The Campaign

In trying to rekindle the sense of neighborly love among its residents, Avida Land created the Grand Neighbor Day (GND), one big event with simultaneous executions in various Avida communities nationwide. This would serve as an ideal opportunity to encourage residents to venture out of their units, and get to know ‘friends next door’. The challenge was how to motivate residents to leave the comfort and security of their homes, to start a conversation, and become friends with their neighbors. A first-of-its kind in the Philippines, the GND was a weekend activity where neighbors got to bond over great food (another Filipino pastime), and enjoyed fun activities together in 11 newly turned-over and existing Avida developments nationwide. Avida Land also partnered with other brands and 20 social entrepreneurship groups that benefit impoverished communities in the country, imparting the value of working as a community to help others.

Execution

Avida implemented a multi-platform information campaign. It visited the country’s three biggest publications, two of the leading lifestyle news sites and three radio stations to announce the message of the first-ever GND. Avida also tapped thirty bloggers for the “Food for Two” campaign to promote the message of sharing with one’s neighbor. Avida encouraged bloggers to begin the bandwagon by giving them two big boxes of GND-themed cupcakes, one for the blogger’s enjoyment and the other one to be given as a gift to a neighbor. This led to significant online impressions. Bitesized.ph created a recipe video for a dish that may be shared among Avida residents during event day. 8list.ph also published a teaser for titled “The 8 Kinds of People We All Live Next To.” For three months, Avida also had a Facebook campaign, #FriendsNextDoor to expound on the GND values and hype up the milestone event.

The 1st ever Grand Neighbor Day proved to be an inspiring and successful initiative as reflected by the following measured output: A total of 1701 residents from 634 households, participated in the event, achieving 170% of the target attendance. Media coverage for the duration of the three month campaign amounted to PhP 2.9 million (US$58,000 at PhP50=US$1), exceeding target by 93%. A special component of this was earned publicity from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, spot.ph, Mellow Touch, Startmometer.com, Bitesized.ph, and 8list.ph. In terms of total reach, the Avida GND registered a 1.5 million consolidated reach for its Facebook page, or about 50 % more than the target and achieved 1.9 million impressions on its own page. Its Bitesized.ph & 8list.ph achieved a reach of 1.3 million and impressions of 2.27 million. This is on top of the additional reach of the bloggers and other online sites. An informal on-site community survey conducted by Avida among attendees also showed an overwhelmingly positive approval rating of 4.6 out of 5, with participating residents expressing gratitude to Avida for creating a venue where neighbors can meet and bond. This has prompted Avida Land to commit to institutionalize the event and make it an annual community celebration.

The Situation

The Grand Neighbor Day brought to light the sense of neighborly spirit among Filipinos, a very special trait that is sometimes forgotten among today’s city dwellers. This is especially true for those living fast-paced, isolated lifestyles in condominiums and high-rise developments. The initiative was also crucial for Avida Land to differentiate itself from the many other property developers in the Philippines, and to create a lasting impression among stakeholders as a developer that provides secure communities where good neighborly relationships thrive.

The Strategy

The GND was conceptualized to bring together condo dwellers, mostly young urban professionals, ages 25 to 30; young couples and starting families from the B and broad C SEC. They are hardworking individuals who rarely get the chance to interact with neighbors. To encourage participation among the 11 targeted Avida communities, Avida Land implemented an intensified media drive, visiting leading radio stations, publications and online sites to raise the importance of neighborly love. Banners, posters, and flyers were distributed in the communities. Social media campaign was launched on the company’s Facebook page. Avida Land partnered with Jollibee for its 22nd Maaga Ang Pasko, the longest-running toys and books donation drive, that would inspire love and care for underprivileged children. It also invited 20 social entrepreneurship groups such as Rags2Riches and Human Nature, encouraging residents to work as one community to assist the less fortunate.