Focus, And Say (Grilled) Cheese!

Focusing on doing a few things really well is a surefire way to success.  This was Steve Job’s mantra at Apple.  Yet, specialization is, by far, one of the most challenging concepts for luxury real estate marketing professionals to embrace. They are afraid of losing out on other opportunities that comes their way.

Recently we had lunch at a restaurant in our neighboring town of Ventura that exemplified the power of focus.  805 Bar & Grilled Cheese specializes in grilled sandwiches that are simply out of this world. In fact, grilled sandwiches comprises their entire menu (with a choice of complimentary side orders) And, they have an excellent wine list. The restaurant is located right on the marina in Ventura Harbor where you can sit outside, see the boats and enjoy waterfront ambiance.

Growing up, one of our most comforting comfort food combinations was a grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. 805’s tomato bisque is best in class. It is rich and spicy with plenty of tomato chunks, the perfect compliment to the sandwich.

The name, 805 (our area code) Bar & Grilled Cheese tells you exactly what the brand category is, local comfort food, and also its niche within that category.  This not only makes it easy to remember, but also easy to spread the good word via word-of-mouth advertising. And, that is the power of focus and specialization!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Hold The Vision, Trust The Process!

According to a dear friend our ours, who has been an inspiration to us for many years, there is a certain mindset required when it comes to taking on a huge challenge that is outside your comfort level. That expression is “hold the vision, trust the process”.  To do so consistently requires overriding your own self-doubts, especially when others are telling you that you are crazy, or you should quit.

We applaud those visionaries who take on these kinds of challenges.  This year a movie was released that took 12 years to make, ‘Boyhood’.  According to Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal, it is destined to be the frontrunner come Awards Season.  It follows the same cast, a boy and his family over time as the kid comes of age. 

This is groundbreaking, an unprecedented achievement. And, no special effects to speak of, mind you.  It was a huge gamble by a cast, crew, director and producers.  You can rent it now or stream it online. This is not a review; it is a thumbs-up for those who are daring enough to take on huge challenges and see them through. 

We applaud these people because they reflect our own values. They held their vision and trusted the process. We hope they will be acknowledged both in box office numbers and top entertainment awards.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

                                   GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

“So Five Minutes Ago?”Or Will It Last As Long As The Wall of China?

The Fashion World’s designers want to stand out among their competition, as much as luxury real estate agents and companies do.  Standing out in one’s field means being top- of-mind and that translates into profit.   September and October are the fashion show months as designers unveil their latest offerings for Spring/Summer Collection 2015.  

The spirit of competition is fierce among the various fashion brands.  Every designer wants to be noticed and first to come to mind.  The showmanship is usually buzz- worthy. However, will the buzz be long term memorable or “so five minutes ago”?

This morning we received a video announcement from Ralph Lauren about the “first ever 4D Fashion Show, A Holographic Runway Event in the Heart of Central Park.”  Along with the video of the event, a behind the scenes video was included on the making of a holographic event with green screens. 

It was for us a momentary wow, and then it became “so five minutes ago!”  It was so five minutes ago, because we could envision all the other fashion houses imitating this in no time.  As technology evolves on a daily basis, it can so easily become so five minutes ago,” because the next breakthrough is around the bend.

In October 2007, Fendi made fashion history by hosting the world’s longest runway    show on the Great Wall of China.  The runway was built on top of the wall, and this in itself was an engineering feat.

This definitely was a wow for us. The event caught the attention of the global media.     Seven years later, we are still talking about it.  This event eclipsed all the runway shows in 2007, and in our opinion was memorable and inimitable.  

As much as it was a defining moment for Fendi, it was a coming out party for China, at that time an emerging superpower looking to make its impact on the world at large.  From a marketing viewpoint, there was an alignment of purposes and a win-win for all parties, and that alignment made it memorable.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Luxury Real Estate Brand Strategy: Days on Market or Dom Perignon?

As brand strategists we see an excellent opportunity, to develop a reputation as the leading expert in your marketplace by periodically authoring and publishing a compelling luxury real estate market report. The key to success with this strategy is providing original content, which is true of any journalistic endeavor on the Internet or in print.

The opportunity to stand out as the leading expert in your area writing a local market report is actually an opportunity to brand yourself as such.  Each edition of your market report gives you a chance to communicate your unique point of view.  That is, how you are different and better than your competition and why prospective buyers or selling should choose you over your competition as their agent or broker.

The first catch here is that you need to know your unique point of view, your unique promise of value.  Otherwise, you will not be followed.  You will not build an ever-expanding audience.

Your first step is assessing your competition.  Is there anyone else in your marketplace that is publishing a market report?  Are they just regurgitating the facts or are they offering a distinct point of view?

If no one is truly offering fresh insights you may have identified what we call an uncontested market niche.  This may be a vehicle for you to stand out in the minds of your target market.

The second catch is being consistent.  If you do not keep up your reports on a regular basis you will quickly lose your audience.

The third catch is that you need to communicate in clear terms that are easy to understand. Do not use abbreviations like DOM (days on market). After all, you do not want to be confused with Dom Perignon, the great Champagne brand.

Here is the true test to see if you have the “chops” to be an authoritative author and self-publisher of a local market report: Ask yourself if you would read your own marketing reports? Or would you be bored out of your mind reading mind numbing data?

Write from a unique point of view.  Be consistent.  Write clearly in layman’s terms. And, you may just achieve top-of-mind status as other highly successful market leading agents have done.  No doubt, you will be sipping a glass of Dom Perignon to celebrate your top of mind status.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Three Ways to Sharpen Your Strategic Thinking Part 1

If you are going to respond pro-actively to the ever-changing world we live in, it is important that you sharpen your strategic thinking.   This will help you to outthink your competition.

Take time to reexamine your opinions.  Challenge your own premises, and be open enough to admit you may be wrong.  For instance, many real estate marketing professionals are quick to tell you that print advertising is a colossal waste of money.

In our research and experience we have found that in some luxury markets, print ads are a strong source of leads for many brokers and agents.  The same is true in some communities with 55+ homeowners.  

Some luxury marketers are now beginning their campaigns in print first and online second.  This practice is a more effective way to reach their target market.  Research on the subject also shows that the younger generations are responding to print ads favorably.

Realize that opposing views are not negative views, they are just views. Negative views begin, continue and end with insults. Opposing views is simply a view that does not agree with yours. Read articles or have discussions with people with opposing views.  In practicing this you may glean something you are missing in your thinking, and it may actually strengthen your position.  

Take time to recharge your mind and learn something new.   Do something different outside of your routine; adapt it as part of your daily job.  This morning on our early beach walk, we walked to the left rather than our usual choice to the right.  It was a treat as there were tide pools to explore, and also seals and sea lions sunbathing on the rocks. 

We also saw a sign announcing that once again the grunions are running this evening. “Grunion are known for their unusual mating ritual wherein at very high tides, the females come up on to sandy beaches where they dig their tails into the sand to lay their eggs. The male then wraps himself around the female to deposit his sperm and for the next 10 days the grunion eggs remain hidden in the sand. At the next set of high tides, the eggs hatch and the young grunion are washed out to sea.” Wikipedia. This event occurs for several evenings, and we are going to catch the show.

Stay tuned for Part 2.  We will continue to discuss more ways to expand your strategic thinking, and outthink your competition.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

True Confession: How & Why We Fell In Love with a Brand! Part 5

As consumers we love Nespresso. As luxury brand strategists we salute Nespresso for outsmarting the best American Coffee companies and beating them at their own game in the fastest growing segment of the coffee industry: portioned coffee.

In 1996, Nespresso patented the process of brewing espresso from capsules containing ground coffee. But, North Americans crave larger cups of coffee more so than espresso. 

Keurig was instrumental in turning portioned coffee into a $4.9 billion market by licensing their K-Cups to major US and Canadian coffee brands including Starbucks that accounts for over 25% of all K-cup sales. Almost one-half of an isle at CostCo is devoted to selling multiple brands of co-branded K-Cup coffee--IN BULK! 

But, here is the downside of K-Cups: They rob Starbuck’s (and other top coffeehouse brands packaged in K-Cups) of their primary differentiator as a luxury brand--freshly roasted coffee that you can get only at their coffee-houses. This created the opportunity for a new luxury brand niche: PREMIUM portioned coffee! 

Nespresso, launched the Viruoline system in 2014 expressly to target upper demographic coffee aficionados in the US and Canada.  What makes this machine distinct from Keurig and all others is its patented Centrifusion technology. It brews BOTH coffee and espresso with an enormous amount of crema that significantly enhances the flavor and texture of the coffee. 

Nespresso, buys only the top 1-2% of the finest coffee in the world--their Grand Cru selection. It is exquisitely packaged; you will never find Nespresso's recyclable aluminum (not plastic) capsules sold in bulk. Their coffee must be ordered by phone or online as a Nespresso Club member. It is not available in stores other than Nespresso's own boutiques. That is how they INSURE THE HIGHEST QUALITY, FRESHNESS AND CUSTOMER CARE!  

Swiss-made Nespresso trumped the top coffee brands in North America, creating a new luxury niche which they undoubtedly will dominate.  As a luxury real estate marketing professional, how can you trump your closest competitors? 

Part 1   l   Part 2   l   Part 3   l   Part 4   l   Part 5

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain & Twitter

Luxury Real Estate Brand Strategy: What You Can Learn from the World's Most Highly Valued Brands

Photo Courtesy of Apple

As a challenger, it takes a sharply focused strategy to secure top-of-mind status in your luxury real estate marketplace, and also to seize the lion’s share of business from the incumbent market leader. Complacent leaders can often be caught off-guard by a challenger with a fine-tuned brand strategy. If you want to sustain your own market leadership THINK STRATEGICALLY! Study the brand strategies of the most highly valued brands in the world.  And, that is what we begin to explore in this article series. 

Lately, doubts have been cast about the ability of Apple (#1 highest valued brand in the world) to fend off the fierce competition of Google (#2), Samsung (#30), Amazon (#14) and Microsoft (#7) in the realm of smart phones and tablet computers. Sustaining their market leadership will require Apple to create an impenetrable buffer zone to protect their overall lead in these combined categories, in terms of revenue, and create switching barriers, to hold on to existing customers. 

But, first let’s start with Google who wants to rule the world of online advertising. One of their key strategies is offering their Android operating system software for FREE.  Better yet, they entice device makers and app developers to use Android though profit sharing on the sale of apps in their app store. 

Some pundits believe that this "better than free" strategy along with Google’s Motorola acquisition will significantly drive down the prices of smart phones and tablet hardware, which could completely commissioned those devices.  The cost of offering cheap hardware, free software and cash incentives constitutes their buffer zone. And, it should be offset with Google’s increased ad revenue given their potential dominance over the highest volume of devices in the world, which are Android based.

This could potentially be a huge threat to Apple  But, Apple is definitely not complacent.  In Part 2 of this article series we will explore what Apple’s strategy appears to be for maintaining their leadership position as the world’s most valuable brand.   

PART 1   l   PART 2   l   PART 3

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain