Seeking event expertise, resourcefulness, readiness, time-management: Girish Shah, The Wadhwa Group

Forms of thought are changing, and pioneering marketing strategists are implementing them in all walks of industry, thus revolutionising conventional business solutions. The Wadhwa Group, among the notable real estate companies in Mumbai, seems to be making experiential a preferred medium, with multiple initiatives in the fields of theatre, cultural and sports. Some of the plays it has helped organise are Barff, Blame it on Yashraj, The scent of a man, Selfie , Forty shades of Grey, Broken Images, Unfaithfully Yours, and Hotel Paradiso, to name a few. It has also partnered Sports events like 10K run at BKC, various bank summits and Conclaves, and Maxim Hot 100 cover celebration.

Girish Shah, currently Director, The Wadhwa Group, who oversees the Sales, Marketing, Commercial Leasing, CRM, Risk Management, HR and IT functions among others, speaks about how experiential marketing is rapidly and justly acquiring a significant part of the marketing pie.

Q. What type of a marketing mix is used by Wadhwa group to reach out to the consumers?
A. The Wadhwa group deals in luxury and affordable residential properties and commercial projects. We believe in enhancing the end-user experience, and customer satisfaction is paramount to us hence our projects are based on the requirements of the buyer. Our target audience varies from project to project. We use a full 360-degree marketing campaign while promoting all our properties. We build brands through print and online advertising, organizing events, reaching out to people via social media, PR, and other promotional activities like direct mailers, ATL and BTL activities.

Q. Which channels of marketing do you use mostly to communicate with the customers?
A. We engage in marketing activities which consist of digital advertising, print media, radio, outdoor media, events and activations, direct mailers and extensive public relations. We also have channel partners helping us out to communicate our messages and reach out to our target customers.

Q. What is the future of experiential marketing for real estate? How important is experiential marketing strategy for the Wadhwa group?
A. Consumer satisfaction plays a significant role in the success of the real estate sector. Experiential marketing is undoubtedly a way to tap potential customers. We believe that it is an integral tool of marketing and now a part of our branding and marketing strategy. The key to implementing experiential marketing in a campaign is imperative.

Giving our consumers an once-in-a-lifetime experience will also create a strong connection to our brand. We need the potential customers to be our product ambassadors. With new product launches and under construction projects, using experiential marketing invokes curiosity in the customer's mind and helps them envision the product before completion. At the Wadhwa Group, we organize consumer engagement events in the fields of theatre, cultural and sports encouraging our customers to participate and be part of the brand. We also use Oculus and touch tables to showcase our properties which make the buying process more engaging and exciting for the customer.

Q. What are the spends set aside for experiential marketing from your overall marketing budget?
A. Experiential marketing is fast gaining popularity, and we wish to use it more often. We allocate around 10% of our overall marketing budget to experiential marketing.

Q. What do you look for in an event agency?
A. We hire an event agency that understands our needs and meet all the desired requirements to make an event a grand success. We seek readiness, promptness, cost efficiency, execution, resourcefulness, organization & time management, flexibility, necessary recourses and expertise to organize an event suited to each individual client’s needs.

Q. What are your future plans in the region?
A. We are planning to launch one of our most ambitious ultra-luxury projects 25 South at Prabhadevi and another luxury project W 54 at Matunga. Both are unique residential projects that are complete with premium external amenities, an essence of exclusivity and breathtaking view. We are also launching a massive project in Panvel that is set amidst nature, at the same time acquiring a world of convenience at an affordable cost.

Prior to joining the Wadhwa Group, Girish was Chief Marketing Officer at Godrej Properties and is credited with establishing a sharp sales and marketing vision for the business which resulted in sales doubling virtually every 2 years during his 5 year stint there. His 360 degree marketing vision for real estate, is a promise in the way of integrated business solutions.

To end with, there is news for ‘rock and roll’ lovers. Raell Padamsee’s Numero Uno Productions, presents ‘A Vision of Elvis’ at Nariman Point on the 6th of November, in partnership with Wadhwa group and others.