Check out How Helenbergh Makes Breakthrough Through Iteration of Strategies in the Post-pandemic Era.

The 22-year-old Helenbergh now operates over 150 projects in 41 cities across the country, serving some 600 thousand customers. Its philosophy has turned from "Restructure Imagination Toward Home" to "Flourish with You".

In 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, the overseas ratings of a slew of real estate developers have been downgraded. Against this backdrop, the Guangzhou-based real estate developer Helenbergh is still recognized by international agencies thanks to its stable development, which, to some extent, is also an affirmation of Helenbergh's comprehensive strength.

According to Fitch and Moody's, credit ratings for Helenbergh remain unchanged in July this year, and its outlook is "stable". Abundant land reserve, diversified land layout, steadily improved profitability and improved financial transparency all supported Helenbergh's rating.

In addition to the robust growth momentum recognized by third-party organizations, Helenbergh, in the midst of scale expansion in recent years, has witnessed remarkable achievements in iteration of strategies thanks to upgrading of the "Health⁺2.0 Product Value System" and the debut of "Chief Health Experience Officer" Haixiaobao.

Helenbergh Witnessed an Ever-growing Sales Volume by Focusing on Regional Businesses While Expanding Presence Across the Country.

Helenbergh, a high-growth real estate developer, has formed a nationwide presence across the Pearl River Delta Region, the Western China Region, the Yangtze River Delta Region, the Central China Economic Region and the Jing-Jin-Ji Region after more than 20 years of development. The sales volume of equity contracts has maintained steady growth every year, with an EBITDA margin ranging from 20% to 25%.

In the first half of this year, Helenbergh witnessed further expansion of the land reserve and its nationwide presence. More than 30 new projects have broken ground in Ningbo, Taizhou, Nanchang, Jinan, Foshan, Huizhou, Yangzhou and other cities.

Map of Helenbergh's Business Presence in China

In terms of business layout, Helenbergh takes residential property as its core business, while actively tapping into the potential of commercial property and creative sci-tech park. As of March 31st, 2020, Helenbergh operates 158 projects at different stages of development nationwide, with a total land reserve area of 28.61 million square meters, covering 41 cities in 13 provinces and direct-administered municipalities.

Helenbergh witnessed steady business performance in recent years, ranking 51st in the List of CRIC's Top 100 Mainland Property Developers by Sales, and maintaining a steady growth momentum in the following year.

Helenbergh's Sales Performance and Industry Ranking From 2016 to 2019 (Unit: RMB 100 million)

Year   Traffic volume   Rank  

2016   185.7   88  

2017   351.1   57  

2018   440.6   61  

2019   512.28   51  

Source: List of CRIC's Top 100 Mainland Property Developers by Sales

Enhancing the Brand Value From Four Dimensions

In addition to its continuous efforts in scale expansion, Helenbergh has also continuously enhanced its brand value and corporate philosophy.

Helenbergh has established a brand-new concept "Flourish with You" as early as 2018, which is vivid description of Helenbergh's years of efforts in offering quality projects to the city and occupants, under the four dimensions of product identity, brand power, service capacity and corporate social responsibility. Since then, Helenbergh has embarked on a journey to enhance its brand value.

Dimension 1: Product Identity

With the continuous tightening of policy regulation and the intensification of enterprise concentration, the focus of competition between real estate developers has changed from scale expansion to product competitiveness. During enterprise development in recent years, Helenbergh has upgraded its product concept and product line many times in response to the ever-changing market demands.

1. Upgrade of "Health⁺" Product Strategy

Since Helenbergh launched the "Health⁺" product strategy, many iterations have been carried out.

In 2016, Helenbergh initiated the "Health⁺" product strategy, emphasizing the health of customers, including the physical and mental health of customers and the balanced relationship within the community.

In 2017, Helenbergh launched the "Health⁺ Residential System". The "Health⁺" product standard was introduced and applied to several projects. Besides, the "Health⁺ Life Experience Pavilion" was established, and the Helenbergh Product Manual 2017 edition was published. All these contributed to the debut of the "Health⁺1.0".

In 2018, Helenbergh, on the basis of understanding of the unprecedented changes of the times and customers' needs, issued the "Health⁺ 2.0" by introducing three dimensions of product mindset, space design and lifestyle creation to upgrade and improve the initial product system.

Against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, Helenbergh R&D Team has quickly gathered thoughts on how to create a healthy community, and has injected more health value factors into the ten standards of the Health⁺ 2.0 Product Value System through various dimensions.

Health⁺2.0 – Healthy Living Upgrade System (Source: Official WeChat Account of Helenbergh)

Since the early months of this year, Helenbergh has paid more attention to the changes of lifestyle in the post-pandemic era. From the aspects of product selection, material selection, apartment design, disinfection equipment, intelligent equipment, property upgrading, community supporting, etc., Helenbergh has launched a new healthy life upgrade system covering "Healthy and Efficient Space", "Healthy and Friendly Atmosphere", "Healthy and Intelligent Technology" and "Health Promotion Management", built an ideal living system covering the whole community and life, thus seeking to build a living area integrating green, healthy and intelligent life, and inject more health value factors into the ten standards of the Health⁺2.0 Product Value System.

2.6⁺1 Residential Property Product Line Meets Various Demands

In recent years, "product is king" has gradually become the consensus among real estate developers, and the research and development and iteration of product series have also emerged as the core competitiveness for a brand developer to secure its market position. In the process of continuous adjustment, Helenbergh's product series is becoming more mature, healthy and intelligent.

In terms of the residential property, Helenbergh, with the help of a standardized project management system, has developed six classic product lines, including Golden Time Series, Bay Series, Helen International Series, Helen Spring Series, Love-ME Series and Helen Town Series, all of which represent iconic quality residential housing projects. In addition, "Park View Mansion Series", a new addition of upgraded product line to the family of Helenbergh, is committed to offering quality residential buildings themed on healthy and smart living.

Helenbergh, on the basis of three dimensions of customer's income and ability to pay, development of house purchasing cycle, and urban capacity and unit price of the residential housing, has gradually formed a 6⁺1 product line to meet the needs of different customers through in-depth investigation on different cities, zones and blocks, and by intensive integration of the landscape ecology and interpersonal connections.

3.Three Commercial Property Series Enables Rapid Replicability

Helenbergh's commercial properties mainly include shopping malls, office premises, and retail premises attached to residential properties. Currently, Helenbergh operates three major commercial product lines: one-stop shopping center "Helen World", medium and high-end commercial complex "Helen City" and community-based shopping plaza "Helen Park". Each product family and product line are customized to meet the needs of different customer groups and can be quickly replicated to new markets.

Dimension 2: Brand Power

In the process of continuous development and upgrading, Helenbergh's brand value has gradually been widely recognized by the society. In recent years, Helenbergh was named top 100 real estate developers repeatedly, and won other awards in this sector by growth, development potential and comprehensive strength. At the same time, Helenbergh is also constantly making new attempts and innovations in brand building.

1.Anthropomorphic Brand Ambassador "Haixiaobao" Unveiled

Under the guidance of brand philosophy "Flourish with You", Helenbergh's IP "Haixiaobao", the "Chief Health Experience Officer" was unveiled on May 20th, 2020. The character setting of "Haixiaobaio" is an adventurous and sports-loving kid, originating from the dolphin and wave.

The image of Haixiaobao convinces the public that Helenbergh is a "young and vigorous" company. The five connotations of "health", "sports", "intelligence", "heartwarmingness" and " considerateness" represented by Haixiaobao all have formed corresponding specific images. Helenbergh hopes to use the personified brand image of the “Chief Health Experience Officer” Haixiaobao to tap into the impressive highlights of brand characteristics and create the brand recognition of Helenbergh being a " Leader of A Healthy Living".

2.Enhancing Employer Brand Presence Through In-depth Training

Helenbergh has been adhering to promote the employer brand presence, while building a platform for the joint development of both the company and individuals.

Detailed Diagram for Training and Growth in Helenbergh

According to internal statistics of Helenbergh, Helenbergh headquarters, though affected by COVOD-19, has successfully held in the first half of 2020 over 100 sessions themed on management standardization upgrade, 3 sessions of Helen lectures, 3 sessions of training camps for new forces, 3 sessions of special training camps for high-potential backbones, 2 sessions of special training camps for senior executives, and 1 session of training course for newly-employed graduates through campus recruitment.

Dimension 3: Service Capacity

Over the past 20-plus years, in addition to provision of quality housing projects, Helenbergh has tapped into a series of thought-provoking meanings of service to connect products with service, houses with life, and pay tribute to a better life with superior services.

Helenbergh continues to provide value-added services to customers. Up to now, it has served more than 600,000 customers with an apartment service area of over 30 million square meters.

1.Building A 6H Living Service System Through Upgrade of Service Capacity

Helenbergh has built a "6H Living Service System" featured by "happy house viewing, honesty in contract signing, reassuring hope, worry-free harvest, host with joy and comfortable home" to solve customers' pain points, create value for them, and establish a harmonious neighborhood relationship with compassionate care in community.

6H Customer Service System

2.Providing An All-round Service with Sincerity Through Upgrade of Service Experience

Helenbergh has initiated an "All-round Sincere Service Model" in the sector, with "harmony", "moderation", "compassionate care", "health", "sunshine" and "Meticulous Care" as the core, with a view to building a harmonious neighborhood relationship and create a living culture with a strong sense of belonging.

All-round Service with Sincerity

3.Facilitating A Better Life Empowered by Science and Technology

In terms of intelligent construction, Helenbergh, with the application of a smart property service system called Property Housekeeper App and a community life service system called Hi Mansion App, has built a "Full Life Cycle Service System for a Better Life", which ensures rapid respond to customer needs with high-frequency interaction and efficient coordination of various resources to meet customer needs.

Full Life Cycle Service for A Better Life

Dimension 4: Corporate Social Responsibility

On the basis of doing a good job through superior products and services to repay customers, Helenbergh has actively assumed increasing corporate social responsibilities by successively carrying out a series of philanthropy activities in many fields such as donations for schools and students, targeted poverty alleviation and people's war against the COVID-19 pandemic, with a view to helping the weak and the needy and advocating positive energy.

1.Activity to Assist the Impoverished Students Across Hundred Cities Through Helenbergh Education Program

Helenbergh has been committed to the cause of educational assistance. The program chiefly aims to offer financial assistance, subsidies and sponsorship, opportunities for further study and on-the-job internship, job offers and other assistance, so as to help impoverished students throughout the whole process of studying from primary school to university.

The program has helped more than 4,000 students since its inception and is still offering financial support to over 3,000 students.

2.Helenbergh Support in Targeted Poverty Alleviation

Helenbergh has set up a special working group and signed an agreement with Jinggangshan City to offer assistance through pairing programs. Taking into account the local conditions, Helenbergh will support the development of Jinggangshan City from three aspects: industrial development (honey industry), infrastructure construction (tap water project) and financial support to local schools and students.

Support Through the Whole Industrial Chain

3.Helenbergh Kindness in Disaster Relief and People's War Against COVID-19

Helenbergh has offered tremendous support and help to the people afflicted by natural disasters such as the tsunami in Southeast Asia, Wenchuan earthquake and Yushu earthquake in Qinghai.

During the outbreak of COVID-19, in addition to RMB 5 million donation to Wuhan Charity Federation, Helenbergh also donated medical supplies outsourced from overseas, mobilized branch companies to donate supplies in support of the local anti-pandemic campaign, and launched the online community-based psychological counseling platform to actively fight the pandemic.

Besides the above-mentioned philanthropy activities, Helenbergh has also launched a number of social care projects such as visits to welfare homes for the elderly, thus establishing a good corporate image.

As a leader of healthy living, Helenbergh insists on creating fine quality projects with ingenuity, and is moving forward in a robust response to achieve continuous improvement in enterprise scale, operation ability, product identity and service capacity.