I believe in opti-channel marketing: Magicbricks’ Prasun Kumar

In today’s fast-evolving world of marketing, the role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is more crucial than ever. In Adgully’s new column – CMO Unplugged – we bring you candid insights, expert advice, and thought-provoking discussions directly from the heart of the industry. CMO Unplugged goes beyond the surface to uncover the real strategies, innovations and challenges that define successful marketing leadership today.

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Prasun Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer & Business Head, Magicbricks, speaks at length about the overall approach to marketing in today’s fast-evolving landscape. He discusses the most effective principles and strategies, the new trends and technological innovations being integrated into Magicbricks’ marketing strategies, recent innovative marketing initiatives, the evolution of consumer behaviour in the sector, global marketing strategies that could be adapted for the Indian market, and more.

How would you describe your overall approach to marketing in today’s fast-evolving landscape? What principles or strategies have been most effective in helping your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace?

In today’s fast-paced world, consumer attention spans are shorter than ever, so we keep our marketing sharp, data-driven, and focused on what truly works. I believe in opti-channel marketing, optimizing marketing channels based on real data-driven insights, and using bite-sized, high-impact storytelling – in sync with the 15-second attention span of consumers. Our Property Insights series on Instagram is an example where we bring real time data insights to assist in investment decisions for our customers.

Brand Story-telling has also evolved with changing behavioural trends. Instead of a Brand-speak based “one-to-many” communication of the past, today’s consumers care about memorable brand moments that they can relate to on a regular basis. Hence, content has never been a more powerful King than today. We follow our unique ‘Heartbeat’ marketing strategy, which is at the cusp of data, digital & consumers. This strategy is evolved to cater to the changed dynamics of the marketing landscape.

Our legacy is built on the fact that we’ve always stayed ahead of the curve on consumer behavioural trends. That’s why we built a full-stack service platform in 2022, making Magicbricks a one-stop destination for real estate needs. Likewise, with MagicHomes, homebuyers can now explore new projects with verified RERA data and unbiased reviews – simple, transparent, and built for today’s digital-first audience. We offer Site Visits to our buyers for an informative, experiential & faster decision making. All these initiatives are built to help us stand out.

What new trends or technological innovations are you integrating into your marketing strategies?

We leverage social commerce to build and scale business verticals by turning data storytelling into compelling, actionable content. By analyzing social media interactions, user polls, and market trends, we identify key consumer preferences and present them in an engaging, relatable format.

Also, we have invested heavily in building in-house AI models, to enhance customer journeys and optimize operations, ensuring users find the best matches faster. Our fully automated quality assurance system ensures accuracy and authenticity, and our in-house recommendation engine driven by AI and ML, makes every interaction smarter and more efficient.

By continuously refining our AI models, we’re not just improving processes – we’re redefining how people experience real estate online.

Could you share a recent innovative marketing initiative that Magicbricks has undertaken?

With residential demand at its highest in a decade, our consumer and market study identified a key challenge for home seekers: optimizing their time to efficiently shortlist and visit properties, particularly on weekends. Traditionally, prospective buyers can visit only one or two projects in a day, limiting their ability to explore multiple options.

To address this, we introduced Property Visit Fest in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, a first-of-its-kind marketing event that seamlessly integrated online and offline engagement, and offered home seekers not only personalized property recommendations tailored to their preferences and budgets, but also end-to-end logistical support, including cab arrangements and pre-scheduled site visits. It leveraged 20+ touchpoints, including viral social media content, digital takeovers, and strategic partnerships, to drive high-intent buyers to real-world site visits.

The initiative significantly enhanced the home search experience by enabling prospective buyers to visit multiple projects in a single day, ensuring a seamless and well-organized property exploration journey. Through this initiative, we facilitated over 1,500 site visits in less than a month, demonstrating that effective solutions do not always require technological intervention. By resolving last-mile challenges and simplifying the home search process, Property Visit Fest successfully bridged the gap between intent and action for homebuyers.

Over the years, how have you observed consumer behaviour evolving in your sector?

Consumer behaviour in real estate has been evolving at a much higher pace today.

Homebuyers today don’t just go online to search – they stay digital throughout their journey. From AI-powered recommendations to virtual site visits, the way people explore, evaluate, and finalize properties has transformed. Interactive screens, AR/VR, and immersive experiences now make offline visits more efficient, helping buyers make faster, more confident decisions. Millennials and Gen Z are driving demand, viewing homes as investments rather than just generational assets.

There is also a noticeable shift towards investments in lifestyle destinations (Goa, Nainital, Dehradun) and religious tourism centers (Ayodhya, Shirdi, Puri) due to affordability and infrastructure development. Additionally, there is a marked increase in interest toward premium real estate.

Are there any global marketing strategies that you believe should be adapted for the Indian market? If so, why?

Yes, hyper-personalized marketing and experiential storytelling are key global strategies that should be adapted more extensively in India. For example, OTT brands use AI-driven personalization effectively, and similar data-led engagement can enhance property discovery, something we are exploring and expanding through our initiatives such as MagicHomes (platform for discovering new projects).

Additionally, gamification in marketing, widely used in global retail, could make property search and engagement more interactive, driving higher conversions in India’s competitive market.

Also Read: I believe OTT platforms in India have reached their peak: Sanyam Sharma