New client acquisition: TDMC enters financial service sector and makes waves in just 4 months

Since its inception 25 years’ ago, SA Home Loans – one of South Africa’s largest home loan originators – has enabled hundreds of thousands of South Africans, many of them first time buyers, to take their place on the property ladder. Their premise? To simplify the home loan application process, to make home ownership viable for more people through less punitive credit checks and onerous applications, and to help people make their home loans work for them, be it for improvements on their properties or accessing credit for relevant purchases. To date, the bond application process has been driven by a lead generation telephonic sales force as well as on-the-ground teams at several of the company’s bricks and mortar facilities.

In just a few months, thanks to the appointment of TDMC and the implementation of several targeted paid media campaigns, there has been a steep upswing of closed deals. Some of the immediate wins include better understanding of customer silos, improved customer journey processes, and enhanced sales force engagement through concentrated retargeting measures. The SA Home Loans Smart Application web process and data capture allows for the creation of a considered retargeting campaign. “Arming sales agents with real-time customer information is invaluable, and having access to the data resulting from TDMC’s targeted campaigns enables us to make informed strategic decisions around our marketing efforts,” says Carmen Hockey, who heads up SA Home Loans’ marketing division.

The data doesn't lie

TDMC’s implementation of crucial mechanisms has transformed SA Home Loans’ tracking processes. “In the finance sector, robust data tracking and analysis are fundamental. TDMC’s proficiency with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and our capability to implement advanced customer tracking, even in the most complex customer journeys, sets us apart. This expertise will be a significant asset to SA Home Loans,” says TDMC founder and CEO Cheryl Ingram.

TDMC’s advocation for first-party data ownership and the implementation of strategies to leverage data has already seen a dramatic upswing in SA Home Loans’ customer understandings, allowing for relevant and targeted conversations and improved sales and service efficiencies so crucial in the digital landscape.

Hockey says: “Our recent partnership with TDMC has contributed to impressive outcomes, including a 45% year-on-year growth in website leads within a month of their involvement. We’ve always been committed to achieving great results, and with TDMC’s expertise and our increased financial investments, we’ve accelerated our digital growth. This success underscores the power of collaboration and the effectiveness of our enhanced digital strategies, leveraging first-party data and refined audience segmentation."

Transparency pays

TDMC is known for insisting on transparency and client access to first-party data in the paid media relationship. “Upon onboarding SA Home Loans, we immediately identified a significant red flag: the client had no previous access to their ad accounts. This lack of visibility and control is always concerning,” explains Ingram.

SA Home Loans’ Hockey says that the two companies’ shared values helped during the onboarding process. “What was very clear from the outset is that our own core value regarding transparency in any home loan application and throughout our business absolutely aligned with TDMC’s own transparency models – it was an excellent foundation for us to begin building a relationship,” she says.

Ingram’s entire business is built on measurable outcomes – and in the financial services industry data-driven decision making is fundamental. “‘Measurable outcomes are the golden words in business – our clients demand real results and we’re in the business of delivering them,” she says.

Chief operating officer for SA Home Loans, Zakheni Dlamini, says the value of the partnership will benefit both current and future customers. “As we celebrate 25 years of facilitating home ownership for South Africans, this is a timely collaboration that enhances our ability to engage with our customers,” says Dlamini. “Our partnership with TDMC has already had a significant impact on our digital strategy and we’re excited about benefiting more from their expertise in performance marketing and data analytics to support our growth ambitions.”