Targeting the First-Time Home Buyer Mindset

Many institutions target first-time home buyers in some capacity; but, I wanted to draw your attention to ING Direct’s Move Out, Move Up! campaign, as it really works to tap into the mindset of first-time home buyers.

The frustrations associated with renting an apartment are well-known. And, ING plays on three of them in their humorous animated website – having a baby, moving in together and getting away from bad neighbors. The site establishes a connection with these renters by stating what they are undoubtedly experiencing “Paying rent isn’t just getting old, it’s getting expensive.”

It continues to say that “Now may be the time to move out and move up.”

The site has games and videos associated with each of the three scenarios – and really does a great job in appealing to those first-time home buyers looking for an fresh and approachable presentation of mortgage products. ING does a great job in presenting a solution to a need, in this case it’s the need for more space that comes with having a baby or moving in with someone; or getting away from the hassle of bad neighbors and apartment buildings.

Perhaps the greatest value of the site is the fact that ING will pay the closing costs for those people that find a hidden code on the website (it’s not that difficult to find). This encourages the user to search throughout the website for both the code and the prompt where the code should be entered. After entering the correct code, ING issues a certificate which covers the closing costs.

Overall, this site does a great job tapping into the needs of first-time home buyers, rather than simply telling them what mortgage products and rates you can offer them – and it’s presented in a fresh, appealing and fun way that’s easy to navigate and understand.