Luxury Real Estate Branding: Does It Pay to Be Popular?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The "You" Perspective

April 14, 2011

If you need a mental boost and a new perspective on your luxury real estate marketing practice, here is a tip for you. Get the idea that you are a man or woman living in China and you are granted the wish of stepping into YOUR life, taking over YOUR exact set of circumstances including your business. See YOUR life from their perspective with fresh, appreciative eyes. Wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity of getting to be YOU?

It is all too easy to complain about the economy or wallow in self-doubt or self-pity. Get over yourself and begin your life anew.

Part of the problem you may be experiencing is a result of commoditization, which has rendered your brand of doing business virtually indistinguishable from your competition. In luxury real estate marketing, commoditization occurs when one agent or company’s service offering cannot be differentiated from another. For example, the introduction of the IDX, which gave consumers free access to the local MLS on real estate websites, commoditized that information and leveled the competitive playing field in that aspect of the business.

If you are hard pressed to articulate your extraordinary promise of value as distinct from your competition, you may be suffering from commoditization. But, do not despair! There is always a way to bounce back. The antidote to commoditization is to identify an underserved or uncontested market niche and dominate it with passion! Combining your personal passion with business opportunity is the ticket to success.

Here is the story of Zhu Jin, a 36 year old Chinese woman who seized an opportunity to rise above a sea of competition by creating a luxury service business in a highly commoditized field—the flower business. She bravely moved from being a rural flower grower, where she was faced with fierce competition, to opening a tiny flower store in an exclusive office building in the capital city of the Sichuan province, catering to high-end customers.

Zhu capitalized on her natural artistic talent and her passion, the desire to make people happy with the gift of flowers. She now has six flower stores and nearly 40 employees. To manage cost, supply and demand for exotic flowers, she reinvested her profits and now grows her own.

Zhu did not fall prey to commoditization. She found a way to deliver extraordinary value to an underserved market niche, and rendered her competition irrelevant. Imagine if she had YOUR opportunities and could become YOU instead of Zhu!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Don’t Flip Out, Stick to Your Core Competence!

April 12, 2011

Keeping up with the speed of change in technology, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, can be a daunting task. But, to some extent, it has become an imperative to stay competitive. For example, new entrants in the luxury real estate field, such as tech savvy executives from corporate America, offer a new challenge to complacent incumbent market leaders who have not adapted rapidly enough to the new rules. Yet, if building strong relationships is your strength vs. deploying the latest technology you may be spinning your wheels trying to fend off this new breed of real estate agents and brokers who may not have your particular savoir faire.

Knowing your core competence is extremely important when making marketing and branding decisions. Sticking with what you know and doing it better than anyone else in your marketplace can take you farther than dabbling in aspects of the business that does not represent your authentic brand.

Cisco recently announced that it will discontinue its Flip video camera division which they purchased for $590 million in March of 2009. They spent lavishly to expand the market for the tiny video camera by having celebrity endorsements and paying for product placements on popular TV shows such as “24.” Sales increased at first, then waned as the smart phones, such as the iPhone, began to include high definition video cameras. In just two years, the Flip has practically become obsolete. Cisco CEO, Tom Chambers, declared that the company would re-focus on its core competence, corporate customers, rather than on consumers.

Apple, on the other hand is a master at producing products that consumers love. They are now expanding to include more small and midsize companies as customers through their “Joint Venture” initiative. They have overcome their technical disadvantages in this arena and are going after the incumbent market leader, Research in Motion who produces Blackberry phones.

In seeking to expand market share, it is important to maintain your focus on your core competence, especially in turbulent times. Unless you are thriving in your current area of expertise, this is not the time to expand into other aspects of the real estate business such as commercial or business opportunities. The key, right now, is to stay focused on what you know well and do best.

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: What Is Your Added Value?

April 11, 2011

Differentiating yourself from others in your area who specialize in marketing luxury real estate comes down to adding value in your service that your competition does not. Here is an example of added value that differentiates the Ritz Carlton Dallas from all the other luxury hotels in that city.

If you are a dedicated runner and want to run in Dallas, the Ritz provides their guests with a hotel running buddy, and will also add a customized fitness and sports massage. According to Noeha Coutry, director of sales and marketing, ““By providing a running buddy, we can provide them [guests] with someone to motivate them during their runs while also providing localized trail and travel information that makes their exercise in a strange town more interesting and more comfortable.”

These running buddies are selected for their background in competitive running, and can adapt to the fitness level of the guest. The Run and Recover program starts at $205 for a one hour run and 50 minute massage and must be booked 48hours in advance. Now, if they only had a program for Yoga, we would sign up.

How can you add value to your service as a luxury real estate marketing professional?

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

April 7, 2011

Yesterday, I (Alexandra) had the privilege of attending and speaking at the 5^th annual AFIRE conference held in Scottsdale Arizona. This conference brings together a group of real estate’s leading women to create a three day networking experience. It covers “the latest in technology, hot issues that will influence us now and in the future, what’s happening on the international scene, strategies for working across generations, and most importantly, how to create and maintain a positive attitude. (2011 program notes).” This event was created by Bernice Ross, Ph.D. and CEO, Author, Trainer, and Speaker. Bernice is also a nationally syndicated columnist for Inman News who dubbed her "America's top real estate coach."

Given our schedule, I was only able to attend the first day, and it was packed with outstanding information. I took copious notes and will be sharing my impressions and introduce you to some of the most interesting and brightest women in our industry, in the next few weeks. The overall message is that although the real estate industry has experienced its share of chaos and uncertainty what has emerged is a new real estate “normal”. Succeeding in these times means having a niche, being fluent and savvy on line and offline in marketing luxury real estate, giving outstanding service and being well known, well thought of and visible in your community offline.

I want to thank Toni Weidman, Kathy Schowe, and Norma Toering who were generous in giving me the opportunity to talk to them. I interviewed these Active Rain members, so that I could give the women at AFIRE the perspective of successful, blogging, community minded real estate agents that embody the "new normal".

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Luxury Real Estate Branding: Outpace Your Competition,Get Your Brand Message Right!

April 5, 2011

As a luxury real estate marketing professional getting your brand message right is of paramount importance. First, you must be sure you are communicating to the right target market. Second, you need to make sure you are communicating your extraordinary promise of value in their language, i.e., words that address your target market’s most pressing needs (not yours). When you inaccurately assess both of these factors your chances of success are between slim and none.

Porsche’s new marketing campaign “Engineered for Magic-Everyday” misses its target on both counts. As such, it serves as a great lesson in messaging.

There are plenty of emotional needs that Porsche ownership satisfies. But, “everyday” trips in the big city (where most Porches are sold) are definitely not one of them. This new ad campaign is geared to change the way their target market perceives this expensive sports car. Now it is a “school bus” (to pick up the kids), a "pickup truck" (to haul items in the trunk), and a “pet carrier” (to transport your dog, who enjoys the ride in the convertible).

This is total absurdity! Porsche will waste millions of dollars in this attempt to change its perception of being a “race car”, which is the DNA of its brand and the primary reason people buy it, whether or not they use it as such.

Another new Porsche video ad shows a father brushing snow of his Carrera with his kid sitting in the front seat. The caption is “Snowmobile”.

While visiting friends in Chicago, Alexandra, who has an impeccable driving record, drove her friend’s husband‘s Porsche in the snow with their baby son onboard. It was a white knuckle drive all the way. Even though she had plenty of experience driving in the snow from her days at the University of Minnesota, (in a car equipped with studded tires), it was tough not to do 360 degree turns in the Porsche. She felt helpless several times, praying to every deity she had ever heard about, to make it safely back to her friend’s home in the country. Perhaps, for some this would be considered a thrill. But, that segment of Porsche’s target market must be miniscule.

Getting your brand message right is crucial when marketing luxury real estate. Know your target market inside and out, their psychographics as well as their demographics. Then, speak to them in their language. That is, if you want to increase your sales and outpace your competition.

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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: Is Your Brand Current, Fresh and Visible?

March 18, 2011

It is important for luxury real estate marketing professionals to keep their brands current, fresh and visible. Here is an example from Dom Perignon. This photo we shot at our local wine store is the Dom Perignon Andy Warhol edition. This edition of the 2002 vintage features Warhol-like colored labels. Andy Warhol is best known for his portraiture of pop icons/culture like Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minelli, the Eight Elvises as well as Campbell soup cans. He is also known for coining the phrase, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."

In one fell swoop, Dom Perignon has made itself visible, current and fresh! Certainly, Dom Perignon continues to have its moments of fame that have lasted many years and will continue for many years to come. What can you do to be current , fresh and Visible and insure that your moments of fame go beyond 15 minutes?

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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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Luxury Real Estate Personal Branding: There is Room at the Top

March 14, 2011

David Cook

Niche marketing is your sure route to market leadership as a luxury real estate marketing professional. When you are secure within your niche and stay focused there you will discover that other niche leaders are not really your competition. Therefore, there is plenty of room at the top.

Niche market leaders are not in competition with their counterparts. This is a very important concept to grasp. They only compete with others within their niche. See how this plays out in the American Idol competition.

While it is true that the American Idol contestant who survives with the most number of votes wins the big prize at the end of the show they may not be the big winners in the long run. Jennifer Hudson was voted off the show early on, but went on to win the Golden Globe and Academy Award for best supporting actress, plus multiple Grammy Awards. Doughtry and Adam Lambert have sold millions of records, achieving much more than the ones who won the contest in the same year.

In 2008 runner ups, David Archuleta and David Cook (who won the prize) went on to be very successful in their respective niches. Archuleta sold close to 1,000,000 copies of his first album to an adoring younger teenage fan base. The first post-Idol album of Cook, the rock singer/song writer, was certified Platinum. With completely different audiences were these two artists actually competitors outside of the Idol contest?

Historically, the contestants who were most clearly defined in their niches far exceeded their counterparts who were not. This year the niches are already sharply defined for many of the contestants. As a result, they have already won the game in terms of winning over their respective fans. If they stay within their niches and do not try to please everyone they should do very well.

We call this “staying on your brand signal”. For example, the deep voiced Scotty is the genuine country article. James is the unmistakable rocker and Jacob is rhythm & blues.

Sharply define your niche within the luxury real estate marketing arena and stay focused there. You will find that your counterparts in their respective niches are not your competition. They may even make great allies because there is plenty of room at the top.

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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 Personal Branding: Your Authentic Brand

March 8, 2011

Many agents believe that developing a luxury real estate personal brand is like choosing a new outfit of clothing or redecorating their home. While getting a new polished look can do wonders for you compared to your frumpy competition this is not what personal branding is all about.

The primary aim of crafting your personal brand is to achieve or sustain top-of-mind status in the minds of your target market. For most luxury real estate marketing professionals it comes down to being the first agent that comes to mind when a home owner is ready to sell or when a trusted friend is asked to recommend an agent to list their home. Branding is all about strategizing to secure the ownership of mind share, because market share follows mindshare.

The first thing that we do when we work with a luxury real estate personal branding client is what we call a strategic brand analysis. This is a discover process where we gather a tremendous amount of information about our client, their marketplace and their competition.

The final distillation of this information must represent the essence of the person’s true identity, their authentic self expressed in way that immediately resonates with their ideal clients. Therefore, a brand must be judged solely on the effectiveness its communication with one’s target market and the speed of trust that it establishes.

You may not like a particular style of someone’s personal brand because you have more conservative taste. You might prefer a contemporary look rather than traditional. But, then you would be judging the brand based on your own preferences. Instead judge other's personal brand based on authenticity and on the brand's success at matching the agent with the clientele it is aiming to attract.

Click here to check out the personal brands of the agents or brokers displayed above. Each of these them are either incumbent market leaders or are well on their way to achieve top-of-mind status within their marketplace.

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