After a week of speculation we were finally treated with the “good news” that “Olivia” finally said yes.
And we were treated also with the news that they bought what would be their first “investment” together…at Pioneer Woodlands.
Thus we finally realize it was also a stroke of viral and somewhat clever marketing courtesy of Empire East, the developer of this residential condominium project for the aforementioned unit located at the corner of EDSA and Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong in the bustling business district there.
So no, it was not John Prats proposing to Isabel Oli, so stop bugging them already. Nor was it a marketing gimmick to promote the Philippine airing of the US drama “Scandal” . (Personally I wouldn’t have bought this theory as well since it’s not a show that is being broadcasted on our local VHF channels which command wide viewership)
And the “21414” thing? Apparently, it was not referring to Valentines Day or the date when the “answer” is to be expected. Rather, it was the promo price of a unit in Pioneer Woodlands which is P 2141.4*.
(*and as any marketing gimmick, the asterisk implies that additional charges, terms, or conditions may apply on top of what seems to be a nice bargain, so be warned)
Which brings me to the problem I have with this whole marketing blitz. Personally, I felt the marketing overstayed its welcome. Even if the 21414 did not mean Valentines Day 2014, I felt it could have been more effective if they revealed it immediately on that day or even the day after, not to mention some added “wordplay” of numbers there. Instead, what we had was an advertising gimmick that was not bad per se, but it overstayed its welcome that the whole reveal felt more of a meh.
Still kudos to the marketing team of Empire East for coming out with this interesting marketing gimmick. Given the circumstances, I kinda understand why they went all throughout with this type of advertising blitz, not to mention the money spent on this one. Which I will explain a bit.
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The construction of Pioneer Woodlands began back in 2007. It was envisioned to be a 6-towered residential project connected with the Line 3 Boni station. Along with its neighbor across EDSA, GT Towers of currently troubled developer Globe Asiatique, they boasted a strategic location in this part of EDSA, given their proximity to mass transit and other public transport options as well.
Then came retail giant SM and its residential arm SMDC, which announced in 2009 that they would be building a 3-tower residential project called Light Residences, right next to Pioneer Woodlands. Now SMDC was a relative newcomer in property development but given its connections to an already strong brand, they were rising fast.
With SMDC and its Light Residences getting more buzz, coupled with supposed delays in the construction of Pioneer Woodlands, (at least from what has been gathered from posts in Skyscrapercity) there would be some trouble along the way. That does not mean Empire East is a weak developer. In fact, it is affiliated with a major developer, Megaworld. But in a situation like this, something had to be done to get attention of prospective buyers who may perhaps be lured by its next door neighbor. And taking all these things into consideration, I somehow understand why Empire East went with this unusual marketing route.
Whether these efforts will translate into more sales for their units remains to be seen. But it will be interesting to find out. I hope some advertising folks will take time to study on it someday.
For now, the Urban Roamer’s opinion remains: it’s a clever form of advertising that overstayed its welcome.
But I won’t take it against them.
acknowledgements as well to Rappler and Empire East Land Holdings
© the Urban Roamer
