If you’ve ever moved, you know it’s an expensive proposition. Studies have found that new movers spend 8-10 times as much as non-movers on a plethora of household related products and services – and then there are the changed spending habits that quickly develop after the move: things like grocery and supply shopping, entertainment, and auto services. The opportunity for consumer product and service companies is undeniable. In this article we’ll explain how to reach this lucrative audience and capture their spending.
Why target movers?
Movers, especially homeowners, often prepare themselves with a war-chest of cash. Whether they’re moving up to support a growing family or downsizing to prepare for quieter times, they rarely get a place that is perfect for them.
Instead, they buy what they can and then make it their own. Their vision drives spending while their equity line-of-credit and savings fuels their budget.
It’s a spending spree that doesn’t last, but is very significant.
Timing is everything.
The decision to move is not made lightly. But once made, it’s a full-on commitment to do whatever it takes to create a happy place.
Cost is a secondary consideration as they have a budget to make things right. But once they have settled in and the budget is spent, it’s hunker-down time and spending stops abruptly.
Marketers need to be there at just the right time to capture the spend, and create a long-term relationship. Those who miss out wait a very long time for another such opportunity.
Movers are a gift that keeps on giving.
For marketers, what’s super exciting about movers is that there’s a brand new crop of them every month!
Once you design a campaign that converts, you can run it over and over again – reaping predictable benefits every time.
Where else can you find a marketing opportunity that’s as predictable and repeatable?
Remember to play both offense and defense.
As exciting as it is to win a new customer, the flip-side is that someone is likely to lose a customer too.
Moving is a time when everything is on the table and new decisions are being made. It’s a time when seemingly loyal customers depart, wooed away by new better offers. Switching is especially prevalent in categories like financial services, internet and telecommunications, insurance, and property maintenance. This is why it’s also important to play defense.
The most savvy marketers execute both offensively and defensively, at the same time. They get ahead of the move and work to keep their existing customers while simultaneously targeting non-customers who may be open to a fresh value proposition.
Careful, it can backfire!
We’ve supported literally thousands of new mover campaigns and the results are overwhelmingly positive. However, one mistake to avoid is greeting the prospect with messaging like “welcome to the neighborhood”.
At Cleanlist, we’ve seen this blow-up too often. We call it the creep-factor.
Instead of being excited to receive a timely offer for just what they need, the homeowner’s mind races to ask: who are you and how did you know I just moved?
In our privacy-conscious world, this isn’t the reaction you want to deal with.
Instead, keep your insights to yourself and just show up with a great offer. The fact that your timing is impeccable doesn’t need to be explained.
How much does a mover list cost?
If you’re interested in testing whether a new mover program is right for you, our team at Cleanlist is here to guide you through the process.
Cleanlist monitors move activity at every household in Canada. We collect data on the day a property is listed and then follow it through the move cycle, tracking when it’s sold and when a new occupant arrives.
You can subscribe to the data for any trade area in Canada, and apply any qualifying criteria you need. You can even have your mover data separated into customer and non-customer lists.
Once you’ve defined your geography and other selection criteria, Cleanlist will provide you with a historical count on the number of movers and provide a cost for the list.
Every month, you’ll receive the most current mover list, ready to send to your printer or lettershop for mailing.
It’s easy, and inexpensive.
Key Take-Aways:
1. New movers spend big in a number of consumer product and service categories. But the spending window is tight so your timing needs to be right.
2. Once you develop a mover marketing campaign that works, you can execute it each and every month as a new crop of movers arrives.
3. In planning your new mover strategy, consider both your customer retention and customer acquisition objectives.
4. Don’t be creepy and welcome a stranger to the neighborhood.
5. You can subscribe to receive monthly mover lists for any trade area in Canada, and further qualify the data as needed. The lists you’ll receive are accurate and mail-ready.
What Are the Next Steps?
To learn more about how your organization can benefit from a new mover marketing campaign, talk to a Cleanlist data consultant to get advice, quantity estimates, and pricing.
