Client Success: Independent Property Group

Excellent VitrineMedia product trumped by ‘service on a whole new level’

Matt Peden, principal of leading Canberra-based real estate company, Independent Property Group, gladly considers himself “a brutal marker”.

But even given his demanding disposition, he will happily tell you that he gives the VitrineMedia team that worked on his recent installation of backlit LED screens at Independent’s new store in the Kaleen Shopping Plaza in Belconnen “10 out of 10, every day of the week”.

For while he had been familiar with the VitrineMedia range of static LED screens through their installation at Independent Property Group’s sister office in nearby Gungahlin – and was suitably impressed by the products and their pulling power prowess – it was his interaction with VitrineMedia’s Chief Executive Officer, Mike Toweel, and his Sydney-based head office team that ultimately blew him away and, in his carefully chosen words “lifted the entire experience to next level”.

“From my first interaction when I called to find out more about the displays to the present day, every member of the VitrineMedia team I dealt with left me feeling as though I had been chatting with the owner of the business, such was their passion for the job they were doing and their determination to provide the best possible advice and service,” Matt recalls.

“Everything suggested they were proud of the company they worked for, believed in the company, its products and its people and were committed to enhancing its reputation by consistently delivering on all promises for the sake of a satisfied customer.

“This proved to be most valuable when it came to the window layout, with Mike and his team keen to share design ideas, present an array of mock-ups to give us a pretty good feel for how the windows would look in real life and work with us to achieve a layout that would maximise exposure, both in the shopping mall and back out onto the car park.”

Unsurprisingly, he affirms that the layout agreed upon has worked particularly well, with a pair of  large banners at both the front and back windows carrying corporate branding and messaging and a series of A3 screens devoted to property listings and the like.

Since their installation in March 2020, the screens and the high exposure they provide have been favourably commented on by members of the general public, competitors, staff and vendors, with the latter telling Matt they chose Independent for an appraisal on the strength of its window displays. 

“They mentioned that the primary reason they selected us was because they wanted to see their property highlighted in such an eye-catching fashion – and not just during business hours but to the many who visit the shopping mall for late night and weekend trading long after our doors have closed for the day,” he says.

“The public also tell us they can’t walk past our windows without the displays grabbing their attention and drawing them in, competitors have commented on the clean, stylish, modern and professional look and staff have recounted how the installation makes them feel proud to be part of the business.

Matt leaves perhaps the most ringing endorsement to last, sharing that when his accounts department inadvertently paid the final invoice twice, VitrineMedia was on the phone to him immediately, alerting him of the error and refunding the money within the hour.

“Sure, we would have picked it up at audit stage – and sure, it’s the right thing to do – but this level of honesty and proactiveness perfectly sums up the overwhelmingly positive feeling I had dealing with VitrineMedia. It’s a feeling that remains with me to this day.

“And when a great product is backed by such exemplary service, you know you have made the right choice.”