Gumtree is shaking up its marketing mix ahead of Christmas as it tries to shift brand perceptions.
The retail site also adds to ahead of Amazon's arrival it has no plans to "sit back" and let international players take over.
Gumtree senior marketing manager James Walmsley admits that Gumtree hasn't typically been associated with Christmas, but new research shows that more than 75% of people would give second hand gifts this festive season.
“There used to be a stigma about buying second hand goods but the insights we have now shows this isn't the case,” he tells AdNews.
“We need to be part of the Christmas considerations. It shouldn't just be about the typical retailers at Christmas, we need to be part of the process.
“This campaign is really about broadening the perceptions around Gumtree as a brand and informing consumers on the quality of listings people make.”
One of the many gifts up for grabs on Gumtree
The campaign kicked off last week, launching a 12 Days of Giftmas competition which sees a daily prize listed on the site for one lucky searcher to find and win.
The prizes feature both brand new and pre-loved items from various categories, including a Tiffany and Co ring, a Harley Davidson motorbike and an Audi A1.
Walmsley says Gumtree has been testing the effectiveness of various marketing channels with its campaigns this year, such as putting more money into digital to determine the best ROI, and plans to further evolve how the brand communicates in 2017.
“When it comes to traditional advertising, we've used a lot of TV and outdoor in the past. But this year we have shaken up our media mix and we are testing what can give us the biggest impact in changing our perception in market,” he says.
“We are really focused on changing people's perceptions of Gumtree and the breadth and quality of what we offer.”
The campaign runs across Gumtree's own assets as well as various digital executions.
As the arrival of Amazon approaches, Walmsley says Gumtree “isn't going to sit back” and let the brand be squashed by international forces.
He adds while Gumtree parent company, Ebay, has moved to become a more premium marketplace, Gumtree will continue to focus on being a community marketplace.
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