Transforming real estate marketing with a design first approach
About the Brand
Graana.com is pakistan’s 1st online real estate market place and a marketing company which provides end to end services to its customers for buying , renting, selling or investing in properties.
My Role
In 2018, the brand's journey began with a captivating Out-Of-Home (OOH) campaign in Pakistan's capital city. At that time, I was working as a Creative Expert for StarzPlay, a Video-On-Demand (VOD) company. However, this campaign piqued my interest, leading me to join Graana. In April 2019, I joined Graana as a Senior Designer, with a mission to establish the company's branding and enhance its digital assets. Over time, I progressed to roles such as Design Team Lead, Art Director, Brand Director, and eventually Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Manager.
During my 3+ years at Graana, the marketing and creative department under my purview grew significantly, expanding from a team of 8 individuals to a formidable team of 50+. This multifaceted team included visual designers, social media managers, content writers, photographers, videographers, editors, and event managers. Instead of relying on external agencies for our campaigns, we strategically developed in-house capabilities to meet all our creative needs.Now, one might wonder why such a substantial team was necessary for a single brand. The answer lies in the complex structure of Graana, which encompassed not only an online marketplace but also a real estate marketing company. Additionally, Graana was a part of a larger group of companies, including Agency 21, IMARAT, PropSure, IIPS (a policy think tank), and over 14 real estate projects spanning the past 3 years.
With each new project introduction, we faced the challenge of replicating marketing efforts across more than 7 digital assets, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the website, email, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. This extended to both online and offline marketing channels. Instead of outsourcing these tasks for each individual brand within the group, our strategy was to develop in-house capabilities and create frameworks that allowed us to replicate processes and maintain consistent quality across all channels.My journey at Graana, from a Senior Graphic Designer to an IMC Manager, involved not only developing a robust design system for Graana's digital assets but also crafting and executing comprehensive marketing plans for the entire group.
Apr 2019 - Sep 2019
Senior Graphic Designer
In the initial five months, I collaborated closely with a team of designers and group directors to develop brand design systems. While the brand already had branding guidelines in place, there was a need for a more comprehensive system to effectively design for various channels and campaigns. I created templates for blogs, "Buy, Rent, Sell, Invest" campaigns, and standardized sizes for social media usage. Additionally, I contributed to designing new materials for upcoming campaigns.
During this period, our strategy aimed to maximize the number of posts and create a distinctive presence in the digital landscape. Some may argue that excessive posting could potentially harm the brand's image, but it was effective for us. In 2019, we posted up to eight times a day across four different channels. By the end of 2022, this number had grown to an impressive 20 posts daily across seven different channels for each brand. It's worth noting that the group comprised a total of 17 brands, resulting in the creation and dissemination of a remarkable 180 unique designs every day.
Oct 2019 - Jun 2020
Design Team Lead
Standardisation and Monitoring
In October 2019, I was promoted to the role of Design Team Lead for the brand. In this capacity, my responsibilities expanded significantly. I began working on key visuals for new campaigns and took on the crucial task of ensuring brand consistency across multiple touchpoints. I managed a team of approximately 10 individuals, which involved providing design feedback and collaborating cross-functionally with the sales team to develop supporting print materials.
During this period, I also ventured into the realm of digital marketing. I worked closely with the performance marketing teams to create ad creatives aimed at maximizing returns. Standardization and monitoring became central to my job description, encompassing tasks such as reviewing the work of all designers and ensuring that all published designs met our high standards.
July 2020 - Apr 2021
Brand Manager/Creative Designer
From July 2020 to April 2021, my role evolved into that of a Brand Manager and Creative Director. During this period, my job description encompassed several critical responsibilities. I led and managed a multifaceted team comprising designers, copywriters, and production artists, with the primary goal of ensuring the punctual and high-quality delivery of creative assets.
In this capacity, I also took charge of directing various production activities, including photoshoots and video shoots, to maintain consistent branding and messaging across all channels. This involved overseeing every aspect of the production process to guarantee that it aligned seamlessly with our brand identity.
Furthermore, I assumed the crucial role of reviewing and approving all creative materials generated by the team. This included providing constructive feedback and guidance to team members when necessary, ensuring that our creative output consistently met the brand's high standards and conveyed the desired messaging effectively.
May 2021 - Aug 2022
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Manager
Planning, Coordination, Execution
From May 2021 to August 2022, I assumed the role of Integrated Marketing Communications Manager, a pivotal position in the marketing landscape. My primary responsibilities involved meticulously planning and flawlessly executing integrated marketing campaigns for Graana, IMARAT, Agency21, PropSure and other associated projects and brands. To ensure the success of these campaigns, I managed a dynamic team comprising designers, content writers, community managers, animators, and content creators. My emphasis was on guaranteeing the timely and high-quality delivery of our marketing initiatives, a critical aspect of our strategy.
During this tenure, I had the privilege of spearheading the nationwide launch of Graana, a monumental achievement made possible through the implementation of a comprehensive and integrated marketing campaign. As part of this initiative, I took on the task of developing a robust design system for Graana's digital and offline assets. This design system played a pivotal role in maintaining brand consistency and coherence across all touchpoints, reinforcing our brand identity and message.
Moreover, I actively participated in multiple campaigns with the objective of cultivating brand equity and driving sales. These campaigns yielded substantial results, contributing significantly to our brand's awareness and customer acquisition efforts. My role also entailed close collaboration with the product team to enhance the user interface of Graana's mobile application. This collaborative effort resulted in heightened user engagement and improved retention rates, reflecting our commitment to delivering a seamless and user-friendly experience to our valued audience.
Sep 2022
Moved to Glasgow, UK for my masters