By Lorenzo Brach del Prever, Head of Performance
Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes in five years, coupled with the rise of hybrid working models across the UK, has fuelled fierce competition in the property and construction sectors. The theme here is that more people have buying power and working power- and this is a great opportunity to capitalise on the increase of buyers in both markets. Meanwhile, rapid advancements in platforms and AI are forcing marketers to rethink how budgets are allocated and strategies aligned. This means one thing for businesses: adapt quickly or risk being left behind.
This housing pledge and the growing demand for flexible workspaces are true game-changers for the property and construction sectors. It’s not just about building faster; it’s about marketing smarter. With an influx of new brands entering the market, standing out is no longer optional. It's essential. Success in this saturated landscape depends on marketing strategies that are precise, data-driven, and aligned with commercial outcomes. Broad-brush approaches simply won’t cut it anymore.
Labour’s housing pledge has accelerated the adoption of modular construction, with the market projected to grow by 400% in the UK between 2022 and 2025. Modular techniques are revolutionising the industry by cutting build times by up to 50%, enabling faster project delivery and reducing costs. However, this efficiency has also allowed new competitors to leverage these methods to challenge established players.
At the same time, the flexible working sector is undergoing a rapid transformation. With 69% of London employers now offering hybrid working models, the demand for flexible office solutions has soared. Currently, 52% of office take-up in London involves flexible workspaces, underscoring the growing need for adaptable, premium environments that cater to hybrid workforces. Like the modular housing boom, this surge in demand for flexible workspaces has created opportunities for new competitors to enter the market and disrupt traditional players.
With looming large-scale competition, reputation and existing market share are no longer enough to stay ahead. To maintain a competitive edge, brands must invest in standout marketing that effectively communicates their unique value proposition and drives measurable results.
This blog urges marketing teams to shift from a traditional “set-and-forget” budget to a dynamic, opportunity-driven mindset. All too often, we meet marketing leads who have been set a rigid marketing budget by the board—with no wiggle room or ‘Spend to Opportunity’ in mind. Worse still, sometimes the digital component of the overall marketing budget has been proportioned, leaving even less flexibility for marketing leads to adapt and respond to changes in the competitive landscape.
This article aims to equip sales and marketing leads with ambitions for growth, with the language and understanding they need to challenge board decisions on budgets that stop the business from being able to grow in the way everybody wants.
Advertising platforms have developed precise bidding technology, meaning we can accurately calculate your cost per conversion (CPA) and Conversion Value. The technology has been around since the advent of Biddable Advertising. However, the integration of AI means we can estimate your cost per lead with such accuracy that you can pretty much build your business case and project your pipeline on the solid data provided by the major advertising platforms. With that in mind, there is no guesswork in budget planning, you’re essentially given a formula for success based on your forecasted CPA.
However, forecasts are only as good as the conditions they are based on, and market factors can shift quickly. This means businesses must remain flexible, using these tools to guide decisions but also adapting to real-time changes in performance and opportunities.
Achieving your revenue goals begins with understanding the numbers. If you know the revenue required, your leads-to-sales conversion rate, and your CPA (cost per acquisition), the only variable left is your digital marketing allocation. Advertising platforms are performance ecosystems offering actionable insights into how much needs to be spent to achieve specific goals. This precision transforms marketing from a cost centre into a growth driver.
Yet many businesses remain hesitant to embrace this new model. Traditional, rigid budget models hinder the ability to adapt to real-time market conditions. Success now requires flipping this approach: while goals can remain top-down, budgets must be informed by bottom-up data from platforms that know what it takes to win. Crucially, businesses must adopt an agile approach to budget allocation, moving spend between platforms based on performance and opportunity. For instance, if one platform is delivering lower cost-per-conversion or higher engagement, reallocating funds to maximise returns becomes essential. By embracing this flexibility, organisations can ensure that every pound spent is strategically aligned to deliver the best possible outcomes.
We’ve already seen the impact of this approach with our clients. For one of our clients in the manufacturing and construction sector, we developed an agile campaign that allocated budgets based on the business’s specific commercial needs. The campaign was tailored to drive more sales in a key area of their production, leveraging platform data to optimise performance. The results were remarkable with 182% higher conversion rate than the industry benchmark, 32.5% lower CPC than the industry benchmark and 40% higher CTR than the industry benchmark.
This case highlights how a flexible, data-driven strategy transforms marketing into a tool for measurable growth. By embracing agility and aligning budgets with performance insights, businesses can unlock opportunities and achieve results that go far beyond traditional approaches.
Outdated budget models, where boards set fixed marketing spends based on arbitrary percentages, are no longer fit for purpose. In a world where platforms provide real-time data on what it takes to succeed, agility is essential. Budgets must be fluid, adjusting to market conditions and opportunities in real time.
This is where the concept of “Spend to Opportunity” comes in. Rather than sticking to rigid allocations, it emphasises maintaining overall budget discipline while ensuring no growth opportunities are missed. Fluctuations in demand and seasonality often result in missed conversions, the potential business that slips through the cracks.
The chart below highlights this. The pink bars represent missed conversions due to budget caps, starkly contrasting the blue bars of actual conversions. Each pink bar is an opportunity left untapped.
This requires a mindset shift at the board level. Marketing is no longer a cost centre; it’s a revenue driver. By adopting a “spend-to-opportunity” mindset, boards can empower marketing teams to allocate budgets strategically, leveraging insights to maximise impact. It’s not about spending more, it's about spending smarter.
To help businesses embrace this new approach, Google’s Growth Roadmap offers a clear progression towards performance-driven strategies:
“Google’s Growth Roadmap illustrates how brands can leverage tools and insights to move from static budgets to performance-driven strategies. Each stage highlights the progression from data capture to driving real growth through AI-powered campaigns.”
Capturing Signals: Build a foundation of durable measurement with tools like Google Tag and Consent Mode to fuel campaigns with reliable data.
Maximising Existing Demand: Use advanced strategies such as Performance Max and Broad Match to optimise campaigns and fully capitalise on opportunities.
Generating New Demand: Leverage AI-powered campaigns like Demand Gen to expand reach and uncover new growth opportunities.
This roadmap underscores how aligning budgets with performance data can turn marketing into a measurable growth driver.
Navigating this complex landscape is no easy task. Partnering with Fingo can transform how your business approaches marketing. As a performance-driven agency, we specialise in helping brands excel in competitive markets. Here’s how we can support your success:
Labour's housing pledge, alongside the rapid rise of flexible working models, has sparked unprecedented competition, but it has also created enormous opportunities for brands willing to adapt. Standing out in this crowded market requires more than just clever campaigns; it demands precision, alignment, and a commitment to embracing change.
Businesses can turn competition into an advantage by adopting a spend-to-opportunity mindset, aligning sales and marketing, and leveraging advanced tools and insights. The time to act is now.
Your competitors aren't waiting, and neither should you.
Contact us today at marketing@fingo, and let's discuss how we can help you lead the market.
