There were two Pune property exhibitions last weekend. One - Sakal Vastu. Two - Times Property Showcase. Organized by two leading newspapers in Pune. Sakal & The Times of India.
Branding - is the intention behind organizing property exhibitions - claim both the publications.
Creating platform for home buyers to collect information about all housing projects in Pune - is the best way to win the minds of newspaper readers - claim both the publications.
If organizing property exhibitions is basically a branding and a public relations exercise of these newspapers - then - why does every builder pay a couple of lakh rupees to participate?
What would be the pre-launch offer of DSK Developers' Phursungi Township?
Creating awareness by publishing ads which do not look like ads, showing concern for the issues dear to your customers is a very sophisticated way of advertising.
Recently, Tata Tea and Lavasa have used this strategy very successfully. Sakal-DSK's "Jago Pune" campaign, for sure, would be more successful than Tata Tea's "Jaago Re" and Times of India - Lavasa's "Future Cities" campaigns.
Because, Sakal has given editorial treatment to the DSK's campaign and people spend more on a home than they spend on the packaged tea.
However, at that point of time, DSK hadn't cancelled the Phursungi SEZ.
Now, looking at the front page ad in yesterday's Marathi Newspaper Sakal, I am sure that DSK must have scrapped the idea of SEZ. Instead of that, now, DSK is ready to launch "Integrated Residential Township" in Phursungi!
An integrated residential township is a win win decision for Mr. DSK, for the share holders of D. S. Kulkarni Developers Ltd. (www.dskdl.com), for the property buyers and real estate investors in Pune.
My reliable source has told me that DSK has invested some 350 crore rupees to acquire this 250 acre land. The value of this land appreciated to Rs. 800 crore in 2009. Now, in 2011, for DSK it's more profitable to earn some actual income from this land - than just claiming the appreciated value.
Besides profit, DSK must have realized that for D. S. Kulkarni Developers Ltd. it's easy to generate hard cash from this land. Because:
1) Even at the current appreciated land cost, DSK can offer very attractive pre-launch property prices for a 1 BHK, 2 BHK & 3 BHK Flats in his integrated township. Even more attractive pre-launch offer than Kolte-Patil Developers' Marunje - Hinjewadi Township.
3) Study of the recent booking, must have convinced DSK that Pune property buyers and real estate investors give huge response to pre-launch offers of properties in the price range of Rs. 25 to 35 Lakhs. Because most of the under construction properties in Pune real estate market cost above Rs. 50 Lakhs in PMC / PCMC limit and around Rs. 35 lakhs in the fringe villages. Which very few people can afford to buy.
4) Recently launched "Hinjewadi First" initiative of Hinjewadi Industries Association (HIA) for better infrastructure and it's impact on booking and property prices in Pune has not discouraged DSK, like other builders in Pune. Hinjewadi IT Professionals' coming on road must have inspired DSK to find an opportunity in this problem.
As a leading builder in Pune, DSK knows well that poor existing infrastructure in Pune and zero possibility of development of better infrastructure in the near future is more important to real estate investors and IT Professionals than the common citizens of Pune who are born to suffer and hope.
So, DSK decided to en-cash the dissatisfaction and disillusionment among the IT Professionals and real estate investors. Fortunately, DSK had an answer. He can scrap the Phursungi SEZ & announce the integrated residential township!
Just by announcing the pre-launch offer, DSK knows that he can generate huge amount of interest-free funds! Recent pre-launch offers have demonstrated that not only "awakened" IT Professionals and real estate investors but the huge number of "EMI Addicts" will be happy to grab DSK Developers' pre-launch offer than investing in any under-construction project in Pune.
5) DSK, who has contested election from Pune, is not only a successful businessman strategist but has political acumen too. DSK decided to take advantage of the movement, started by Anna Hazare and Civic Society, against corruption and corrupt politicians.
It's not difficult to convince property buyers that the poor infrastructure in Pune, which is affecting the appreciation of property, is nothing but the result of corrupt politicians.
It was easy to convince the property buyer that corruption is not limited to a few individuals but the entire system is corrupt. It's not a one day job to clean the system, to completely eradicate corruption. Leaders and activists are telling that it's a long process!
DSK agrees with Anna Hazare about the problem. But, DSK offers a different solution. Anna Hazare believes in the power to people. DSK believe in the capable leader. In the ad published in yesterday's Sakal, DSK says that at this point of time, Pune has no leader. Member of Parliament Mr. Suresh Kalmadi is out of town. Guardian Minister of Pune from 2004, Mr. Ajit Pawar is busy in Mumbai. And claims that no local leader has the ability and vision to improve poor infrastructure in Pune.
Obviously, Sakal, a print media in Pune, didn't publish any note announcing that what you see on the front page is an ad. Because, now, we all know that most of the space in the newspaper is occupied by the ads. Unusual creative ads. which most of the time don't look like ads. In fact, it would be better if the newspaper starts mentioning that "This is News - not an ad!". So, many Punekars took it as Sakal Newspapers' concern for the development of Pune!
However, before the end of the day, most of the Punekars have received a SMS from "JagoPune". Requesting you to forward the SMS if you believe that "DSK is the right answer for the better future of Pune".
Creating awareness by publishing ads which do not look like ads, showing concern for the issues dear to your customers is a very sophisticated way of advertising. Recently, Tata Tea and Lavasa have used this strategy very successfully.
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