Luxury Real Estate Company Branding: Is Your Company Brand a Household Name?

If market leadership is your quest, as a luxury real estate company simply achieving the brand awareness of potential clients, or agents you would like to recruit, is not enough.  You must set you sites on having your company become a HOUSEHOLD NAME and achieve INSTANT RECOGNITION as the go-to brand in your marketplace. To get the lion’s share of business in your marketplace you must reach for top-of-mind status. This is a case study of CornerStone Coastal Properties in Fort Meyers, Florida.

We contacted Napa Consultants, International in May of 2014. We had been given 30 day notice that our franchisor was not going to renew our franchise agreement. The task to preserve and rebrand our successful real estate company in less than 30 days was overwhelming. Ron and Alexandra were assuring and proactive from the first conversation. They immediately met with us, designed, created and delivered a brand that positioned our company as the leader in our market place. The goal was to have a new company identity that represented our company; its culture, philosophies and business model that we could clearly articulate to our team of 50 agents, their past customers and clients, our local real estate community and the community at large. This task included: a new brand with a clear and concise marketing message, a logo, a full functioning and optimized luxury website, business card, letterhead & presentation folder designs, yard sign and facility sign designs, consultation on 25 custom agent websites, and coordination of incorporating our new brand into numerous real estate products used by our company. Ron and Alexandra exceeded our expectations. Their comprehensive knowledge of the real estate business was the golden key to achieving our success in rebranding in such short amount of time. Their tireless work ethic and level of professionalism was amazing. They will continue to be an integral part of our strategic planning and future success as we expanded into new markets. Without question I would highly recommend Napa Consultants, International.

David Cole, Broker-Owner, CornerStone Coastal Properties
CornerStoneCoastal.com

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Choosing Your Brand Colors: The Non-Obvious Brand Colors!

Are you stumped trying to come up with a color scheme for your personal or company brand? Take a cue from the natural surroundings in your marketplace or colors that might represent it.

For example, if you look to nature in a tropical marketplace there is a treasure trove of color clues.  Here is a color palette that is inspired by a tropical fish. These colors are actually sampled directly from the photos; they just are not obvious.

If your marketplace is Santa Fe, New Mexico turquoise blue and silver jewelry may be your inspiration.  But, if you look closer at the image here you will find other complimentary colors that are not the usual suspects, colors that can make your brand identity stand out. 

Take your personal or company brand color cues from your marketplace and your natural surroundings. Then, discover the non-obvious brand color combinations.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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A Personal Brand is Born in Santa Barbara!

What comprises a model luxury real estate personal brand? It is the fusion of your marketplace and its lifestyle, the spirit of your own personality, your personal values and personal preferences, tempered in such a way that it clearly communicates on the wavelength of your ideal target clients.

Nothing shouts out Santa Barbara like the hot colors of fuchsia bougainvillea and terracotta Spanish rooftops against a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean with the coastal mountain range snuggled up right behind you.  How do you capture the essence of this semi-tropical paradise with a year-round temperate climate and a relaxed vacation lifestyle, and then incorporate all that into a very personal luxury real estate brand? 

When you are a market leader and you have a name like YOLANDA and no other agent in your marketplace has that name you want to seize this opportunity.  Think, Cher, Madonna, and Beyoncé! Hence, the personal brand, YolandaSB was born.  (Check out YolandaSB.com)

Yolanda van Wingerden hails from one of the fine Dutch families that emigrated from Holland to Santa Barbara and created what has become a mecca for the wholesale floral industry.  Claiming bougainvillea as part of Yolanda’s personal brand was a natural.

Yolanda specializes in selling luxury real estate in the area called Upper East (adjacent to our fabulous downtown shopping and dining streets) and also The Mesa (the trendy beachfront neighborhood).  Yolanda’s friends know her simply as Yo. As an ambassador of the Santa Barbara lifestyle we featured Yo’s Picks on her website (best restaurants, shopping and points of interest).  Be sure to check out this great local resource before you come to town! http://yolandasb.com/sb-info-tips/yos-picks-downtown/

When we work with luxury real estate personal and company branding clients we always travel to meet face-to-face with them, study the marketplace and understand their areas of expertise.  Although, we live right here in Santa Barbara, Yolanda gave us a comprehensive tour of her target market so we could understand it through her eyes.  And, we were surprised to learn so much about the place we already love.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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If You Get The Itch to Ditch Your Niche, Think Again!

 

Niche players will always have an advantage over generalists, in luxury real estate marketing, because they are focused on taking care of the specific needs of clients that were not being met by the generalists.  If you are a generalist, you cannot serve everyone, and expect to have client satisfaction across the board. You are vulnerable to niche players who can seize your market share. 

Here is an example in the entertainment industry.  The three major television networks, ABC, CBS, & NBC used to dominate TV programming.  HBO, Netflix, and others identified a gap in that entertainment.  As niche players, they were able to supply a different style of entertainment that was geared to a demographic that the big three networks ignored.  These companies carved out a niche by producing intelligent content that is well crafted with good acting, good stories and no commercial interruptions.

Here is a Real Estate Example. One of our clients carved out a niche years ago by specializing in the newer communities in a particular price range.  She concentrated all her marketing efforts on those communities.  Part of her strategy was to meet and make friends with the HOA boards. She spoke at their meetings on a variety of real estate subjects such as staging a home to sell, curb appeal, and more.

Our client is still the undisputed expert in these communities, based on her knowledge and consistent execution of her marketing plan.  Generalists have tried to dethrone her and have not succeeded. 

So next time you get the itch to move in the direction of expanding before mastering your niche, think again!  Do yourself a favor and buy some Calamine lotion.  

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Luxury Real Estate Brand Colors: Part 1 - Some Like it Hot!

Using color effectively in luxury real estate branding can help to make you stand out from the crowd.  Your brand colors can speak volumes about who you are and how you are distinct from your competition.  In this article series we delve into some of the nuances of brand colors and how to integrate them into your brand story. 

Some people love the hot or warm colors: red, orange, yellow, magenta and gold.  Others prefer cold or cool colors: blues, greens, white, grays silver.  

This image of sweet peppers, taken at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market, focuses upon hot colors.  But, notice that there are several cool colors that offset the hot colors.  This contrast makes it easier on the eyes to view an image for a longer period of time.  

If your luxury real estate brand colors are going to include both hot and cold colors, one of the important principals to keep in mind is using the right proportions of hot and cold colors. 

The color swatches below are actually samples of hot and cold colors taken from the same image of the peppers.  Can you see how important proportion of hot and cold colors are to a composition?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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How to Find the Under Served Market Niche: The Paradigm Shift, Clue #3

One of the most important aspects in luxury real estate marketing is to be able to shift paradigms. The dictionary defines it: “as making a fundamental change in an individual’s or a society view of how things work in the world.”  It is seeing life from a new perspective and aligning to it.

When you are looking for a niche, you may need to change your frame of mind on how you view your marketplace.  If only for a moment, let go of your assumptions that tell you that there is nothing new to specialize, and you have the facts to prove it.

In the crowded wine industry, Yellow Tail wines is a perfect example of a company that found an under served market niche.  Yellow Tail noticed that young adults wanted to drink wine, without having to be experts in grape varietals or vintages. CEO, John Cansella, expressed it this way: "People can’t be bothered by all the hype and nonsense of wine. They just want to drink it."    Yellow Tail provided their target market with an easy way to select the right wine for the occasion.

This Australian company has become the number one imported wine to Britain in 2000 surpassing their usual import of French wine.  In the USA they held that distinction in 2003.  Yellow Tail established a new category, a niche for those who want to drink wine without confusion and intimidation.  They have recently come out with bubbly versions and sangria.

Clue # 3 Practice looking at situations from new perspectives, and shift your paradigm. Focus on the picture above, you can see the different perspectives!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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How to Find Your Market Niche: Focus Your Internet Energy,Clue #2

Last week, we wanted to purchase another Meyer lemon tree  (thin fragrant skinned lemons that are less acidic) for our deck.  We looked on line hoping to find a nursery in Santa Barbara. We were utterly surprised that not a single grower or nursery in Santa Barbara came up for a Meyer lemon tree. We made an assumption based on the fact that since California is the second biggest citrus producer after Florida, we would find a Meyer lemon tree on line from California.

Our search revealed two growers, one based in South Carolina, and the other in Georgia.  The search did not even show nurseries in Santa Barbara carrying Meyer Lemon trees.  For all practical purposes, one could conclude that Santa Barbara does not stock Meyer lemon trees, which is not true.  The only reason we looked on line is because two of the local nurseries had  sub par Meyer trees , and like everyone else we were hoping to save ourselves time on line.

The Eastern based nurseries identified an under served market niche in Southern California.   We were stunned. If someone is pressed for time and does not want to wander through nurseries, they can easily order a tree on line and have it arrive at their home with free shipping.  It fulfills an important need of saving time, and both of these companies who are located back East are benefiting from this uncontested market niche.

Clue #2. Realize that searches are specific, so question your assumptions.  Check on line how homes are advertised in your marketplace.  What characteristics of homes are missing that a buyer would be looking for, that is so obvious no one had mentioned it?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Find the UnderServed Market Niche #1

Whenever we write about finding an under served market niche, we get comments of how hard it is to find that niche.  It can take considerable research and time to find the uncontested niche in your marketplace.  Real estate marketing professionals often assume that someone dominates a niche based on hearsay.  However, if you delve deeper you will often find that what you assumed is not necessarily true. 

There is an abundance of cookbooks available on every subject. If you were looking for an under served market niche in the cookbook-publishing world, you would be hard pressed to find a topic that doesn’t already exist.

Yesterday, while browsing through Williams-Sonoma, Ron noticed that Ina Garten, aka, the Barefoot Contessa, has a new book coming out.  It is called, Make It Ahead.  Ms. Garten identified an important need in our time-starved world: having recipes that can be made ahead of time.

This is an excerpt from the book cover, “If you've ever found yourself stuck in front of the stove at your own party, scrambling to get everything to the table at just the right moment, Ina is here to let you in on her secrets! Thanks to twenty years of running a specialty food store and fifteen years writing cookbooks, she has learned exactly which dishes you can prep, assemble, or cook ahead of time. ” The need to have recipes for making food ahead of time represented an under served market niche, which Ina brilliantly recognized and filled.

Clue# 1: Check your assumptions as to whether or not the perceived market leader is truly serving their niche well.  You may be surprised.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Luxury Real Estate Branding: Provenance As A Brand Characteristic

The art of branding has many characteristics.  One of these is Provenance (the origin or source of something).  Kanaloa, our fish store has added something new to its fresh fish board.  As the picture above illustrates you can see that the black cod was caught on the Casanova Anne vessel, and the Bling Cod was caught on the Caledonian.  

When we inquired why they are doing that, our friend Nate, mentioned that every fish they sell has a direct provenance.  At any time they can tell you exactly when that fish was caught and where it came from. They can also tell you what is coming in that has been purchased.

In the wee hours of the morning Kanaloa trucks are at LAX, picking up fish shipped by each vessel.  Unlike other fish purveyors who deal with a broker, they have direct access to the freshest fish, which is why we shop there.

As a luxury real estate agent, you can claim provenance if you are born and bred in your marketplace.  It can distinguish you from the others, in that because of your birthright you may have more knowledge than any other agent in the marketplace.  This may or may not be a good way to differentiate yourself, it all depends on the marketplace.  This also applies to real estate in general.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Innovation News Interfered With Our Plan to Write A Post!

Photo Courtesy of Apple

We got a call from our dear friend and partner that he was about to tune in to watch the Apple unveiling of its new products. It was for us two hours of wows!  Even if you don't like Apple products, there is so much to learn by watching their presentation.  

Every aspect of the presentation, whether verbal or video was polished to perfection.  Every word was thought out to be the best word possible, and the same for the video presentation.  Every person called up to the stage by Tim Cook, Apple CEO was flawless in their presentation.

We are particularly excited about the new phones, IOS8,  and Apple pay.  What is distinct about Apple Pay is that all the information is only available to your bank when you use your credit card or debit card.  

That is the only entity that will have access to your data.  This clearly differentiates Apple from those who are garnering your data, spending habits, and this clearly answers our concerns on the subject of privacy.

The watch is a work of art in our opinion in terms of functionality, design and personalizing.  Neither one of us uses our watches at this point in time.  However, both of us are open to perhaps one day wear an Apple watch.

Innovation is something that thrills us to no end.  We love it!  In our opinion, Apple is one of the most innovative companies in the universe at this moment in time.  

They definitely set an example as to what it means to be on the leading edge, and they inspire our work with real estate agents and luxury brands world wide.

Tonight, we will make a toast to INNOVATION with a glass of wine!  We always, have time for INNOVATIVE THINKING & SPIRIT!  It makes us that much better.

If you wish to view the Keynote simply click on apple,com.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Pesto, Pizza & Amore: Does Your Message in Your Posts Evoke Amore?

Plenty of words have been written on the subject of the recent Google edict of writing posts of 1000 words.  As far as we are concerned, it does not matter how many words you use to make a point.  Make it amore (lovable) and memorable!

A post is memorable when it is of interest to the demographics (statistical data relating to the population and groups within it) and the psychographics (the study and classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations and other psychological criteria, especially in market research) of your marketplace. 

Think of it like tuning in to a radio station frequency.  If your target market likes classical music, you would write about all forms of classical music.  You would not discuss rap, jazz, or rhythm and blues.  In order to be follow-worthy to your target market, you have to give them what they are interested in and they will love you.

Those of you working in the luxury arena (top 10% of your marketplace and above $500,000), should know that writing a post on the importance of a prequalifying letter from a lender is mind numbing and illustrates your ignorance, of your marketplace.   If the post were about what is new in kitchen or bathroom fixtures in luxury homes, the readers in this demographic would likely be interested in what you have to say.

In our opinion, brevity is an art.  If you want to understand brevity, pick up Truman Capote’s book, Music for Chameleons. Be sure to read the forward.  In this collection of autobiographical short stories, he set out to use the least possible words to tell his stories, without sacrificing the emotional essence.

A post that is written in a succinct, clear manner is interesting, memorable and follow-worthy, than one that goes on and on about the reasons to hire an agent instead of doing it yourself.  As Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Real Estate Website Design: Luxury Website Aesthetics

Adams, "The Tetons and the Snake River" by Ansel Adams

In a previous post, we discussed incorporating your brand’s strategy in the design, making it user friendly and having great content.  What about the look and feel of your website?

When we work with a luxury real estate professional, we create a color palette based on their personality, their niche, and target market.  These three aspects of personality, niche, and target market have to blend in a cohesive palette.  The blend is important.  The object is to have the web visitors identify with the web site and enjoy using it.   This color palette is used for the brand colors, the navigation bar, and other details on the site. 

Great photographs are worth a million words on your website.  They tell the story of your marketplace better than words can.  Study the photography on resort brochures, or those on Architectural Digest or Veranda magazines.  Look at how they show a home, and study the shots of the various rooms in the featured homes.  Some of you may have great photographic skills, but if you don’t have it, hire a top-notch professional, for your listings.  All your clients deserve the best. 

Give your marketplace its due with great lifestyle photography also.  Study the outdoor photographs of Ansel Adams. Note the above photo is of the Tetons and the Snake River. Our latest website for one of our clients in Santa Barbara has included photos of surfing, and the polo games.  Be like the chamber of commerce for your marketplace, romance it, and show off the best of your community so that your target market falls in love with it.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Four Tips to Keep In Mind

As we research the latest and greatest in website design, we keep in mind two factors in our design of websites: brand strategy integration, and user experience.  Here are 4 tips:

In terms of brand strategy integration, the site’s aesthetics should represent the brand in all its aspects.  For instance, if you are going to be focused on historical homes in a particular area, keep it focused there.  Resist the lure of enhancing it with modern homes.

Keep your home page clutter free, simply configured, so it is easy to use.   Think of staging your site like you do a home.  Keep it accessible to users.  Big musical overtures or flashy video introductions with rapidly moving graphics are a turn off resulting in a click off.  They also take time to load. 

In terms of content on your website, resist peppering it with a bunch of keywords which are mind numbing and makes the reader wonder what you are talking about.  Besides, for Google, keywords are no longer the priority.  This gives them a reason to click off your site.

If you are going to write a blog as part of your strategy, write user friendly, informative and most importantly interesting content.  Keep the content, simple, short and interesting to read and share with friends.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Luxury Real Estate Branding: The Power of Color in .03 Seconds!

When you are refining your luxury real estate branding and marketing package, it is important to focus on the power of color.  The response to color is often subliminal. The eyes see color in .03 seconds equivalent to the blinking of an eyelash.  In that brief moment, colors have to convey the message of the brand which helps create interest and eventually the sale.  This makes it worth the time for a second look.

Yesterday, we were cruising the aisles of luxury stores and looking at different products, and their packaging for inspiration.  We apply the .03 seconds principle as we move through the store.  Will it catch our eyes? Does it appeal to our psyche?  If it does are we compelled to take time to look at it further?  Would we buy it?

Some people may protest at this instant judgment of a product or service without delving in the particulars.  So many times as we speak at conferences, we are often asked the following. “Do people really judge a book by its cover in a branding context?”

Agent “A” got the listing for an equestrian property.  This person does not know the nose from the tail of a horse.” I am an experienced equestrian, a horse judge, and horse owner and they picked agent “A”.  The answer, shallow as it may seem to some is packaging and perception of the brand.

Test the .03 seconds principle. Next time you are in a supermarket, see what attracts you color wise.  Is it worth a second look?  Did you buy it? 

Will your intended target market be drawn to you?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Luxury Real Estate Branding: Communicating with Colors #4

Making the right color choice is one of the most important aspects of communicating your brand’s message.  Typically a combination of three colors, (occasionally 4) reflects the brand identity and communicates its emotion, symbolism and mood.  These 3 colors have to be carefully selected both in term of hues and contrast.  The focus should be on giving the right signal for the individual or the company and the marketplace.

In home markets, where the living is easy and relaxed, black (although associated with power, luxury and elegance) sends a wrong signal.  Black is formal, think black tie events!  If you are in a bustling city market, black can be one of the colors. 

People who buy in these markets are interested in a casual, relaxed, life style.  We used different hues of blues for one of our clients in the Santa Barbara Riviera.  Royal blue associated with luxury is dominant on his page.  Lighter blue in the same family as the royal blue and white are used to create a contrast.  The blue reflects the Pacific Ocean, which can be seen from the Riviera homes he specializes in, and it happens to be his favorite color.

Another client in Santa Barbara who works in a different marketplace has bougainvillea pink, spring green and white as her colors.  Bougainvillea is growing everywhere in Santa Barbara.  It also reflects her personality. Bougainvillea pink communicates youth, energy, and movement.  Both colors are used sparingly on a white contrasting background. This site is going through final adjustments, and we will share it at a later date.

Take the time to dial into your color preferences when crafting your brand.  However, keep in mind who you are communicating to.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

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Luxury Real Estate Branding: Communicating with Colors #3

Our post yesterday sparked many interesting questions that have inspired a series.  Color selection in branding and marketing is a process.  It involves analysis both of the individual/team or company as well as their target market.  The brand should reflect a combination of both the client and the market.

Choosing colors for a brand necessitates understanding the use of color in terms of its impact:  emotional, symbolic, and mood projected.  Moods can be serene, earthy, playful, powerful, mellow, traditional, unique, elegant, and luxurious to name a few.    Moods are communicated with color combinations.

Children are naturally drawn to bright colors. Bright colors are happy, cheerful, energetic, and project a playful mood. Toy and playground manufacturers produce toys in bright color combination, for this very reason.

When you work for a company, and develop your personal brand, their brand becomes an endorser brand, which in most cases have to printed on your cards, marketing materials, and website.  Sometimes, brand colors clash, and there are solutions for elegant integration.

One of our first projects involved creating a luxury real estate brand for an agent working with a company whose brand colors are red, white and blue.  The color combination is not perceived as a luxury.  It is symbolic of Middle America, Mom, apple pie, all things quintessentially American.  Some well-known brands with that combination are Budweiser, Chevron, Pepsi, NFL, Chicago Cubs, and American Airlines.    

Based on her color preferences and the marketplace, she was working in; we created a brand in burgundy, accented it with a metallic gold, and a cream color for the body of the marketing pieces and website.  At first, this clashed with the initial company brand, and they later came out with a single color logo that was complimentary.  As her business boomed, she opened her own firm, and eventually sold the brand and website for a significant sum.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

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Luxury Real Estate Branding: Communicating with Colors #2

Last week, we wrote a post on the psychology of colors focusing on red and green as part of a brand’s color scheme. Alitalia incorporates these colors in their brand identity, as they are the colors of he Italian flag.  Saturday, while in Beverly Hills, we spotted Gucci’s “camouflage” (barricade), a temporary façade erected during the remodeling of their Italian luxury fashion and leather goods store. 

The barricade looks like a portal into the store. They are actually open for business during the transformation.

Gucci’s brand identity is comprised of red and green stripes on a beige background watermarked with interlocking “G’s”. They also use metallic gold for the name itself at times.  Red and green are highly contrasting hot and cool colors.  By themselves, these colors may not connote a luxury brand.  But, by adding beige and gold as the third and fourth brand colors, instead of white, it can elevate the red and green combination to luxury status.

Paying attention to colors and how they represent your brand of doing business is quite important.  Using the right colors can actually attract more business or differentiate you from your competition in the realm of luxury real estate. The wrong colors can do just the opposite.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

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Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

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Three Ways to Sharpen Your Strategic Thinking Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY