Alissa Reiter — Vice-President of Marketing, Trulia
Alissa talks to TheNextGag about Trulia’s latest ad campaign by agency Venables Bell & Partners and how she views brand activism.
Alissa Reiter is the Vice-President of Marketing of Trulia in the USA.
Alissa is a veteran marketer having worked in organizations, such as P&G, Clorox and Johnson & Johnson.
She then became a Senior Director of Internet Marketing at Hawaiian Airlines, where she led the digital team and reshaped the brand’s online experience.
Following that, she moved to Ancestry.com as a Senior Director of Product Management, where she was responsible for the launch of the mobile app.
In 2016, she joined Trulia as the VP of Marketing and has bas been driving growth for the real estate company, owned by Zillow Group.
THENEXTGAG: WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR ROLE AT TRULIA ?
ALISSA SEITER: I am the vice president of marketing. It’s my job to build a brand that’s the trusted partner to help consumers really understand a neighborhood’s community and vibe during their home search process.
TNG: IS TRULIA A WOKE BRAND ?
AS: The term “woke” means different things to different people, but it does apply judgement for some. We are a brand that’s neighborly at the heart and welcoming to all because we find that there’s a huge diversity of what people love when it comes to places they live. We have to embrace that, and our mission is to help them find that place in the world.
TNG: CAN HAVING A SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT HURT A BRAND ?
AS: I don’t believe so. I am inspired by the ways consumers can get closer to the brands they love by engaging socially, and I love the way brands are opening themselves up for that.
TNG: WHAT OTHER BRANDS/MOVEMENTS DO YOU FEEL CLOSE TO ?
AS: I love the way brands are taking a stand in the world around us and recognizing that their consumers are real people who care about real things. There are authentic ways that brands can take action, like REI’s “Opt Outside” campaign.
We want consumers to agree that we are the go-to place for helping them discover a place they’ll love to live.
TNG: HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS ?
AS: We measure all kinds of things, like how many people have heard of us, or think about us for helping them in ways we want them to. We also look at audience and engagement metrics, as well as Net Promoter. We want consumers to agree that we are the go-to place for helping them discover a place they’ll love to live.
TNG: DO CONSUMERS EXPECT BRANDS TO TAKE A STANCE ON POLITICS ?
AS: We haven’t heard that, necessarily. Our consumers want us to help them find a place they’ll love to live, and that is largely not political. However, there are things we want to do and can do. One way we are doing that is through a product we just launched called Local Legal Protections, which shows what legal protections exist for individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) in the jurisdiction of any prospective for-sale home.
TNG: WHO IS DRIVING THE SOCIAL INITIATIVE INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION ?
AS: At Trulia, social media is part of the content marketing team.
TNG: HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INSPIRE OTHER BRANDS TO DROP CORPORATE SPEAK ?
AS: Personally, I don’t like corporate speak. My husband is a math teacher and calls me on it all the time. At Trulia, one of our brand values is to be genuine no matter what, so we want to use real words that are going to be understood by real people.
TNG: HOW DOES THIS PLATFORM FIT INTO TRULIA’S MISSIONS AND VALUES ?
AS: All of the content we work on, which includes our ad campaigns, blog content, social media, and email and product marketing, ties back to our brand mission, “build a more neighborly world by helping you discover a place you’ll love to live.” We aim to showcase what it looks and feels like when you do find the right neighborhood for you, and that Trulia is there to help you discover that place.
TNG: WHAT IS NEXT FOR TRULIA ?
AS: On March 19th, Trulia launched a national advertising campaign, “Insiders.” With two national television spots and an additional spot built for digital video, the campaign illustrates how we are delivering on this new mission. The campaign personifies Trulia through oddly endearing, yet genuinely earnest characters — Paperboy Pete and Dog Walker Dana — who take viewers on a neighborhood tour of the world beyond driveways and mailboxes. Our new mission will guide Trulia to deliver even more innovative experiences to help buyers and renters discover and understand what it’s really like to live in a home and neighborhood before they move in, much like a trusted friend or neighbor.
Vice-President of Marketing
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