Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Notes from Scottsdale/Success in the “New Normal”

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How to Make Your Primary Brand Differentiator Your Bread and Butter

April 4, 2011

Contrarian thinking is one of the factors that separate market leaders from the rest of the pack. For luxury real estate marketing professionals who wish to dominate an underserved market niche, here is an example of a billion dollar company that has done just that by thinking differently.

Panera, known for its hearty soups, salads and $7 sandwiches, made with freshly backed artisan breads, served on real dishware in a very comfortable setting, exemplifies such a market leader. With 1420 stores, and a roughly $3 billion market capitalization it has taken a page from Starbucks, and is thriving by providing its customers with a “third place” to gather, apart from home and the work place.

The mark of an effective brand is one that can communicate how it is different from its closest competition in just a few words. For Panera those words are “healthy, tasty &, affordable, yet upscale”.

Subway claims to serve healthy, affordable sandwiches too, but not on artisan bread and not on ceramic dishes. Tasty, is more of a subjective attribute which must be taken out of the equation when comparing the two brands. But, the furnishings in Subway are not upscale like you would find in a well- appointed Starbucks store.

Can you see how the DNA of a brand (the summation of its primary brand attributes) completely changes when one additional factor, “upscale” is added to the “recipe”? Can you see how adding one additional brand attribute can appeal to a specific demographic that was underserved (by Subway for example) and thus create an entirely new brand category? Can you see that an “upscale” version of Subway was an uncontested market niche and now has become a separate brand category in the minds of its target market?

Can you articulate the brand attribute(s) that sets you apart from your competition? Think contrary to the norm and you will stand out in a meaningful way. Your target market will appreciate that you have done so and they will follow you instead of your competition! Only then will your dfferentiating brand attribute become your "bread and butter".

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Joy of Every Day Luxury

March 30, 2011

Fluency in the Language of Luxury requires practice. But, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you do not need to be among the super rich to appreciate the fine things in life and share them with others. In fact, it is everyday luxuries that most people take for granted regardless of their level of affluence.

It is said that for every one complaint voiced by someone who speaks up, about a product or service, there are ten others who criticize it “under the radar”. More people go out of their way to complain than recommend wholeheartedly. Yet, it is truly important to encourage excellence; because, when you experience excellence, it is a luxury. If you are indeed a fan you need to rave. That is one way to practice the Language of Luxury. Keep in mind that those who also value excellence are eager to discover your good news.

We recently purchased a new Cuisinart coffee maker as our old one broke. We were not really 100% happy with the previous one that we owned for over four years. The carafe did not pour very well (it spilled coffee too easily). It was not easy to clean. And, it was very difficult to pour water into the container without spilling.

When the carafe broke it was time to shop. Yet, we were reluctant to buy the same brand due to what we considered to be “design flaws”.

What won us over about the new Cuisinart model while in the store was the absence of a carafe; it dispensed one cup at a time by pressing down on a button that is three fingers wide. We cannot bring this to a table to serve, but this suits us just fine. It keeps the coffee at the perfect temperature for a longer period of time. It is easy to pour water into the container. And, it is extremely easy to clean.

The best part is that this new model brews our favorite brand of coffee better than any other coffee maker we have ever owned. The difference was remarkable. Now, that is true everyday luxury! And, we are happy to rave about it.

What are some of your everyday luxuries? We would love you to share them with us and the LOL community.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: I am all Ears; Tell Me Your Story!

March 29, 2011

As a luxury real estate marketing professional or a company do you have a story to tell about your brand? Can you tell the story clearly? Can you consistently emphasize what makes you different? Is your story imbued with character? And, above all, will the listener want to repeat the story to their friends?

As children one of the primary ways we start understanding the world is through stories. Stories are the beginning; they give our lives meaning. We make sense of who we are by identifying with the stories we are told. The same goes for brand stories. They tell us if it makes sense to buy the brand or the service, what the difference is, and what the underlying truth (the character) is in the brand. The brand story is like the moral of a story. If the moral of the story is compelling it makes us want to buy one brand more so than any other.

As you craft your brand story imagine yourself as the listener. Ask yourself:

1. What are you trying to tell me?

2. Why should I be interested or care?

3. What are the morals, the truths, and the character of your personal or company brand?

These are the questions your prospective clients and referral sources will ask. Basically, they are asking, “Can you tell me your story so I can believe in you?" Make your brand story compelling, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, so that people will follow you and refer you.

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Luxury Real Estate Personal and Company Branding: I Yam What I Yam

March 28, 2011

If you could identify the most dominant/powerful aspect of your personality and amplify it in such a way that it could be expressed graphically, this would be one of the most important aspects of your personal brand.

Many luxury real estate marketing professionals fall into the trap of trying to be all things to all people. Like Popeye you have to be able to say, I Yam What I Yam and stand unwaveringly behind your brand personality statement. For example, are you?

Conservative or innovative?

Serious or humorous?

Daring or risk avert?

Creative or methodical?

Entertaining or informative?

Marketing is essentially matchmaking. You are marketing to people with similar or compatible personalities. The clearer you represent your dominant personality trait, the faster you will attract the best clients for you; and, the easier you will make it for others to promote you.

Trying to be all things to all people is a recipe for failure. Focusing just on your target market i.e., people like you is a sure way to success. Personality can transcend demographics. So, for those of you who are concerned about which price range to operate in you can focus on attracting compatible personality types.

It cannot be the personality you would like to have, it has to be authentic. You can only do you.

I'm Popeye the sailor man.
I'm Popeye the sailor man.
I yam what I yam
And that's all what I yam.
I'm Popeye the sailor man.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Brand Japan-Beyond Bonsai and Sushi, Part 3

March 23, 2011

Photo by Terence Ong, Vivo City Mall Singapore

This is Part 3 of our series “Brand Japan”-Beyond Bonsai and Sushi, our tribute to the Japanese culture. In our ever-expanding quest to define the meaning of luxury as a context for luxury real estate marketing, we look to some of Japan’s most creative innovators. Here are their inspiring definitions of luxury.

Luxury is:

“To have a heart that is rich and full”—Makoto Azuma

Makoto Azuma crafts masterpieces using some of the world’s most beautiful flowers and botanical theme artworks. He is known as an avant garde florist.

“Space. The space in nature, where I find energy. The energy of the earth, waterfalls, the forest-all this gives the desire to create.” --Naomi Kaneko

Naomi Kaneko, is a Yuzen (floral and nature) painter of fine silk Kimonos. She uses only the finest pigments which last over 100 years.

“Comfort like taking a bath, relaxed and feeling a sense of satisfaction. It can be a very comfortable room as well. Whether it is a room like a modern art museum, or a vacation home, if you feel comfortable, it is luxury.” --Shu Uemura

Shu Uemura is a makeup artist and the founder of Shu Uemura Cosmetics, which is known for its fanciful eyelashes and skin care products that ncorporates water found at a depth of 1000 meters in the ocean (because it is rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium and has other trace elements).

“Freedom definitely, if you consider architecture it is always based on limitation, I want to make it free from this.” --Toyo Ito

Architect Toyo Ito is known for his organic forms and fluid designs, such as the Vivo shopping mall in Singapore pictured above.

We have enjoyed sharing our Japanese sojourn with you. We are all part of this vibrant human tapestry.

“When you immerse yourself in a culture with an open heart, even briefly, you cannot help but become part of it.”

Ron & Alexandra Seigel, authors of the Language of Luxury

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Brand Japan- Beyond Sushi and Bonsai Part 2

March 22, 2011

This is Part 2 of our blog series, Brand Japan-Beyond Sushi and Bonsai, a tribute to the Japanese culture.

Understanding the principles of Japanese garden design, which is rich in symbolism and meaning, offers many lessons for us when designing brand identities for luxury real estate marketing professionals. One design principle of Japanese gardens is the Art of Stone.

“The Art of Stone in a Japanese garden is that of placement. Its ideal does not deviate from Nature.” Isamu Noguchi, Japanese sculptor 1904-1988

The placement of a stone in a garden can communicate volumes of meaning to the observer. How a brand is positioned can do the same. Your personal brand position, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, is what you stand for in the minds of your target market. It is essential, however, that your brand position reflects your authentic , true nature .

Noguchi's placement of his sculpture, the Red Cube at the HSBC building in New York City Photo by Sean Pavlone

The gardens in Japan were closed to the public until the 20^th century. They were designed by the ruling elite and by monasteries as centers for meditation and worship. The purpose was to provide a peaceful venue far from the madness of everyday life. They represented the paradise of Buddha.

The basic elements of a garden are water, stones, and plants. Each stone, each plant had its place in order to express a mood of serenity. If a garden has water (chisen style), it occupies the largest portion of the garden. It is edged with groups of stones representing rocky seashore. Water elements have islands in them because islands represent a sacred remote place or immortal happiness.

In the dry gardens (karensansui style) the presence of water is not necessary. The patterns of the water/the sea are represented in the patterns raked in the sand or gravel, and the island is represented by the perfect stone(s).

The plants are an expression of Japanese spiritual life. Pines are beloved because they are evergreen and thus are symbols of long life and happiness. Other plant material includes dogwood, azalea, moss, bamboo, and junipers.

Simply put, the Japanese garden aesthetic guidelines rely on asymmetry, the imperfect and odd numbers. This mirrors the concepts of Zen Buddhism: naturalness, tranquility, simplicity and austerity.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Brand-Japan Beyond Sushi and Bonsai

March 21, 2011

This week’s blog series is dedicated to achieving a deeper appreciation of the “brand Japan”-Beyond Sushi and Bonsai, and the creative spirit of its people who will be guiding their country's recovery.

Because branding is a shortcut to make it easy for people to remember you, your company or your product can, under certain circumstances, sell you short. In a time-pressed world, we need shortcuts to achieve trust in a relationship with a brand. But, it is easy to get lazy and not override the shortcuts (that can sometimes be the equivalent of prejudices), in order to experience a deeper appreciation. As luxury real estate marketing professionals, we encourage you to take the luxury of time to enrich your soul and discover, along with us, an expanded meaning of what is distinctly Japanese.

What does the “brand Japan” mean to you? What immediate thoughts come instantly to mind when you think of Japan beyond bonsai, sushi and cherry blossoms, etc? These kinds of iconic images, these mental shortcuts that have been branded into our minds are convenient symbols of Japan. But, there is so much richness that this distinct culture has in store when you delve deeper.

Haiku (俳句, is a form of Japanese poetry. It is an expression of a brief thought and has a reference to nature. One of the best known Haiku writers is Basho, here are three examples:

The clouds come and go,
providing a rest for all
the moon viewers

Spring air --
Woven moon
And plum scent.

In this warm spring rain,
tiny leaves are sprouting
from the eggplant seed

The best brand messaging is similar to Haiku: distilled, expressing the nature of itself and unforgettable.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: The Closing Gift that Keeps Giving

March 15, 2011

Sterling Silver Roses

The most important aspect of gift giving as a luxury real estate marketing professional is understanding who your client is. l In conversing with anyone, it is easy to listen for the clues of things they like:hobbies they are involved in or ideas they are passionate about. These listening moments are a guarantee to finding the perfect gift that keeps giving.

When we were active in commercial real estate on the Westside of Los Angeles, many of our clients were avid gardeners. The majority of them loved roses growing in their gardens. Our gift to them was a selection of the newest species of roses from Jackson Perkins. This year, they have 6 new varieties including a wonderful purple rose called Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as its companion rose, Chardonnay. They usually ship them in bareroot form this time of the year. As the ground warms up you can have them shipped in pots.

On our monthly journey to Los Angeles, we ocasionally see these clients/friends and they will inevitably bring up the subject of the roses we have given them. They remark how they always think of us, when they cut them and bring them in to their home or place of business. They will comment on the exceptional quality and quantity of the blooms, etc.

We always made a point of discovering our clients personal preferences, so that we could send a gift that would say we understood who they are, and that alone reminded them of us. Our coffee experts were sent an annual subscription to some of the world's rarest coffees, and the same for the tea drinkers.

If you give someone what they really are interested in, you are a great gift giver. A great gift comes from listening to another person, and making a note under their name in your records. It is so much fun to see someone's smile, and say" Thanks, this is one the best gifts, I have ever received."

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Language of Luxury Group on Linked In Surpasses 2000 Members-Join Us!

March 13, 2011

Language of Luxury (LOL) Group on Linked In

Surpasses 2000 Members

Over 225 New Members Joined LOL in the Last Three Weeks

JOIN US TODAY!

Thanks to the support of participating members of the LOL Team of Experts we exceeded our March 31^stgoal of 2000 members by 22days! We are, indeed, the fastest growing luxury real estate professional network on social media, today.

If you are not yet an LOL Member on Linked In we encourage you to join us there. Click here to join LOL on Linked In: http://linkd.in/e1B8xZ

Congratulations to our 2000^th LOL Member on Linked In, Christina Phillips of Sotheby's International Realty in Princeton, New Jersey! Check out her blog post on LanguageOfLuxury.com:

http://bit.ly/iaet1X

Get Fluent. Get Affluent!

Ron & Alexandra Seigel, LOL Community Founders

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Do You Speak Mobile?

March 11, 2011

Photo by Dikiiy

The interactive mobile experience can radically change your perception of a brand. You can stand out from your competition, as a luxury real estate marketing professional if you embrace the new mobile media. The key is to respect your visitor’s time and their autonomy.

The mobile iPad App for Hyundai’s Equus is a case in point. Up until now this Korean automotive company has stood for economy cars in the minds of their target market. So, how do they create a perception shift for their new luxury model? It is worth downloading the free Equus App to experience this shift yourself.

The interactivity that they have created engages you and puts you behind the wheel of this car. You can also change the color of the exterior. You can “push” (touch) the Start button, and take it for a test drive as the video is presented.

Now is the time to immerse yourself in the language of luxury mobile media. Learn how to speak to your clientele through this media and become fluent in it before your competition does.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Buzz Sparked by the Unexpected

March 9, 2011

As a luxury real estate marketing professional you understand the importance of great packaging. One of the ways to upgrade that packaging is to add an unexpected element to your marketing materials. It may seem at first glance incongruous. However, it can trigger word-of-mouth advertising or buzz when you startle people with the unexpected element.

We were in our wine store today, The Carpinteria Wine Company, and we saw the bottle pictured above with a placard stating it had a 90+ rating. That message drew us in, and we took a closer look at the wine. From a distance, it looked like any other bottle of wine. Up close, we noticed that it had a piece of the vine it originated from tied in raffia on the front of the bottle.

Instantly, it became unforgettable. The wine happens to be great! But, the next time we go back to the wine store we can find it in a nano-second without even remembering the name of the wine. That is brilliant marketing and branding!

In a previous post, we mentioned that, given the enormous competition in the wine market, it is understandable why a wine label design can cost up to $80,000. This added unexpected element costs, next to nothing because the vines are trimmed and burned every year after the harvest.

This is one of the best examples of how you can out-think, not out-spend your competition and become the standout in your marketplace.

The name of the wine is Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d"Abruzzo 2007. That is certainly not an easy name to remember, but the packaging is. Happy Sipping!

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: A Brave New Interactive World

March 7, 2011

Photo by Naiyyer

Luxury real estate marketing professionals, it is time to embrace the brave new interactive world on your website. If do not, your competition will. If you get there first you can trigger buzz, and spark word-of-mouth advertising that will help you achieve top of mind status in your marketplace.

Web 2.0 has brought about an interactive world, where customers can engage and participate with a website like never before. The blog enabled the “conversation”. Now, there is even more opportunity for interactivity. As technology has progressed many companies have refreshed their brands by adding interactive features that capture the imagination, showcasing the creativity of many bright minds.

One brand that embodies cutting edge interactive technologies is Ralph Lauren who has redesigned his website to include new “experiences” on many levels. The latest is a beautifully illustrated video, narrated by Uma Thurman that tells a charming story that is perfect for children and adults alike. Furthermore, there is a link to Ralph Lauren’s Facebook page where you can enter your child’s photo for a chance to be cast in the next story. Of course, if you like the clothes in the story you can click on them and buy them on the spot.

For men and women, there is a style page that will keep you current with what is “in”. And, if you still have fashion questions, you can write a note to the style editors to get a personalized answer. For those who are athletic and love Lauren’s sporting line, he has developed an iPad application. The app features world-class athletes showing such things as how the fabric moves by blowing into the tablet’s microphone to simulate the fabric in motion. Or, you can move your finger across the screen to change colors and also move the athlete.

We will be covering many ways in which you can make luxury real estate marketing interactive on your website. Yes, it is one more thing that you must keep up with to stay competitive. And, you were thinking it was time for a tech-break!

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: The Key to Sustaining Market Leadership

March 2, 2011

Courtesy of Apple

Achieving market leadership is one thing. Sustaining it is another. Incumbent market leaders in the realm of luxury real estate marketing, this post is for you!

Last year Apple defined an entirely new category of computer- tablets supported by apps- and established itself as the category leader. No less than 100 new competing tablet brands are expected out this year. How will Apple sustain their leading edge? Observe and learn from the best in class and you will be able to stay ahead of the pack in your luxury real estate marketplace.

Taking a break from his medical leave, the master communicator of our lifetime, Steve Jobs, made a surprise appearance to introduce the iPad2. In his inimitable presentation style Jobs demonstrated, yet again, that simplicity in design and in communication is the ultimate sophistication.

In just a few words, Jobs explained why iPad2 will crush the competition. It is thinner, lighter, and faster without sacrificing its 10 hour batter life! And, the price remains the same. Analysts predict that in 2011 Apple will still have up to 80% market share in tablets.

New features include two cameras, Face Time (video phone calls) and multiple color covers. They will ship by March 11 and be in 26 Apple- hungry countries two weeks later. With touch screen versions of their popular iMovie and Garage Band programs they have transformed their own creation into a device that is exciting not just for consuming media but also for producing it.

Incumbent market leaders often get complacent, making it relatively easy for sharply focused challengers to unseat them. Do not let this be your story. Take a lesson from the incumbent, Apple: Stay focused and best your own track record! That is the key to sustaining market leadership.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Quality Content is Buzz-Worthy

March 1, 2011

In our previous post we outlined the 10 Keys to Improve the Quality of Your Content on your web pages and in your blog, as a luxury real estate marketing professional. There is no mistaking quality. Check out this Sapporo beer commercial. If this was played during the Super Bowl it would have been the sure winner. On You Tube, it has been seen over 2.5 million times. This is what we mean when we say make your content comment-worthy, follow-worthy and buzz-worthy, triggering word-of-mouth advertising.

What does this commercial say to you about quality in marketing?With so many beers on the market worldwide to choose from how do you communicate that your brand has superior quality? In the case of Sapporo, they wanted to communicate that their brand represents LEGENDARY QUALITY.

How can you communicate, through quality content, that your brand of service as a luxury real estate marketing professional is worthy of buzz? How can you get people to go out of their way to promote YOU!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: 10 Keys to Improve the Quality of Your Content

February 28, 2011

Recently Google has been besieged by complaints that they are ranking sites with “canned” content higher than those with meaningful content. Google has responded by making changes in their algorithms that are aimed at sites with what it calls "low quality" content: just enough information to appear in search results. If your luxury real estate marketing web pages or blog posts fall into this category of low quality, beware! You natural search engine ranking could slip.

Who is really reading your blog: real people or Google robots? Hopefully, your answer is both. To be a successful blogger your content must be more than just a means to an end of increasing your page ranking. It must be an end unto itself and offer satisfaction to your readers. Ultimately, Google’s job is to match inquiring minds with quality content that meets their needs.

Here are 10 ways to improve the quality of your content.

1.       Make your content useful

2.       Make your content pertinent

3.       Make your content informative

4.       Make your content fresh

5.       Make your content uplift

6.       Make your content entertaining

7.       Make your content newsworthy

8.       Make your content comment-worthy

9.       Make your content follow-worthy

10.    Make your content worthy of being shared

Focus in on those items and see how you can improve the quality of your content. Remember this: Robots have no sense of humor; they leave no comments and do not share. They do not get uplifted. But, they do know when your content is fresh vs. canned!

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How to Decommoditize Your Luxury Real Estate Marketing Practice

February 23, 2011

Commoditization is one of the most important business principles to understand as a luxury real estate marketing professional, if you are interested in market leadership. Take real estate websites, for example. The key features are the same on most sites: IDX search, Featured Listings, local information (available to anyone), etc. These features become commodities. Attempting to compete, on the basis of features that are readily accessible to your competition is futile.

What is a good way to decommoditize? Very little content on agent websites is unique or original. That is why your blog is such a great opportunity to stand out. But, if your blog content is not original it too becomes a commodity. A great blog is key, but you need more de-commoditize.

Here is an example of commoditization in action. As a direct blow to Netflix, Amazon just announced that it will bundle its streaming video service with its Prime Shipping Service. Why pay for both services when you can get streaming movies free as a Prime customer. When all features are the same in a product or service category the only thing left is to compete on is price.

Over 100 tablet computers brands are expected to be launched in the near future. For all of those that will use Google’s Android platform, the only way to differentiate one from the other is by features. Once they all basically have the same features price is what gets the axe. Soon smart phones and tablet computers will be given away as part of a bundle of other services.

We are not suggesting that you should offer lower commission rates to become more competitive. We are suggesting that you develop a value added service that renders your competition irrelevant.

In China, which is now the world’s largest market for computers, Apple is planning on opening 24 new stores. In Shanghai, 40,000 people come to the Apple store every day. With the high caliber of services offered at the stores, including classes and access to staffers who can answer your questions in person, the value added to your purchase runs circles around the competition.

How can you de-commoditize your luxury real estate marketing practice? Make your competition irrelevant by adding an extraordinary promise of added value!

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Luxury Real Estate Personal Branding: Do You Like My Brand?

February 22, 2011

As consultants in personal branding for luxury real estate marketing professionals we are often asked: What do you think of my brand identity, do you like it? Please critique it! Thinking through these kinds of questions has yielded some very important insights that could very well apply to your own luxury real estate marketing practice.

When we owned our commercial real estate firm in West Los Angeles, a major restaurant chain opened within a couple of blocks from our office building. We had never even heard of the chain so we were open-minded about it. If you know LA you understand that not having to get in your car to drive to a restaurant for lunch was a luxury. After several attempts to find something on the menu that suited our palate we were completely unsuccessful.

Our knee-jerk reaction was to criticize the restaurant. But, then it occurred to us that we were completely off base in our criticism. In a flash, we realized that we simply are not the target market for these restaurants. Thousands of people love them or they would not be in business. Why were we wasting our mental energy with criticism? It seems like criticism and witticism were one and same until we realized that criticism is a dead end for yourself as well as the subject of your critique.

When we applied this to the personal branding question we understood what it takes to be objective in our critique:

1. A luxury real estate personal brand identity must communicate the authentic self of the agent.

2. It must embody the essence of one’s personality and values.

3. It must factor in the target market, i.e., to whom are you communicating

If all of these factors are aligned the brand identity does its job. It becomes a silent salesperson on your behalf. Therefore, you must have access to all of this information to determine if someone is on their brand signal or off their signal. That is the only critique necessary. If you are not part of the target market, your personal opinion is irrelevant. The only question is how successful is the brand in being on signal, like dialing into a radio station, it must be static-free to be on signal.

Think about the home sellers who ask you what you think about the aesthetics of their home when you are in a listing presentation. Now, there is no reason to break into a song and dance about it. It is ok to say that you are not the potential buyer for the home. But, you are an expert at targeting those who are.

P.S. That restaurant went out of business within a couple of years after spending a tremendous amount of money on furniture, fixtures and equipment. It evidently was not resonating with others in that marketplace because their brand signal and the market were not a match.

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Flash = No Cash

February 21, 2011

Photo by Jirkacafa

Drawing a Blank? We Can Help!

This weekend we researched over 30 luxury real estate agent web sites on our iPad. We were appalled tp discover that 75% were using Flash slide shows on their home pages and/or Flash videos . Flash equals no cash!

Apple mobile devices do not display Flash elements. If you still have Flash slide shows or Flash videos on your website you could be losing business! If consumers using iPhones and iPads draw a blank when they reach your site (especially your listings) you competition is just one click or tap away!

Market Analyst Maynard Um of UBS Investment Research forecasts that Apple could sell 28 million iPads in 2011, and warned this figure could be “conservative”.

Apple's total iPhone user base may reach as high as 100 million users by the end of 2011, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty

We offer alternatives to Flash that can give you the same elegant effect and also Flash video conversions. Before you hear complaints from your clients, contact us for a complimentary consultation.

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Book Review: Surviving Your Serengeti

February 18, 2011

Two years ago we had the privilege of reading one of the very first drafts of the new book penned by our colleague and dear friend Stefan Swanepoel. When we were together discussing his vision for the book he showed us his own amazing videos of the Serengeti migration and shared his passion about his native land. The evolution of this master work has been exciting to watch and be a part of as it has unfolded.

For years Stefan has empowered US and international business leaders to make strategic decisions by identifying, distilling and brilliantly articulating the major trends in the real estate industry. Now, in Surving Your Serengeti, which can be read in just a few hours, he has identified the 7 essential skills required to overcome any adversity and thrive in business and life.

By making parallels between the dominant survival skills of the animals of the Serengeti and personal skills, he has made it easy to determine your own strengths and also recognize the strengths of your co-workers, by devising this quiz. This is a must read for business leaders, team leaders and anyone whose job it is to bring the best out of those with whom they live and work. We highly recommend it for luxury real esate marketing professional around the globe.

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