Marketing and communicating sustainability

The drive towards product development and innovation to deliver the Government's aspirations in the Code for Sustainable Homes means a step change in the way new homes are designed and built.

The marketing challenge

Some of the increasingly common features of our developments such as parks and community facilities promote social cohesion and are a benefit that people understand and want.

But other features, such as some of the technological developments that deliver low carbon emissions may not be. For example, not every customer will like the idea of living in a home with Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery – living in a semi-sealed system – however fresh and pollen-free the air may be. It is not the same as throwing the window open and drawing breath on a clear frosty morning. We also know that some customers do not wish 'sustainable' to mean 'high-technology maintenance and electronic programming' – while others will embrace everything that modern electronics has to offer.

The challenge is to meet the ambitions of the Code for Sustainable Homes in our design and build without these features becoming a barrier to purchase. In short, our marketing must be intelligent. It must play to the growing consumer interest in living sustainably and demonstrate that our developments allow them to do that easily and, ideally, at no net cost to them.

Marketing sustainability at One Brighton

At our exemplar eco-scheme in One Brighton, an innovative 'We Will, You Can' marketing campaign was created to engage and inform potential homebuyers about the eco-credentials of the scheme. The 'We Will' element communicates the 'built in' environmental and social elements of the scheme. The 'You can' element communicates how purchasers can take advantage of these benefits in order to make cost savings and can choose to lead a more sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

To further understand awareness of sustainability we carried out research into customer attitudes at One Brighton. We found that 74% of visitors to the site felt that the eco-features were 'essential' to their purchase decision; however they would not be willing to pay a premium for these features. Demand for eco features clearly exists in Brighton, but a home purchase is still primarily governed by price and location – as was also found by the wider NHBC survey in May 2008.

Developing our communications

Our 2007 Guide to Greener Living was a success in demonstrating what we do as developers and the part consumers play. In response to the increase in consumer awareness since then, every Crest Nicholson marketing suite now incorporates information to help our purchasers understand the sustainable credentials of our homes and how they can benefit from these.

This past year, we introduced a new way of communicating with our customers. By combining the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes 'Home User Guide' and our own sustainability messages we launched a two part Home Owners Guide. The guide, available in print and online, includes information on environmental features, site safety, waste management, local transport and facilities, as well as comprehensive practical advice on the conveyancing process from reservation through to legal completion – everything our purchasers need to be able to choose their new home. When a purchaser moves into their new home, we help further with information on operating appliances efficiently, warranties, security, energy performance and other eco-features.

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