring that our message reaches potential customers in key international markets.
As part of our follow-up, we are actively participating in expos and hosting events in regions like the Middle East, Singapore, and select US markets. These activities, supported by the credibility built through the Times Square campaign, have made our conversations with NRIs more engaging and impactful.
The campaign has successfully served as an icebreaker, especially in the NRI market where trust and familiarity are crucial. When a brand is showcased at an iconic global location like Times Square, it instantly generates curiosity and positions the brand as one that aspires to connect on an international level. This visibility has opened doors for us to introduce DRA Homes to those who might not have been aware of us before, and we are confident it will translate into tangible results in the coming months.
Now that you have create the buzz, how did you ensure consistent messaging across various channels of communication, and were any unique strategies used for digital promotions?
Creating buzz is just the beginning; ensuring consistent messaging across all communication channels has been a key focus for us at DRA Homes. Our tagline, ‘Home of Pride’, encapsulates the essence of our brand’s values—delivering homes that inspire a sense of pride through quality, timeliness, appreciation in value, and exceptional living experiences. To reinforce this message, we’ve adopted a holistic, multi-channel strategy to engage effectively with our audience.
Digital media has been the cornerstone of our promotional efforts, allowing us to sustain a continuous and cohesive campaign. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn have been instrumental in helping us connect with diverse audience segments. We’ve tailored our messaging to align with the strengths of each platform. For instance, Instagram and Facebook have been our strongest performers, enabling us to showcase visually compelling content that resonates emotionally with our audience. YouTube has been effective for video storytelling, while LinkedIn has allowed us to engage with professionals and build credibility in the real estate sector.
A significant focus has also been placed on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), ensuring that DRA Homes consistently ranks high in online searches, making it easy for prospective customers to discover us organically. This strategy has been complemented by targeted campaigns, particularly on Instagram and YouTube, which are yielding excellent traction.
One unique aspect of our campaign is its alignment with the ‘Home of Pride’ message, which reflects not just the quality of our projects but also the pride our customers feel in owning a DRA home. This sentiment is deeply rooted in the experiences we create. For example, last year’s Thai Family Fest brought together over 1,200 of our customers across various projects, celebrating their association with DRA. Events like this, coupled with the strong appreciation in property value—often 30-40% by the time an apartment is handed over—add significant emotional and financial value to our customers, reinforcing their sense of pride.
For the brand launch itself, outdoor advertising played a pivotal role in amplifying the buzz. By combining a high-impact outdoor campaign with sustained digital promotions, we ensured a consistent and impactful message across all touchpoints.
Ultimately, our strategy has been to maintain a seamless narrative across channels, highlighting the exceptional value, trust, and pride that define DRA Homes. This cohesive approach has been instrumental in reinforcing our brand identity and deepening engagement with both existing and prospective customers.
Can you brief on the media mix that you have adopted for the campaign strategy and how you split your spending between the multimedia platforms?
Our media mix for the campaign has been carefully crafted to ensure maximum visibility and engagement across multiple touchpoints, leveraging each medium’s unique strengths. The evolving media landscape has significantly influenced how we allocate our resources, with digital now dominating the lion’s share of our spending.
Approximately 60% of our budget is directed toward digital platforms. This is a reflection of the modern consumer journey, where most of our leads originate online. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn form the backbone of our digital strategy, supported by targeted Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid digital campaigns. Digital media offers not just better targeting but also measurable returns, making it the most effective medium for us today.
Print media accounts for around 20% of our budget. While its traction has decreased compared to earlier years, it remains an essential medium for visibility, especially during high-impact campaigns like project launches. Full-page advertisements, including J1 and J2 jackets in leading newspapers, are critical for making a strong initial impression, even though the response in terms of direct leads has reduced over time.
Outdoor advertising also represents about 20% of our spend and plays a crucial role in our strategy. During the teaser phase of our campaigns, we relied heavily on outdoor to intrigue and engage commuters. Teasers placed strategically on billboards generated curiosity, which was later amplified through revealers across all platforms, including print, digital, and TV.
Television advertising has been used selectively, primarily for project launches. By utilizing both news channels and general entertainment platforms, we ensured a broad reach across diverse demographics. Additionally, our collaboration with Rashmika Mandanna allowed us to tap into cinema advertising. For example, we maximized our visibility through theatre promotions during the release of Pushpa, leveraging her association to connect with a wider audience.
Beyond traditional media, we actively drive lead generation through two other key channels: our network of channel partners and referrals from existing customers. These two components are significant contributors to our sales pipeline, often complementing the media-driven inquiries.
Finally, as part of our sustenance strategy, we are exploring engagement campaigns on radio. This medium, while used sparingly, helps us maintain visibility and connect with listeners during their daily routines.
How does DRA differentiate itself in the competitive real estate market while building trust and credibility with its target audience?
DRA Homes has always stood apart in the competitive real estate landscape through a combination of unwavering ethics, transparency, and a deep commitment to customer delight. Our differentiation stems not only from the quality of the homes we deliver but from the lifelong relationships we nurture with our customers.
Unlike many developers, our connection with customers extends well beyond the point of sale. Even after a project is handed over, we maintain active engagement, ensuring a smooth transition to resident associations and resolving any post-handover challenges. This consistent follow-through cultivates a sense of belonging and trust, making our customers feel like they are part of the DRA family.
One of the unique aspects of our approach is our focus on measuring and enhancing customer satisfaction throughout the entire home-buying journey. We have implemented a robust Customer Delight Meter, tracking satisfaction scores at various milestones—from booking to agreement, registration, and handover. These scores, which average between 85-90%, are a testament to our commitment to exceeding customer expectations in an industry where customer satisfaction is notoriously challenging.
A key contributor to this success is our dedicated Customer Delight Team, separate from the customer care team handling documentation and payments. Their sole purpose is to build personal relationships with our customers, fostering trust and ensuring a positive experience at every touchpoint. From welcome gifts to in-person visits, this team focuses on making every customer feel valued and cared for.
Furthermore, our ethical practices extend beyond customers to include our vendors and channel partners. We honor all commitments, ensuring timely payments to vendors and brokerages. This consistency has earned us a reputation for reliability, not just among customers but also within the broader industry.
Another standout feature of DRA is our commitment to transparency. For instance, we have implemented Timeline Meters at our project sites, visibly tracking progress for all stakeholders to see. This openness builds confidence, particularly in an industry where delays and uncertainties are common.
Moreover, our projects are designed to create a sense of pride for our residents. From prime locations and high-quality construction to the significant appreciation in property value—typically 30-40% by handover—every aspect of a DRA home reflects careful planning and execution.
The result of this comprehensive approach is a strong referral network, with 20-25% of our customers coming through word-of-mouth recommendations from existing homeowners. This is perhaps the most authentic validation of our credibility and the trust we’ve built over the years.
At DRA, we’re not just building homes; we’re creating communities and fostering relationships that last a lifetime. This philosophy is the cornerstone of our differentiation and the reason why our customers, employees, and stakeholders are proud to be associated with us.
How do technologies like AR, VR, or AI fit into your communication strategy?
At DRA Homes, we are committed to leveraging technology to enhance the customer experience, particularly in a market where transparency and accessibility are key. While we haven’t fully integrated AI into every aspect of our operations yet, we are continuously exploring ways to incorporate it. One area where we have seen significant impact is in Virtual Reality (VR). Since we don’t typically offer model apartments or show flats, we have embraced VR to provide potential customers with immersive walkthroughs of our properties. This technology, combined with drone footage, Google Maps, and rendered floor plans, creates a realistic and engaging visual experience that closely mirrors what the final product will look like. It allows customers to virtually walk through rooms, interact with features, and get a true sense of the space.
In addition, we have integrated AI-powered features, such as automated chat on our website, to assist in real-time customer interactions, making it easier for potential buyers to get information quickly and efficiently.
On the operational side, we have embraced digital transformation in our office. We’ve created a completely paperless environment. From the initial digital inquiry and presentation to booking a property through a digital payment link, everything is managed electronically. Even the booking form is sent digitally for e-signatures, streamlining the process and enhancing convenience for our customers. This approach also supports our goal of making the entire customer journey more seamless and efficient, reducing paperwork and improving sustainability.
While we’re not yet fully immersed in AI, our focus on utilizing cutting-edge tools like VR and embracing digital solutions underscores our commitment to staying ahead of the curve and offering a modern, customer-centric experience.
Do you adopt sustainability practice in your project, if so, how do you followed the eco-friendliness in true spirit?
Yes, sustainability is a core value at DRA Homes, and we make a conscious effort to incorporate eco-friendly practices into all our projects. For instance, our recently launched project, DRA Clover in Madhambakkam, is IGBC pre-gold certified, and we are committed to ensuring that all future projects follow similar sustainable practices. We adhere strictly to environmental norms and work within site constraints to comply with building regulations while prioritizing sustainability.
From energy efficiency to water conservation, every aspect of our design is guided by sustainability principles. This includes features like larger windows to maximize natural light, energy-efficient appliances, and tap fixtures that regulate water flow to ensure minimal wastage. Even the paints used in our projects are selected based on IGBC guidelines to avoid harmful chemicals, further reducing the environmental impact.
By consciously choosing to pursue IGBC certification, we are able to offer our customers not only a high-quality living experience but also one that is aligned with global environmental standards. We believe in eco-friendly development in the true spirit, and this approach will continue across all our upcoming projects, ensuring that sustainability is an integral part of our brand’s legacy.
