IRVINE, Calif., June 13, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Taylor Woodrow, a leading international homebuilder with more than 40 communities in the Western Region of the United States, today released its first podcast series, designed to market its homes to potential buyers and provide an enhanced customer experience. The launch represents the first foray by a homebuilder into the growing universe of podcasting, which has been steadily increasing in popularity over the last two years. Taylor Woodrow is offering both video and audio podcasts that are available through MP3 and MP4 devices, a standard computer and on-site at community model homes, including an initial 24 podcasts representing seven new home communities throughout Northern and Southern California. With more than 70 percent of homebuyers now using the Internet as an integral part of the home buying process, the podcasts are the first phase of an intricate and holistic online home buying experience being created by Taylor Woodrow.
"We're working to create a deeper, more meaningful relationship with our potential customer by respecting where they are in their lives and how they want to receive information," said Mike Forsum, Western Regional President for Taylor Woodrow Homes. "The reality is that all builders are smart and great at what they do, from the design of their homes, to their sales offices, to their landscape architecture. The competitive advantages from those traditional perspectives are now tougher to define for the customer. What that means is that the competitive advantage moving forward in this industry is in how we create a deeper relationship with the customer, based on mutual trust, using real-time communication."
A recent study released by the California Association of Realtors shows the number of people using the Internet as part of the home buying process has nearly doubled since 2001, with more than 70 percent of homebuyers now house shopping on-line. According to Forsum, this growth will result in "a transition in the way builders market their homes across the industry in the next few years. Every home builder is wrestling with this, asking how technology can better the business. The launch of our podcast series is a significant first step towards bringing information to people in a way that allows them to control how and when they receive it."
New channels of communication have allowed homebuilders many opportunities to engage customers not only about available product but also home construction, the buying process and the industry in general. In developing a podcasting marketing strategy, Taylor Woodrow took a multi-pronged approach that includes video product showcases, a learning series and in-community audio tours. A new microsite dedicated to the medium, www.iTaylorWoodrow.com, was created by online marketing firm Interactivate, and Taylor Woodrow is also publishing the podcasts on today's most popular directories including iTunes, Google Video and Yahoo.
"The homebuilding industry has relied for years on tried and true marketing and advertising avenues like newspaper ads and direct mail, but we're now finding that we're cluttered in a less relevant medium as the majority of people are now using the Internet as an integral tool in the home buying process," said Forsum. "From a cost perspective, moving in the direction of technology will ultimately save us 15-20 percent in marketing costs, so from both a business and customer standpoint, it's where we need to go."
Among the podcasts launched in Taylor Woodrow's inaugural series are those that provide new home shoppers video tours of communities and models, as well as a learning series podcast, aptly named "HomeFront"(sm), featuring industry experts discussing everything from interior design to construction of new homes. In addition, Taylor Woodrow will be pilot-testing self-guided audio podcast tours of model homes at three communities in Southern California. Visitors will be given the choice to walk through models at their own pace while listening to detailed messages about the homes they are touring on iPod Minis and MP3 players. If successful, this application will grow to include alternative language choices for communities with diverse buyer profiles.
"Taylor Woodrow has incorporated podcasting into their business model to increase home sales by catering to the technological revolution and practicality of the podcasting industry. There has never been such a practical opportunity to market homes with a large national and global reach, while allowing the user to take the home buying experience literally into their own hands," said Ryan Hoback of What I Want Podcasting, a podcast development firm working with Taylor Woodrow on this initiative to integrate podcasting into their business model.
About Taylor Woodrow Homes
Taylor Woodrow is one of the largest homebuilders in the world, with leading positions in North America, the United Kingdom, and Spain. Publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, in 2005 the company delivered over 12,500 homes worldwide and generated revenues of $6.3 billion. For 70 years, Taylor Woodrow has been building award winning homes, high-rise condominiums, and lifestyle communities in North America. Headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, current operations include more than 90 active developments throughout Florida, California, Arizona, Texas, and Ontario, Canada. The company's Western Region is headquartered in Irvine, California and includes four divisions: Northern California, Southern California North, Southern California South and, Arizona.