Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Two Great Ways to Select a Brand Name - Part 2

In Part 1 of this articles series we mentioned a technique used in personal and company branding:  associate the brand name with something people already know; then, use a play on words to engage them in your brand so they remember it after the initial contact. 

While in Paris we got hungry for fresh oysters. There are dozens of seafood restaurants in this fabulous culinary mecca that serve oysters.  How on earth can you get yours to stand out and be easily remembered?  This is a dilemma faced by luxury real estate marketing professionals in markets where many agents and companies vie for top of mind status. 

We found a terrific restaurant on the Left Bank with a catchy name in French:  Huitrerie Regis.  The word huitre in French means oyster. Creating a new word by adding the letters “rie” was a play on words because it created a new category of food purveyors.  Boulangerie means bakery, charcuterie means purveyor of cold cuts (ready to eat meats). A patisserie is a pastry shop.  

But, their branding genius was evidenced by the fact that they not only named a new category they defined a new restaurant business model.  This is a tiny restaurant with only seven tables that turn quickly because of a very limited menu. There is no kitchen and just a single restroom.  They serve a very limited selection of wine, oysters and shrimp, with bread, desert and coffee. They have one server and two food preparers. The entire restaurant was less than 400 square feet.  Everything was fresh and delicious. 

Naming a new luxury real estate category then owning that name as part of your brand, can make you stand out from your competition.  

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Two Great Ways to Select a Brand Name

Selecting the right brand name can make all the difference in the world in marketing luxury real estate.  If you can help people remember your personal or company brand name after just one impression, so they contact you directly or readily recommend you to others, your chances of surpassing your competition is significantly enhanced. 

In Paris we encountered a bookstore called Mona Lisait (pronounced lee zay), which means Mona Read.  This is a great name because most everyone who reads is somewhat familiar with the painting, Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. 

 

They are able to use the image of the painting in their branding because it is in the pubic domain in the United States and those countries with a copyright term that is over 100 years.  Now all you need to remember is to add “it” to the name and voila! It makes you smile like Mona and it is almost impossible to forget afer just one impression.   

The play on words is a great memory trick for branding because it immediately engages your target market and sparks word-of-mouth advertising. Combine that with a word or phrase that is already familiar and you have a “home run” in luxury real estate personal or company branding. 

In Part 2 of this article series we will cover another Parisian brand that uses a play on words to accomplish the same effect.

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Love Your Competitors!

 

Novak Djokovic:  Photo by:  Olga Besnard

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, how to you really feel about your closest competitors? If sustaining or gaining market leadership is your quest, you should love them for bringing the best out of you.   That is the mindset of true champions. If you are indifferent or they are bringing the worst out of you, it is time to shift your mindset!

In the men’s semi-final tennis match in Paris at Roland Garros (The French Open) #4 ranked Rafael Nadal defeated #1 ranked Novak Djokovic-9-7 in the 5th set. There were ups and downs for each player. But, the match was won by just a couple of points! When Nadal was interviewed after the match, he stated that he loves to play tennis with Novak because it challenges him to be at his best.

Think about your own competitive landscape in the game of marketing luxury real estate in your area.  Does the market leader out-distance the rest of the pack by a substantial margin?  Or, are the top two or three agents almost neck and neck? 

Market leaders are most complacent when they have a healthy margin.  That is when they are also the most vulnerable to challengers. 

Take the 2013 #1 best ranked basketball team, for example.  The Heat (percentage won = .805) won the Eastern Conference Championship, handsomely defeating #3 (percentage won = .605) Indiana in game 7. But, what was the Heat doing in Game 7 to begin with? The Heat certainly did not expect such a valiant challenge from the Pacers. 

Most significantly, Miami won Game 1 by only one point!  Had the Pacer’s been just slightly sharper they would have upset the Heat in Game 6. The Heat should love the Pacers for the wake-up call!  The Pacers should love Miami for bringing out the best in them and elevating them to become a major contender for 2014.

The “prize money” and prestige that comes from being the champion or the market leading luxury real estate agent can be significant.  But, appreciating the opportunity to work with the degree of focus and concentration that it takes to be at your own peak level is a reward unto itself.  That is the inner game.   

Rafa Nadal went on to win his history making 8th French Open Championship after overcoming career-threatening injuries through physical rehabilitation.  Yes, he made a bundle of money and tennis fans the world over admire him. But, consider his inner victory.

Find a way to love your competition for spurring you on to greatness, if only in your mind. Then, you too will have the mindset and the heart of a true champion.  

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 5

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Providing Stellar Customer Service, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, sparks word-of-mouth advertising because it is remarkable. And, it engenders client loyalty, which is the cornerstone of market leadership. Best of all, it is something that you can train yourself to provide.  Mastering the art of Stellar Customer Service can help you run circles around your competition. 

In Part 1-4 of this article series we discussed the first four steps to train yourself to provide Stellar Customer Service. Step #5 is the biggest secret of all, the key that can take your practice into the stratosphere!  In the game of luxury real estate marketing we call it “Dwell Well!” 

To dwell means to live; to dwell well means to live well. But, to dwell also has another very important meaning: to fasten one’s attention, to think, speak or write about at length or with persistence; to linger over. If sustained market leadership is your quest you must be absolutely fastidious about what you dwell upon. You must dwell well!   

Choosing what you fasten your attention to on purpose, keeps you on purpose. Allowing outside influences to determine what you focus upon can distract and derail you. This is the biggest secret of the most successful athletes, sports champions and market leaders in all fields of business. 

To understand how this works, think about a time you were driving on a highway to an important appointment and there was an accident on the OTHER SIDE of the road. The traffic flow on YOUR SIDE of the road came to a complete standstill because the people in front of you were rubbernecking; they were not dwelling well.  

Although, the dwell well principle applies to all aspects of your life the area of customer service is a great place to practice it.  When you encounter sub par customer service notice how much time you spend grousing about it. See if you can train yourself to keep that time to a minimum.  Instead of dwelling upon it by complaining, faultfinding, grumbling or griping about it to anyone who will listen, redirect your attention to Step #1-4 of the Stellar Customer Service training cycle.  

Start dwelling on what you appreciate about the brands to which you are loyal. Acknowledge those who provide you with Stellar Customer Service.  Practice the “I’m worth Stellar Customer Service” mindset. And, start spreading the word about others’ Stellar Customer Service.   

Don’t put up with sub-par service; take the time to switch to the best because you know you deserve it. Fasten yourself to Stellar Customer Service as a recipient and you will become a rising star yourself, an expert at providing it.  By insisting on Stellar Customer Service from yourself and from others, you are certain to dwell well. By doing so, you will be able to run circles around your competition.  To dwell well, dwell well! 

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 4

Van Gogh's Starry Skies

In Part 1, 2 & 3 of this articles in this series we covered the first three steps for TRAINING YOURSELF in the art of Stellar Customer Service. Here is STEP #4:  Spread the Word about Stellar Customer Service. 

We all know that referrals are, by far, the best source of business for luxury real estate marketing professionals or any business for that matter.  How can you increase the probability of receiving MORE REFERRALS so you can consistently run circles around your competition?

By offering remarkable, Stellar Customer Service you are more likely to spark word-of-mouth advertising.  But, there is more to the story than that. You can become a very powerful magnet for referrals simply by being a person who consistently spreads the word about OTHERS’ Stellar Customer Service.

The most exciting aspect of this is that you can actually test this out for yourself. You can measure your results as you amp up the power of your magnet based on the frequency of your own word-of-mouth advertising and the amount of referrals you GIVE! 

Make it a game; it really can be fun. And, IT FEELS GOOD to do it! By looking for examples of Stellar Customer Service that you can spread the word about you BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE!  You EXPECT TO FIND IT in every encounter you have with service providers.

This phenomenon became very clear to us one day when we received Stellar Customer Service from a waitress at one of our favorite restaurants in Beverly Hills.  We were awestruck when we overheard the people at the table next to us complain that they received horrible service from the very same waitress.

We watched as they brought out the worst in her by hurling insults with a very derogatory attitude. Before we left the restaurant we spoke with the manager and praised the same waitress, not on her behalf to defend her, but because it felt good to do it.

It does not take that much extra time in your day to go out of your way to spread the word about Stellar Customer Service.  The rewards are TANGIBLE when your intentions are genuine and you come from a GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT.  Those who share this value will naturally gravitate to you. And, they will go out of their way to promote YOU. Running circles around your competition then becomes the inevitable outcome.

Watch for Part 5 where we will reveal the biggest secret of all, the key that can take your practice into the stratosphere!  In the game of luxury real estate marketing we call it “Dwell Well!” (Step #5).

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 3

 

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In Part 1 & 2 of this article series we referred to the importance of training yourself to provide excellent, superlative, and remarkable customer service. Now, we are upping the ante by referring to the very best service imaginable as ‘stellar”.  If you want to gain or sustain market leadership as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you must aim for the stars!  This is what it takes to run circles around your competition.

Here is the coolest thing about Stellar Customer Service: It cannot be imitated because it must be genuine! When it is authentic, sincere, unaffected and unpretentious it is palpable and indisputable.  That is why the ONLY way you can truly learn to provide Stellar Customer Service is to train yourself to deliver it.  While Stellar Customer Service is an art you can master, you must consistently practice it and perpetually improve your skills to stay on top of your game.

These are the first three steps to providing Stellar Customer Service:

STEP #1:  Identify Why YOU are Loyal to Some Brands

Make a list of the brands and service providers to whom you are particularly loyal. Ask yourself: What keeps you coming back for more? Why would you go out of your way to refer these brands? 

Then, make a list of those who you would switch away from if you found a better alternative that offered Stellar Customer Service.  Make the effort to find alternatives BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT!

STEP #2:  Acknowledge Other’s Stellar Customer Service

Take the time to compliment those service providers and store owners who deliver Stellar Customer Service.  IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD and it make them feel appreciated.  You are also increasing the likelihood that the next customers or clients that they serve will receive Stellar Customer Service!

STEP #3 Practice the “I’m Worth Stellar Customer Service Mindset”.

Take the time to let service providers know when you receive sub-par service, even in “insignificant” ways. There is no such thing as an insignificant instance of sub-par service. It is important feedback for those who value providing impeccable service. And, it also keeps you sharply focused on the fact that you not only deserve Stellar Customer Service in every detail, YOU EXPECT IT IN EVERY DETAIL!

When you consistently take the time to make yourself feel good, you discover that you always deserve Stellar Customer Service. You come to expect it in every encounter you have with restaurants, hotels, stores, etc., and each interacation you have with service professionals.  It is only by cultivating this mindset and this attitude that YOU can truly provide genuine Stellar Customer Service.

In Part 4 we will cover the importance of spreading the word about other’s Stellar Customer Service (Step #4) and how that can ELEVATE your level of expertise as a luxury real estate service provider beyond your competitors’.  In Part 5 we will reveal the biggest secret of all, the key that can take your practice into the stratosphere!  In the game of luxury real estate marketing we call it “Dwell Well!” (Step #5).

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 2

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As a luxury real estate marketing professional, do you have clients who essentially tell you “wild horses couldn’t drag me away” from doing business with you and sending referrals? If you are willing to master the art of deepening customer loyalty you will definitely run circles around your competition. 

In Part 1 of this article series we stated that the best way to become an expert in luxury real estate customer service is to TRAIN YOURSELF!  The best place to start is by identifying the brands to which you are most loyal. Ask yourself, why you have not switched to the competing brands?  What keeps you loyal? 

In preparing for our trip to Paris to cover the Club e-Luxe International Summit on Language of Luxury, we spent the day getting pre-travel errands done.  In just one day we counted six examples of superlative customer service.  Acknowledging and appreciating each encounter of great service is another way to train yourself on being an expert at engendering client loyalty. 

Here is the simplest of examples of how customer loyalty was either won or reinforced that day. A local peach grower at our Tuesday Farmer’s Market personally selected the best four peaches for us that we have tasted so far this season. She took the time to ask when we would be serving them to adjust for the ripeness in her selection. 

We loved these peaches and our experience of this particular vendor so much that we returned Thursday for more, bypassing every other peach vendor. Certainly, there were other delicious peaches available from competitors. But, we went out of our way to be loyal to this vendor because of the personal care she provided. 

What do you think is the variable that made it possible to experience superlative service across the board that day?  We trained ourselves to EXPECT great service.  It is a mindset and an attitude that you are worth receiving remarkable service that can actually be practiced.   

“Remarkable” is the operative word here because there is a flip-side to receiving remarkable service:  You need to express your appreciation and also tell others about your experience to complete the cycle of extraordinary service.  Stay tuned for Part 3 as we offer the other tips to train yourself to run circles around your competition by providing superlative client service.

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition, Part 1

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Way, way, way too much advice has been offered about providing excellent customer service as a luxury real estate marketing professional.  The point is this: Great customer service is not a technique that you can mimic.  It can best be learned through you own direct personal experience. But, to run circles around your competition with superlative customer service requires a complete shift in attitude and also a shift in your fundamental ground of being or mindset.

One of the cornerstones of Apple’s meteoric raise to the top is their exemplary customer service.  Their approach is helping their customers solve their problems rather than trying to sell them products, and also listening carefully about their frustrations without being judgmental, i.e., just let them “vent”.  That is a shift in attitude and mindset not a technique.

To the contrary, we recently walked into an upscale department store only to be greeted by 6 salespeople eagerly applying a technique that Wall Mart made famous with just one greeter at the door. We cringed on the way out as the same salespeople robotically greeted us, not remembering that we just walked through the store from the front door (not from the back entrance).

By far the best way to become an expert in luxury real estate customer service is to TRAIN YOURSELF! In Part 2 of this article series we will provide the quickest way to train yourself on this vital component of a successful practice and how to run circles around your competition by doing so.

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Do You Need a Sub-Brand?

One of the biggest concerns that we hear from luxury real estate marketing professionals is the fear of narrowing their niche to the top tier price range homes because it may alienate some of their friends or previous clients in lower price homes.  However, by diffusing your focus and attempting to be all things to all people, you run the risk of diluting your brand position, i.e., what your brand stands for and what you are known for.

One global luxury brand has done a masterful job of compartmentalizing its various sub-brands with their multiple price points. By identifying its brand with sports in general (beyond polo, “the sport of kings”) Ralph Lauren has managed to attract not only high net worth consumers but also those who aspire to be wealthy. 

The key here is that Ralph Lauren created separate sub-brands that stand for different things and focus on different target markets. For example, the Ralph Lauren Black Label Staor Tan Motorcross Jeans is priced at $495; their basic denim jean, sold at Macy’s, is $90. 

Yet, for some, wearing a shirt or other clothing embroidered with the ubiquitous polo pony logo has completely lost its appeal.  Apparently, a significant number of customers felt this way because Ralph Lauren made an ingenious move to lure disenfranchised customers back to the brand and keep others from switching. 

On their interactive website, you can customize their signature polo shirts, terrycloth bathrobes and other articles of clothing with YOUR OWN INITIALS instead of the pony! On certain items, the embroidered Polo logo has been moved to the bottom hem of the shirt. That way if you tuck it in it does not show.

You can choose from many color combinations of fabric and embroidered logos and several different font schemes for your initials. Once you make your shirt selection, your color choice and your font choice, it displays that combination on the model’s shirt.

Quality of manufacturing is not the question here because Ralph Lauren has built a strong reputation as a brand you can trust.  Blending in and “leaving the brand” is the issue.

In the luxury services arena, some banks have figured out how to offer two levels of service without alienating any of their customers. To accomplish this they too created sub-brands. For example, there is definitely a world of difference in the level of service between Chase Private Banking and their standard banking services.  The amount of dollars entrusted to the bank (for investment purposes with J P Morgan in this case) is what separates the two sub-brands.

There is a huge lesson here for luxury real estate marketing professionals. Bespoke (tailor made) or customized service is what your top tier customers have come to expect.  If you or your company wants to be known for more than one level of service, you must differentiate the two levels by creating sub-brands.

Crafting and developing your sub-brand is just as important as building your primary brand.  Do you need a sub-brand? 

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: In the Pink

The proportions and combinations of colors used in your luxury real estate personal or company branding is an important aspect of communicating your marketing message.  Certain colors have strong emotional connotations and also cultural bias that can work for or against your brand.  

For example, red, white and blue can stir the deep emotions of patriotism. Several regional and national American real estate brands have used this color combination to their advantage. 

This color palette was sampled from the photograph of the peonies above. When you think of the color pink what associations come up in your mind? 

Various shades of pink can be used in personal and company branding to communicate a range of thoughts and feelings from subtle to bold.  Mary Kay Cosmetics, known for their pink Cadillac rewards to sales people, has shifted their brand to a more sophisticated feel by making black and white the dominant colors of their brand with a pale pink as the accent.  

T-Mobile has used shocking pink as an accent to black, charcoal gray and white. Whereas, world-renowned Fauchon, purveyors of fine gourmet foods in Paris, unabashedly uses pink as their primary brand color with black and white as the accent. 

Pink is a color that has long been associated with the female sex. Today, more men choose to boldly embrace pink and ignore this cultural bias. 

The famous British traditional shirt maker, Thomas Pink (80 stores worldwide) is part of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy group. Pink’s luxury brand color scheme incorporates black, white and gold with pink as the accent. Their mascot is the “Cheeky Fox” and their brand story is quite interesting. Mr. Pink was the 18th century tailor who invented the iconic scarlet red hunting coat. But, it was referred to as PINK in honor of its originator. 

One of our clients, Courtney Ranson, specializes in the Washington Park area of central Denver, Colorado, also known as “Wash Park”.  Her ultimate favorite color is fuchsia, a very strong pink.  We used this color deliberately as an accent (with deep plum as the dominant brand color), to communicate her passion for her beloved neighborhood and also to romanticize the area.  Her slogan (incorporated in her logo) is Denver Wash Park -“ The Heart of the City”. Watch this Video Case Study.

Colors plays a big role in luxury real estate personal and company branding. Your personal color preferences need to be balanced with what is appropriate within your marketplace and also what makes your brand stand out from your competitors’. 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Open New Channels of Creativity - Part 2

As a luxury real estate marketing professional do you find yourself relying on the same sources of business to sustain your practice? It is easy to get complacent.  But, by staying on this course you run the risk of getting stale or even stagnant. One of the key habits of successful market leaders is staying sharp by continuously reaching for new channels of creativity. 

Sometimes new paths simply appear and you just need to move forward. But, sometimes it takes consistently chipping away to open a new channel of business.  Other times it may even require a bulldozer to clear the way. We discovered a perfect metaphor for this that we wanted to share with you. 

Recently, while taking a walk on our Carpinteria beach here in Santa Barbara, California, we encountered an unusual phenomenon. The latest tides washed up a surplus of sand that blocked the “ever-present” channel between our salt marsh and the ocean, which threatened the entire ecosystem. It has occurred only five times in the last fifteen years. 

Adjacent to our sandy beach, sub tidal rocky reef, and kelp beds is the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve. It contains a critically important Southern California estuary, which supports many sensitive plant and animal species.  The site includes extensive wetland, sub-tidal channel and emergent upland habitats. The reserve provides habitat for migratory waterfowl along with several species of plants and animals listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern. 

When this blockage occurs members of the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County and several volunteers work together to open a new channel between the marsh and the ocean.  Please take less than one minute to watch the video we created to document this process. 

 Find ways to open up new channels of creativity and business. To gain or sustain market leadership you constantly need to keep your creative juices flowing by trying new things. 

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: More Gatsby Co-Marketing Art Deco Style!

Co-marketing is a great way to create a buzz about your luxury real estate marketing practice and expand your sphere of influence.   The key is to find the right non-competitive partners who share the same target market as you.  

In our previous post, we had mentioned that Tiffany was co-marketing with Gastby by designing the jewelry worn in the movie, which is available for purchase on their website.  The inside of the store pictured above, has a wonderful art deco period couch with deco rug, wallpaper and a TV screen featuring clips from the film.

Another window features long strands of pearls, very fashionable jewelry of the era with glasses of champagne, yes, another co-marketer the champagne in the movie is Imperial Moet & Chandon, which can be seen in the picture below in the Brooks Brothers window.

While strolling through Beverly Hills in the wee hours of the morning prior to our appointment, we noticed another co-marketer of Gastby's, Brooks Brothers.  Brooks Brothers designed the menswear for the movie.  Their store windows showed of the clothing of the Gatsby era, which can be purchased in store or on the website.

Many luxury real estate marketing professionals should think outside the box of the usual suspects with whom to co-market.  We hope you are inspired by The Great Gastby movie co-marketers which are many, and include The New York Plaza Hotel with their Gatsby themed suite, iTunes with the sound track of the movie on their home page,& American Idol who featured their finalists singing a track from the movie as well as Will- I- Am who performed a number from the movie.

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Open New Channels of Creativity

A major part of our luxury real estate personal and company branding practice involves developing strategies to help our clients gain or sustain market leadership and also coaching them to execute their strategies. From our perspective, the art of coaching is essentially this: 

Encouragement to shift from reacting to current conditions to proactively creating new channels of creativity through which inspired, innovative action can flow.

Contrary to the majority of business coaches we believe that holding our clients accountable for anything is an utter waste of time-theirs and ours.  For those of you who seek to consistently command the lion’s share of your marketplace, or a niche therein, there is absolutely no need for motivation tactics from your coach.

If you feel the need to be held accountable to achieve a goal of this caliber, motivation is the last thing that will work.  It may be a quick fix at best, and it will not produce enduring results. Your passion and your competition should keep you engaged in the game and on your toes. Or, you might as well get out of the game, altogether.

There is no amount of wheedling, prodding, cajoling, coaxing, persuading, sweet-talking, enticing, invalidating, flattering or intimidating that will get you where you want to go.

Unwavering support and encouragement to dissolve your own self-doubts (the only thing that can stop you from consistently realizing your dreams) is the “secret sauce” that is required from your coach.

In this article series, we will discuss how proactively opening new channels of creativity can not only be the catalyst to attract new and exciting opportunities, but also to open the flood-gates of bountiful career satisfaction and self-actualization.

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The Language of Luxury to Cover the Club e-Luxe International Summit Live in Paris

We are excited to announce that The Language of Luxury has been invited by our LOL media partner, Luxe Corp, to cover the  Club e-Luxe International Summit in Paris on June 12, 2013. This is the premier annual event on marketing via digital media for the luxury goods and services industry.  We will be broadcasting live from Paris online during and after the event. 

Some of the luxury companies that have participated in recent Club e-Luxe events include LVMH, Gucci Group, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry, Boucheron, Hermès, Piaget, Chopard, Fabergé, Vertu, Hublot, Dior, Coty, Pernod Ricard, Rémy Martin, Sonia Rykiel, L’Oréal, Lanvin and several others.

The event will focus on the theme of “The Web Economy: Understanding How Digital Media is Re-writing the Rules of Luxury & Transforming Value Creation". In addition to Web Economy, some of the topics to be addressed are: Digital Luxury Scorecard, Social Economy & Luxury, E-Commerce Economy & Luxury, Mobile Economy & Luxury, Digital Private Data Currency, E-Services Economy & Luxury, E-Communications Economy & Luxury, Digital Legal Frameworks, Virtual Reality Value, Digital Luxury Value in Asia and others.

Club e-Luxe which was created by Luxe Corp in 2006 in recognition of the important role of the internet, digital media and new technologies in luxury, has emerged to be the reference in digital luxury. The objective has remained to provide luxury companies with access to the most advanced strategies, knowledge, applications, systems, tools and concepts required for luxury to thrive online and offline in the context of new technologies and innovation. 

Here is a link for more information: 

Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Say Artisan Organic Cheese - Part 4

Chèvre with Peppercorns - Made with Goat's Milk

-BRAND POSITIONING-

In Part 3 of this Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding article series we discussed how Cowgirl Creamery, the Northern California (Sonoma County) producers of artisan organic cheeses, does not actually compete against global, mass-produced cheese brands, like Kraft’s Velveeta or Cheese Whiz. Their ideal customer is a sophisticated consumer with a discerning palate. We further clarified that the Cowgirl Creamery brand is sophisticated yet down to earth which resonates with the values of their ideal customers.

Red Hawk by Cowgirl Creamery - Made with Cow Milk

Many luxury real estate marketing professionals attempt to claim a similar brand position as they wrestle with their competition for the same target market. So, we posed this question: 

“How can YOUR marketing message stand out in a sea of very similar communications from your competition who also claim they stand for the same thing?” 

The answer is, get out of that wrestling match, all together!  Find an uncontested or underserved lucrative market NICHE that you can serve better than anyone else and do so with passion. Here is a great example of another successful producer of artisan cheeses from the same county as Cowgirl Creamery. 

Goat Milk Cheese VS Cow Milk Cheese

Goat cheese, or chèvre as it is called in France, has grown considerably in popularity in the United States. Laura Chenel is the recognized “pioneer” of American goat cheese production.  From its humble beginnings in late 1970’s, Laura Chenel’s Chèvre has been acknowledged as America’s first name in chèvre. 

The company’ state-of-the-art GOAT MILK ONLY creamery is located in Sonoma County’s famous Carneros region bordering Napa Valley. In 2006 Laura sold the company to the Rians Group, a French family of artisan cheese producers with a commitment to the same level of quality, tradition and artisan technique that Laura herself held.   

Both Cowgirl Creamery and Laura Chenel’s Chèvre appeal to sophisticated consumers. Yet, like with Kraft cheeses, they are not really in direct competition with each other. 

However, in relationship to OTHER GOAT CHEESE MAKERS, the harmonious blending of French technique and Sonoma terroir (geographic, geologic and climatic conditions), place Laura Chenel’s Chèvre more in the “highly sophisticated” end of the sophisticated spectrum for its brand position (see Part 3).  Being the “first mover” in a new brand category further strengthens the authoritativeness of this brand position. 

Your brand position is that part of your luxury brand identity and promise of value that you must actively communicate to your target market in such a way that it establishes a distinct advantage over your competition.  

We hope you have enjoyed this article series on brand positioning and have understood the importance of articulating your own brand position. If you would like our assistance in clarifying and communicating your brand position in relationship to your competition, we would be delighted to be of assistance. That is our expertise.

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Say Artisan Organic Cheese - Part 3

-BRAND POSITIONING-

In Part 2 of this article series we offered a definition of a brand position.  Your brand position is that part of your luxury brand identity and promise of value that you must actively communicate to your target market in such a way that it establishes a distinct advantage over your competition.  Sharply defining your brand position as a luxury real estate marketing professional is essential! 

We explained that Cowgirl Creamery, the Northern California artisan organic cheese maker, is not actually competing with the likes of Kraft cheese.  Their target market is sophisticated, discerning consumers, not those who prefer mass-produced products.So, how does Cowgirl Creamery stand out from their direct competitors-other artisan cheese brands who also target sophisticated customers?   That is where the fine-tuning of one’s brand positioning comes into play.

People like to do business with people (and companies) who share their values and have compatible personalities. Yes, companies have brand personalities, too!  What are some of the qualities that come to mind when you think of a cowgirl? 

A cowgirl is a woman who tends cattle. She is a woman with true grit:  determination, bravery, tenacity, fortitude, and courage. 

If you value these characteristics you certainly can identify with Sue Conley and Peggy Smith the co-founders of Cowgirl Creamery.  They both came to San Francisco, “on a hippie trip” in 1976 after completing their degrees at the University of Tennessee and established careers in some of San Francisco’s most famous kitchens. 

Their brand story, their background, their provenance in the culinary industry, establishes a brand position of down to earth sophistication. To express the down to earth dimension of their brand, their logo uses a “western” font and a silhouette of a cowgirl on a horse.  

To amplify their expertise you can find all of the awards their cheeses have won on their website. To communicate their authoritativeness and also to extend their online offerings beyond their own menu of cheeses, you can find an extensive library of cheeses that the company sells on a wholesale basis. 

The entire purpose of clarifying your brand position is to make it quick and easy for your IDEAL CLIENTS OR CUSTOMERS to recognize that you are like them so they will be inclined to do business with you.  

On the opposite end of the spectrum of down to earth sophisticated consumers are the highly sophisticated consumers who want to distance themselves from the more down to earth variety.  To many this may come across as “snooty” or pretentious. But, this is not necessarily the case. 

In the late 1970s through the 80s, The Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York ran an advertising campaign that communicated brilliantly to this segment of the luxury hotel market. In one ad owner, Leona Helmsley, was pictured with the plush Turkish towels they provided to guests with a quote that went something like this:  “I would not settle for anything less than the finest Turkish towels, why should you?” 

Brand positioning is all about clearly conveying your extraordinary promise of value to your ideal clients with an emphasis on how your value proposition is more advantageous than your competitors’.  But, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, how can you get your message to stand out in a sea of very similar communications from your competition.  Stay tuned for the answer in Part 4. 

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Say Artisan Organic Cheese - Part 2

Brand Position, Continued

A common concern expressed by our luxury real estate personal and company branding clients is coming across as too pretentious with their new brand identity.  Some have trepidation about alienating prior clients whose homes may not be in the top tier of the price range in their marketplace.  Others just do not want to be perceived as “snooty”. 

One of the reasons we selected the cheese makers, Cowgirl Creamery, as the focal point of this article series is because they exemplify a luxury brand that is down to earth.  Their brand is definitely sophisticated, but by no means pretentious. 

In Part 1 we discussed how, unlike Kraft cheeses that are mass produced for a global market, Cowgirl Creamery is a local  (Northern, CA) artisan and they use only organic milk.  These two companies have entirely different target markets.  Local, artisan and organic represent, in a nutshell, their brand position that they actively communicate to a sophisticated and discerning target market. 

One of our favorite dining experiences was in a restaurant in the town of Parma, Italy.  As soon as we were seated at the table, huge chunks of delicious, locally produced, aged Parmesan cheese was served along with freshly baked hot crusty Italian bread, compliments of the house.  

Once you have an experience like this it is next to impossible to even consider sprinkling pre-grated, non-aged Parmesan cheese from a green cardboard container, on your pasta.  Yet, there is a huge target market that is delighted with the convenience of Kraft’s boxed Parmesan cheese. 

Your brand position is that part of your luxury brand identity and promise of value that you must actively communicate to your target market in such a way that it establishes a distinct advantage over your competition.   In the case of Cowgirl Creamery they are not actually competing with Kraft.  They compete with other cheese artisans.  

In marketing luxury real estate, when your competition is also sophisticated you may need to refine your brand position even further. There are many levels of sophistication, a full range within a spectrum from completely unpretentious to highly sophisticated. That is what we will cover in Part 3 of this article series.  You may be surprised to discover that what some may consider “snootiness”, in some cases, can work very much to your advantage.

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: Say Artisan Organic Cheese

Recently, a website was called to our attention, in the realm of luxury goods and services, that exemplifies many of the principles that we focus upon in our luxury real estate personal and company branding practice. In this article series we will cover the principles that make Cowgirl Creamery a candidate for our Brilliance in Branding Award.  In Part 1 we will discuss the principle of brand positioning, the importance of which often alludes luxury real estate marketing professionals in their personal and company branding. 

- Brand Positioning -

We were first introduced to Cowgirl Creamery several years ago when we visited one of their retail stores located in a San Francisco culinary hot spot, the Ferry Building. On our first encounter, we thought the clever attention-getting brand name stood out and we immediately knew what that brand stood for.  Their brand position is crystal clear. 

When you think of Kraft cheese, Velveeta or Cheese Whiz (both made by Kraft Foods) do you think of a luxury brands? Cowgirl Creamery stands for local (Northern California) artisan organic cheeses.  In just three words they differentiate themselves making it impossible to confuse them with the global conglomerate’s brands.   

You can find Cowgirl Creamery cheeses in Whole Foods Markets.  But, you most likely will not find their products other large food market chains.  Kraft stands for consistently reliable, people-pleasing cheese for the masses.  This does not imply that their cheeses are inferior.  They just appeal to a different target market. 

Your luxury real estate brand and your website provide the best opportunity to communicate your extraordinary promise of value and how you are distinct from your competition.  If you do not instantaneously let your target market and potential referral base know your brand position, that is, what you stand for, how you are distinct and also how you want to be perceived, they will pigeonhole you by default.  Once that happens it becomes very difficult to get them to re-categorize you in their minds on your own terms. 

In subsequent articles in this series we will cover more principles of branding that are exemplified in Cowgirl Creamery company branding. 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Are You Spinning Your Wheels in Social Media

Without a focused strategy and a unique “point of view” as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you are just spinning your wheels with social media. And, this becomes a colossal waste of time! Without original content, you might as well re-channel your energy on more productive means of developing new business. 

Originality and innovation can be rewarded handsomely with viable business leads, but only when you consistently publish buzz-worthy, follow-worthy content through social media. To exercise your original thinking process you need to extrovert and see innovation everywhere you go. 

When you think of a hamster in a cage exercising what image comes to mind first? Do you think of an exercise wheel made of wire mesh? Think again! 

We recently took a trip to our local pet store to pick up some food for our cats, Zoe and Kobe. There we spotted a new and improved twist on an old product for small animals (not cats):  A better exercise wheel!  Instead of the typical wire mesh version, this blue plastic “flying saucer” exercise wheel has a unique value proposition not only for pets, but also for their owners.  Both products promise better health and freedom from boredom for pets. But, this one is toe and tail safe and pets love the solid running surface. Best of all, it is easier to clean for you than the mesh version. Both wheels cost the same.

You might liken the wire mesh version of the exercise wheel to the incumbent market leader in your luxury real estate marketplace.  The market leader enjoys top-of-mind status.  That is, until some challenger comes along with a superior value proposition.  

If you did not know, about the “flying saucer” exercise wheel until now (like us) it will be fairly difficult not to think about this product category challenger going forward.  A shift in top-of-mind status can literally happen instantly, like it did for us in a flash! But, you need a strategy, an original approach, to pull this off.  The plastic version of the wheel is most likely less expensive to produce. 

This goes to show that you do not have to out-spend the incumbent market leader, you need to out-think your competition.  This is exactly what we help our clients accomplish in our luxury real estate strategic branding practice. 

When you publish original content, social media gives you the opportunity to show your target market how you think before they even meet you. But, out-smarting your competition requires strategic thinking.  Conversely, social media can also show just how unoriginal you are if your content is canned.  Given the psychographics of those who can afford to buy luxury real estate, you can be assured that these high net worth individuals are more prone to value innovation and originality.  

Stop spinning your wheels with social media. Get focused. Be original and innovative.  Or, get off the wheel.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Co-Marketing Art Deco Style!

Chrysler building in New York, photo by kts

Co-marketing is a great way to create a buzz about your luxury real estate marketing practice and expand your sphere of influence.   The key is to find the right non-competitive partners who share the same target market as you.

Tiffany’s has a strong tradition of co-marketing with the movie industry.  The classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, certainly created a buzz about the jeweler when it opened in 1961.  The hit song Moon River gave the terrific press about movie (and Tiffany’s) “legs”, meaning that it continued to stay “top-of-mind” for years.  Because the movie became a classic it is still viewed by generations of fans via Netflix and other online distribution channels. 

Tiffany also co-marketed with the movie, Sweet Home Alabama to reach new generations with their primary marketing message, “buy your engagement ring at Tiffany’s”.  Now they are co-marketing with the newest version of the Great Gatsby opening in May 2013. 

To create a buzz for the movie and the company, Tiffany’s reproduced some if its art deco jewelry worn by actors in the film.  You can actually purchase these pieces on their website.  They also have temporarily transformed the look of their store in New York by adding art deco applique to the exterior of the building and by designing Great Gatsby window displays.

The Great Gatsby story took place in the “Jazz Age” when the art deco style flourished.  As a luxury real estate marketing professional, this is one of the architectural styles that would well be worth studying.   The iconic Chrysler Building in New York is still a monument to that era.  Let the Great Gatsby and Tiffany’s co-marketing venture inspire you seek your own co-marketing partners.

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