[Bonus] How Data Is Helping Sekisui House Make Home the "Happiest Place in the World"

Data-Driven Decisions is a new limited-series marketing podcast presented by Convince & Convert and shared with our Social Pros listeners.

Is it true that many Americans perceive their homes not just as living spaces, but as vehicles for wealth accumulation? And can this lead to a disconnect between their desires and the reality of home ownership? In this episode of Data-Driven Decisions, we find out. 

What do Americans really want from their homes? 

Is it just a cozy living space, or something more profound? Join us as we dive into the psyche of the modern homeowner with Erin Willis, Chief Insight and Marketing Officer at Sekisui House, one of America's leading home builders.

We look at the importance of understanding customer happiness and how it's at the core of creating homes that truly feel like a sanctuary. Erin also delves into the methodology behind Sekisui House's customer-centric approach, revealing the synergy between data-driven decisions and a genuine understanding of customer needs. 

From leveraging video diaries for real insights to incorporating behavioral science into home design, this episode shines a light on the innovative strategies employed to make homes that genuinely cater to the happiness and health of their residents. This includes addressing common challenges like storage and space optimization, which are crucial for creating a stress-free, comfortable living environment. 

Erin also shares the exciting launch of SHAWOOD, a brand that exemplifies Sekisui House's commitment to offering architecturally unique, environmentally friendly homes that meet modern needs. 

In This Episode:

• 01:04 - Introducing Erin Willis and Sekisui House
• 03:09 - The overall strategic goals of Erin's role as Chief Insight and Marketing Officer 
• 05:31 - What American homeowners are looking for compared to other countries 
• 08:20 - How Sekisui House conducts research into homeowner needs 
• 10:40 - Building a culture of curiosity in your team and organization
• 13:29 - Turning insights into messaging that resonates with your audience 
• 16:27 - How the data impacts the content that they create
• 19:44 - How Sekisui House sets customer expectations and measures them
• 22:15 - The launch of SHAWOOD and what it means for Sekisui House 
• 25:02 - How Sekisui House validates hypotheses  
• 27:31 - How the company extends customer lifetime value and builds loyalty 
• 30:50 - Advice for marketers to start using data insights to develop a better customer experience
• 34:03 - Practices and guidelines that promote a sense of safety and creativity within the team
• 36:20 - Insights Erin wishes she had known at the beginning of her journey
• 39:23 - Examples of companies Erin admires for marrying customer-centricity and data  

Quotes:

"Building a culture of curiosity is something that I always encourage organizations to do. What kinds of practices do you have in your team's meetings or in your guidelines or in your processes that help to create that sense of safety, and make sure that folks feel like they can bring their questions and their ideas to the table?"

"A lot of Americans view their home as an investment property. It's a vehicle to accumulate wealth. And it ceases to be a home when you start to think about it like that. A lot of people don't feel at home in their homes."

Resources:

• Sekisui House: https://www.sekisuihouse-global.com/
• Connect with Erin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinboggswillis/
• Connect with Zontee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zonteehou/

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