A ‘slow-burn’ marketing tool becomes the community ‘glue’...Harcourts Graceville was the...
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12 INSIDE Harcourts Spring Edition 2015 Loving where we live Tennyson • Chelmer • Graceville • Sherwood • Corinda • Oxley www.livingintheshires.com.au his Australia Day, Principle and Director David Gowdie of Harcourts Graceville was the proud recipient of the Moreton electorate’s Australia Day Award. This award was in recognition of David’s service to the community as the creator of a local magazine called Living in The Shires. This magazine is hand-delivered by his sales agents to 12,000 homes and businesses in an area covering six suburbs of Brisbane – Tennyson, Chelmer, Graceville, Sherwood, Corinda and Oxley. This magazine is David’s brainchild. The primary motivation of was to have a magazine that specifically catered for his community. It is not a newspaper in the traditional journalistic style, but more of a storytelling vehicle – ‘creative non-fiction’, if you like. It tells stories about local businesses, community events, some of the area’s incredible residents, and its history. A deliberately small back section of the magazine is devoted to Harcourts Graceville. Even though David includes some advertising for his Harcourts business in the magazine, this is kept to a minimum. Living in The Shires is a big investment for David. In terms of marketing opportunity costs, it is a ‘slow-burn’, but increasingly the magazine is being associated with the Harcourts Graceville brand in a positive, feel-good, way. The beauty of this publication is that it has become the ‘glue’ for a community, engendering much pride in the area. And it gives the sales agents a fabulous entrée when engaging with local people – there is always something to talk about. The feedback to Harcourts Graceville is that the magazine gets read cover-to-cover, and its delivery is eagerly anticipated. It truly is a marketer’s dream. The magazine has been so enthusiastically welcomed that print copies of back issues are now fast becoming collector’s items. The A ‘slow-burn’ marketing tool becomes the community ‘glue’ Givers gain – according to David Gowdie of Harcourts Graceville, and owner of local magazine Living in The Shires. Loving where we live Tennyson • Chelmer • Graceville • Sherwood • Corinda • Oxley www.livingintheshires.com.au Autumn Edition 2016 free L ivin g in T h e S h i r e s i s a f r e e l o c a l p u blic a tion • T a k e a c o p y f o r y o u r s e lf • T State Library of Queensland, at its request, now holds two print copies of each back issue. Electronic editions can be found on the dedicated Living in The Shires website, as well. Susan Prior, a professional writer and editor, project manages the publication, which is printed on a quality recycled paper stock using environmentally friendly soy inks. David also uses professional graphic designers. Living in The Shires is rapidly becoming known for its very different and eye-catching cover art – a deliberate ploy to ensure it doesn’t get thrown in the bin. David’s initiative with Living in The Shires reflects his oft-cited observation that ‘givers gain’. His staff and everyone associated with the publication are incredibly proud of it and David’s success. The latest issue came out on 1 March and can be found on the website. W www.livingintheshires.com.au F www.facebook.com/livingintheshires Loving where we live Tennyson • Chelmer • Graceville • Sherwood • Corinda • Oxley www.livingintheshires.com.au free Summer Edition 2015 L i vin g in T h e S h i r e s i s a f r e e l o c a l p u b lic a tio n • T a k e a c o p y f o r y o u r s e l f • Nicole Johnston, councillor for Tennyson, with David and his wife Penny and children, David’s parents, and Graham Perrett, federal MP for Moreton David Gowdie proudly receiving the Moreton electorate’s Australia Day Award by Susan Prior IN Feature
Transcript of A ‘slow-burn’ marketing tool becomes the community ‘glue’...Harcourts Graceville was the...
12 INSIDE Harcourts
Spring Edition 2015
Loving where we live
Tennyson • Chelmer • Graceville • Sherwood • Corinda • Oxley
www.livingintheshires.com.au
his Australia Day, Principle and Director David Gowdie of Harcourts Graceville was the proud recipient of the Moreton electorate’s Australia Day Award.
This award was in recognition of David’s service to the community as the creator of a local magazine called Living in The Shires. This magazine is hand-delivered by his sales agents to 12,000 homes and businesses in an area covering six suburbs of Brisbane – Tennyson, Chelmer, Graceville, Sherwood, Corinda and Oxley.This magazine is David’s brainchild. The primary motivation of was to have a magazine that specifically catered for his community. It is not a newspaper in the traditional journalistic style, but more of a storytelling vehicle – ‘creative non-fiction’, if you like. It tells stories about local businesses, community events, some of the area’s incredible residents, and its history. A deliberately small back section of the magazine is devoted to Harcourts Graceville. Even though David includes some advertising for his Harcourts business in the magazine, this is kept to a minimum. Living in The Shires is a big investment for David. In terms of marketing opportunity costs, it is a ‘slow-burn’, but increasingly the magazine is being associated with the Harcourts Graceville brand in a positive, feel-good, way. The beauty of this publication is that it has become the ‘glue’ for a community, engendering much pride in the area. And it gives the sales agents a fabulous entrée when engaging with local people – there is always something to talk about. The feedback to Harcourts Graceville is that the magazine gets read cover-to-cover, and its delivery is eagerly anticipated. It truly is a marketer’s dream.The magazine has been so enthusiastically welcomed that print copies of back issues are now fast becoming collector’s items. The
A ‘slow-burn’ marketing tool becomes the community ‘glue’Givers gain – according to David Gowdie of Harcourts Graceville, and owner of local magazine Living in The Shires. Loving where we live
Tennyson • Chelmer • Graceville • Sherwood • Corinda • Oxley
www.livingintheshires.com.au
Autumn Edition 2016 freeLiving in The Shires is a free local publication • Take a co
py fo
r yo
urse
lf
•
T
State Library of Queensland, at its request, now holds two print copies of each back issue. Electronic editions can be found on the dedicated Living in The Shires website, as well.Susan Prior, a professional writer and editor, project manages the publication, which is printed on a quality recycled paper stock using environmentally friendly soy inks. David also uses professional graphic designers. Living in The Shires is rapidly becoming known for its very different and eye-catching cover art – a deliberate ploy to ensure it doesn’t get thrown in the bin.David’s initiative with Living in The Shires reflects his oft-cited observation that ‘givers gain’. His staff and everyone associated with the publication are incredibly proud of it and David’s success. The latest issue came out on 1 March and can be found on the website.
W www.livingintheshires.com.au F www.facebook.com/livingintheshires
Loving where we live
Tennyson • Chelmer • Graceville • Sherwood • Corinda • Oxley
www.livingintheshires.com.au
freeSummer Edition 2015
Living in The Shires is a free local publication • Take a copy
for
your
self
•
Nicole Johnston, councillor for Tennyson, with David and his wife Penny and children, David’s parents, and Graham Perrett, federal MP for Moreton
David Gowdie proudly receiving the Moreton electorate’s Australia Day Award
by Susan Prior
INFeature
