Gumtree appoints new marketing head as it plots increased marketing investment

Gumtree has hired Hannah Wilson as its most senior marketer as the site plans to boost marketing spend to grow the brand’s reach and help it achieve its target of becoming a top 10 UK site in the next three years.

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Gumtree’s latest marketing campaign focuses on the personal interactions that form part of buying and selling on the site.

Wilson joins Gumtree from parent company eBay, where she was head of UK marketing. She replaces Sam Diamond, who held the position on an interim basis and will now return to his role as head of brand and communications.

Wilson joins as Gumtree readies a new TV and radio marketing campaign, set to go live on 19 February. The ads will focus on its “goods” and “motors” categories and show buyers and sellers coming together on purchases including a wardrobe, sofa, TV and car.

Diamond says the campaign aims to show the “magic of Gumtree” and the personal side of interactions, something that he claims users don’t get from other classified sites. The ads are also seasonally-themed, promoting ski gear in the winter, decluttering in the spring and garden furniture in the summer.

“Our campaigns are very tactical, we are very close to our data and we know what customers are thinking about at particular times of year,” he says.

Gumtree claims to be one of the top 25 sites in the UK, with one in five online adults visiting the site every month. However, it has ambitions to be in the top 10 within the next three years and is boosting marketing spend to drive awareness, both to attract new users and convince previous visitors to return.

“We want to show that Gumtree is a brand for everybody,” says Diamond.

The TV and radio ads will be supported by digital, including paid search, SEO, email and display retargeting. Gumtree will also push particular sales categories on social media and through its blog.

Gumtree is also hoping to boost engagement with the brand through an increased focus on content. It has recently launched a rental property tool that reveals price trends across the UK and will look to use the data to post articles on related subjects, informing users on where is “hot” and where might offer the best value.

“It’s all well and good being a classifieds’ site, but in the modern day users are looking for more. We are a brand people trust and we can use our own tone of voice and data to keep people coming back,” says Diamond.

Wilson has previously held marketing positions at BBC Worldwide and IPC Media.

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