Case Bonava Finland – We reach potential target groups with Sanoma: ”People really care about us”

Bonava is one of Europe's leading housebuilders. The marketing of new properties plays a key role in the company's operations to effectively reach potential new residents.

Bonava was founded in 2016, and operates in Finland in Turku and Tampere, in addition to the Helsinki metropolitan area. Advertising has been done on Sanoma's channels since the company was founded.

"We were a new player, with a new name and brand, so it was important to make it clear from the start that we were here. We needed to get the wheels turning right away," says Maija Murto, Marketing Manager at Bonava Finland.

Bonava has been advertising once a month in the Helsingin Sanomat home section. In addition, advertising has been carried out in Sanoma's digital network.

"The idea has been to stay in people's minds and be seen consistently across multiple channels," says Murto.

Sanoma was chosen as a partner because of its network of potential home seekers.

"We have reaching them with destination-specific tactical campaigns. It has been very successful."

Objectives have been effectively achieved

Murto says that their advertising has been aimed not only at brand building but also at increasing sales. The digital campaigns, in particular, have been sales-oriented.

"When we organise larger target presentations, we monitor visitor numbers. Usually there are more visitors if there has been an advertisement in Helsingin Sanomat."

The traffic to Bonava's website and its conversions are closely monitored using analytics. Murto says that digital advertising is reflected in spikes in the number of visitors to the site.

"We get high-quality traffic from Sanoma's channels, which means that there are no 'spur-of-the-moment' clicks on our website. We have reached the right audience," says Murto.

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Presence in the ”number one media in the country”

Murto says, the industry has had a tough time, so many operators have cut back on advertising.

"Even we have had to think carefully about where we spend our advertising euros. Helsingin Sanomat is one thing we won't skimp on."

Murto says it's important for them to be seen in "the number one media in the country".

"Helsingin Sanomat fits to our values. We have a strong belief that here is where our customers are. With Sanoma's media, we reach potential customers not only in the capital region but also in Turku and Tampere, as well as people moving to our areas from elsewhere," says Murto, adding:

"Helsingin Sanomat is the cornerstone of our society and people trust it. It is therefore a good channel for us. People are in an information-hungry and trusting state of mind when they browse Helsingin Sanomat. I want our brand to be associated with media that our customers trust."

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Ad Manager is a handy tool

Murto thanks Sanoma for Ad Manager, which has enabled Bonava to advertise on the Sanoma network on its own.

"It has allowed us to buy advertising and launch campaigns ourselves on a quick schedule."

Murto appreciates the fact that Ad Manager allows us to precisely define the target group.
"We were amazed at how good the results were, even though we were just practicing using Ad Manager," she says, adding:

"Ad Manager is also a good tool because you can get results even with a small budget. You don't have to spend tens of thousands of euros on a single campaign, you can sprinkle visibility in many places for less money."

Ad Manager is a self service platform for buying Sanoma digital advertising. Service is available for Finnish only.

”We've been working super well together”

"We've been working super well together. We have offices in the same building, so it's easy to meet in person."

Murto particularly appreciates the fact that Sanoma always responds very quickly to their needs.

"It's great that they know us and we know our contacts. This provides fertile ground for brainstorming and we have been able to create campaign solutions that really serve us," says Murto, adding:

"They know what we want and understand our values. They really care about us."