Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Buzz and Ants!

Word-of-mouth is, by far, your best form of advertising.  But, very few luxury real estate marketing professionals seize the opportunity to spark word-of-mouth advertising (buzz) ON PURPOSE. 

If you want to accelerate the pace at which you achieve top-of-mind status in your marketplace, or within your niche, the art of deliberately triggering buzz should definitely become part of your skillset.  If you can leverage social media channels such as You Tube or Twitter you could score a grand slam in publicity!

During the Holidays Disney released a trailer for its upcoming feature film, Ant-Man.  The screen size was tiny, so you could not actually view the trailer.  But, it said that the “human” size trailer could be viewed if you watch Agent Carter, the new ABC TV series starting on January 6th.  The clever trailer went “viral” with over 2 millions views on You Tube.  Both Ant-Man and Agent Carter are based on Marvel characters, a company owned by Disney.  Ant-Man premieres in July.

To capitalize on the buzz, Disney released a teaser of the full-length human sized trailer.  Huffington Post for one wrote an article on this and featured the teaser.

How can you leverage buzz to spark word-of-mouth advertising for your luxury real estate marketing practice, on purpose?

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

Manage Your Outlook or Throw Your Business Plan Out The Window!

A term you often hear in customer service training is “managing expectations” (of your clients). The recommended idea is to under-promise and over-deliver.  But, how does that apply to your own expectations of yourself?  Will 2015 be a year of great expectations for you, a year when your dreams come true? 

When it comes to managing your own expectations for 2015, here is a great tip.  Make your business plan; set your conservative goals and your optimistic goals.   Then, manage your OUTLOOK vs. your performance.

The value of “keeping things in perspective” rather than dwelling on an expectation that is not fully realized cannot be over-estimated.  The minute you allow things to get “out of perspective” and lose sight of all of things that are moving along swimmingly, you diminish your chances of success.  If you allow your diminished expectations to dominate your thinking you might as well throw your business plan out the window.

We are going to try an experiment this year and you are welcome to join us.  We are going to focus on a single theme for 2015 and that is VITALITY.  When you manage your feeling of vitality (with whatever method works best for you) you AUTOMATICALLY put yourself in the best position to maintain your perspective and a clear outlook. Solutions come to mind faster, an abundance of opportunities present themselves and your performance can far exceed even you own wildest expectations.  

Don't throw your business plan out the window. Manage your OUTLOOK versus your performance. Wishing you VITALITY in 2015!

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.

Happy New Year 2015

“For last year's words belong to last year's language

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning."

T.S. Eliot

Wishing you great beginnings, and may all you dreams be realized in 2015!

Cheers!

Happy New Year, Ron & Alexandra Seigel & Quincy

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.

Focus, And Say (Grilled) Cheese!

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

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

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

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

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Hold The Vision, Trust The Process!

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

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

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

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

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

                                   GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Everything & A Live Orchid Tree!!

Wishing all  our readers and subscribers all the very best for the holiday season.  The photo above is our favorite tree.  The picture was taken at Westerlay Orchids in Carpinteria.  This is a  tree decorated with live orchid stems that have vials of water to keep them fresh.

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

A Branding Challenge: Don’t Sing Opera to a Rock & Roll Audience!

What works in  creating a brand in your real estate market place is  focusing on your audience.  Choosing colors follows the same logic.  So when you are thinking of branding yourself, think twice and don’t necessarily default to your tastes. Take a moment to analyze why you are creating your brand and the audience you are appealing to.  In other words don’t sing opera to a rock and roll audience!

Recently, when we working with a client in the wine country, we identified her color preferences, and it was clear that they would not necessarily be a fit for the marketplace.  So we started to walk around and focused on at the environment and the colors of nature that surrounded us. 

We noted the colors she loved in the environment that represented her  her market niche in the wine county.  We took our inspiration from the golden hills, the tawny color of the light, the dark green and brown of the oaks growing on them and the reddish umber colors of the soil.  These colors became part of the brand’s identity, as represented in the color swatch above. 

By using a mix of the colors of the environment for her brand identity, she is singing on key, the right song for her marketplace.  Her brand is her silent salesperson.  It tells her story: who she is, where she is, and makes it easy for her clients to refer her.   We will be sharing her brand identity and web site which is presently under construction.

Remember your marketplace is the economic driver! Don't default to your tastes or someone else's ideas.  It is more important to create a brand that will work rather than one you like.  Don’t sing opera to a rock and roll audience! And if you are an opera singer, find your marketplace, and your audience!

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

The Symbolism And Nuances Of The Color Black In Branding!

Black is often the default brand color of luxury.  Black is associated with power, class, formality and prestige.  However, keep in mind that black is not the only color that communicates these nuances.  In branding yourself as a luxury real estate professional, black may not be appropriate.  For instance, if you are selling homes in a resort location, black is not necessarily the right color for your brand.

When people travel to a resort location, they are thinking of relaxing.  Formality is the last thing they want, as they are escaping from their cities.  Whenever we have worked in second home locations, we have discouraged black as the dominant brand color. We have encouraged our clients to adopt the colors of their marketplace, and not their favorite color which may be black.

Conversely, in the city, (New York, San Francisco) black may be the perfect brand color.  If you are working in the Hamptons, New Yorkers' get away place, black is inappropriate, and the same goes for San Francisco where their getaway is the Napa/Sonoma Valley.

In some cultures, black is the color of death and mourning. It is also associated with mystery, magic, nightime.  Resort living connotes a happy, daytime environment and a casual nightime, no black tie needed.

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

Do You Have A Remarkable Slogan? Part 2

A great slogan artfully articulates your extraordinary promise of value with brevity of communication. The trick is to create a clever slogan that instantly sticks in the mind of your target market and triggers word-of-mouth advertising.  

InPart 1 of this article series we challenged you to identify the business category of this 3-word slogan:

FINDER OF KEEPERS

This is one of the advertising slogans for the market-leading matchmaking firm in North America, Selective Search. Their tag line, which consistently accompanies their logo, is, “Executive Search Meets Personal Matchmaking”. In just 5 words they communicate their unique value proposition here as well. 

“Meet Your Future” (just 3 words) is the name of their proprietary process for helping their clients find true love. Selective Search claims to have the highest success rate in the matchmaking industry. 

Most real estate professionals do not realize that it is not just your immediate sphere of influence that encompasses your referral base. ANYONE in your marketplace who may know a buyer or seller currently in the market can become a referral source!  Here we are, a happily married husband and wife business team, spreading the word about a matchmaking service just because their slogan is remarkable.

Can you see how empowering all of your potential referral sources with a remarkable slogan that communicates your extraordinary promise of value can help you or your company gain or sustain market leadership?  We hope we made our point in fewer than 250 words.

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

Do You Have A Remarkable Slogan? Part 1

One of our biggest challenges as brand strategists is to refine, condense and distill our clients’ extraordinary promise of value into a remarkable slogan in just a few words. After brainstorming with our clients and gathering a tremendous amount of information about them and their marketplace, it usually comes to us in a flash! We know we have nailed it when the slogan sticks in the minds of their target market, including any potential referral source, and sparks word-of-mouth advertising.

You may have heard the expression, “Finders keepers, losers weepers”. Recently, we came across an ad for a service that conveys their extraordinary promise of value in just three words. It is a play on this expression.

FINDERS OF KEEPERS

For fun, we will not tell you the category of business this is. In part two of this article series we will reveal the answer and also analyze this brand’s other tag line that further defines its value proposition in 5 words. 

Do you have a remarkable slogan? Can you guess the category of business “Finders of Keepers” belongs 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. 

-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

Planning For 2015: Dream Big Or Go Home!

The Garden of Dreams in Katmandu, Nepal, Photo by Jerry Way

Dream Big or Go Home is the saying our French partner’s father told her time after time.  If you are going to dream, why not dream big!  My father (A) had a similar mindset.  As a child when I admired a Rolls Royce, and indicated that I wanted one; his response was “Why just one, why not one for each day of the week?”

As many of you are planning for 2015, take a moment to dream big without limiting your thinking.  Shut down all negative thoughts and considerations, and take a flight into the realm of “everything is possible”. This is the wonderful world of creators and innovators.  Don’t focus on details and the how to.  Work on creating images and experience what it would feel like to be in the dream and realize all you want to achieve.

This past week in Florida, Ron and I walked into a dream, the inaugural event that launched a new venture that we have been creating with our ideal partners for over a year and a half. It was heady and exceeded our expectations.

Using your imagination without self-imposed limitations is what it takes to dream big.  Dream Big or Go Home!

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

Is Your Home Page The Window to Your Brand Story?

The home page on a website should not be all about you or your brand. It should reflect an elegant combination of your brand story and your marketplace.  It should tell your audience who you are and where you are.

On an early rainy morning, we are ogling the windows of the name brand stores in Beverly Hills.  There are several dozen stores on Rodeo Drive.  As people walk by or drive by, they have only seconds to capture your attention and tell you the essence of their brand story.  The home page of your website is like your storefront.  Does it accomplish this?

This Hermes window in our opinion says it all beautifully . It is a seascape with sea horses.  It is a subtle salute to horses (their heritage as saddle makers to the kings) and the sea (Pacific Ocean marketplace) where we are standing.  

The Signature Hermes Orange is well distributed in the display, and their legendary scarves are prominent.  Getting an Hermes scarf as a gift is like getting a work of art, which is why a book was written on the subject.  This is an invitation to come in and share the magic.  

Does your Home Page reflect your brand story? 

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. 

Personal & Company Branding: What Do You Stand For?

Now over 100 years old, Hallmark is a heritage brand that has re-invented itself over and over again. Yet, it has stayed true to its core values that can be summed up in a couple of words: “Wholesomeness” and “Sentimentality”. Consistently adhering to your values over time establishes your brand position.  It lets people know where you stand. This is a vital component of successful personal and company branding in the realm of luxury real estate marketing. 

Hallmark’s greeting card slogan, “For those who care to give the very best” exemplifies their company values. The same applies to The Hallmark Channel on cable, which is now known as the “Heart of TV”.  

If you need an infusion of sentimentality just watch a Hallmark Channel movie or TV series. You might find them mushy, syrupy, or even over sentimental.  But, you cannot accuse this brand of deviating from wholesome entertainment that consistently has happy endings. 

Wholesomeness and sentimentality together comprise Hallmark’s brand position. You will not find R rated entertainment here.  It is specifically targeted for the entire family and fully embraces the baby boomer generation, which has become an underserved market niche.  Most new movies now are targeted to the 18-34 year old crowd. 

Hallmark has one of the most clearly articulated brand positions we have ever encountered.  And, it sets an example of how important it is to make your own brand position, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, crystal clear to you ideal target market.  What do you stand for?

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

Happy Thanksgiving To All Our Readers and Friends

Ron and I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, and all the very best this holiday season!

Cheers!

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

Preparing for 2015: Is It Time to Update Your Website?

A recent inquiry by someone who wants to break into the luxury real estate market in 2015 spurred this question, “Is it time to update your existing website or create an additional website for the luxury market?” 

This morning, as we were reading our roundup of luxury news, this headline popped up. “Amazon Needs Image Overhaul to Attract Luxury Brands!”  This was a report generated by L2 Business Intelligence for Digital Marketing.  Although Amazon is a giant in the digital shopping arena, it is not perceived as a luxury brand, but rather as a discounter, which is a turn off to luxury brands.  Alibaba, the Chinese counterpart of Amazon has made promises to luxury brands that they would not allow competing sites that would undercut their prices.

Yesterday, we were going to refer someone to an agent who has a unique niche specialty.  When we reviewed that person’s website, not a word was written about their unique niche.  Instead, there is a generic website that looks good with search, etc.  In reading both profile and testimonials no mention was made of the niche the agent was known for.  We checked to see if there was an additional website for this person’s specialty, and there was not.  What a digital flub!

If your website lacks focus, or does not clearly articulate your brand position as a niche expert, or if you are a luxury agent and your site does not SCREAM all luxury, ask yourself this question; “Is it time to update my website?”

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Luxury Real Estate Kismet Marketing: Are You Aligned With The Stars?

You may have heard of the “star-crossed” lovers, Romeo and Juliet. You may have experience times when everything seemed to go your way, times when the “stars aligned”.  Some call it kismet; others call it luck or joss. But, in our opinion the stars cross and align ALL the time. The big question to ask yourself as a luxury real estate marketing professional is this: “Are YOU aligned with the stars?”

Evidence of alignment or misalignment “out-there” is merely a reflection of alignment or discord within caused by self-doubts.  A perfect example of alignment within is when you are doing what you love in your career. That is when the frequency of external alignment accelerates, when positive coincidences become commonplace. Real Estate transactions fall into place more easily. People refer business to you “out of the blue”. Agents decide to jump ship and join your company without having to recruit them. 

We are constantly on the lookout for evidence out there of personal alignment within.  Recently, we brought a new kitten into our family. We named him Quincy and nicknamed him, “The Mighty Quinn” after the song that Bob Dylan wrote. On a trip to Los Angeles from Santa Barbara on Highway 101, we happened to glance at a truck that pulled up along side of us.  The logo on the truck was for an equipment company called, Quinn Cat. 

It is always astounding when evidence of internal alignment appears with this level of specificity. At those moments it becomes undeniable that there is a reciprocal relationship between your state of mind and the circumstances and events you experience.

Your success in your luxury real estate marketing practice is proportionate to the degree of alignment or misalignment within you.  That is why it is imperative, for those of you who seek to gain or sustain market leadership, to consistently put aside self-doubts and keep reaching for the stars!

-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

Marketing Luxury Real Estate: No One Size Fits All!

Photo by Tupungato

Marketing strategies are like clothes no one size fits all.  Smart marketing is bespoke marketing, tailored to fit your marketplace.  To effectively implement this you have to know your target market.  It is a matter of knowing the measurements, so that you can reap maximum rewards for your marketing efforts.

Demographics, the statistical data of a population showing average age, income, and education is not enough.  Understanding the psychographics, the study and classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations, and other psychological criteria is what will make you successful in your target market. 

In Santa Barbara, Louis Vuitton and Ruth Chris opened stores in a high net worth community.  A year and a half later they both closed their doors.  What both companies had neglected is their study of the psychographics of this particular community.    The values, attitudes and aspiration of the people who live in this community do not align with either of these brands.  If both companies had done their psychographic research, they would have located in another area of Santa Barbara, where they would have thrived and still be here today.

Today’s buyers and sellers expect to be understood in terms of their psychographics, even though they may not be aware of this term.   As a luxury real estate marketing professional, it is important to target your marketing to the exact people you want to do business with.  What works for them may not be a constant stream of postcard marketing, videos, social media, and print marketing.  It may be a combination of all these in various proportions.   If you want to succeed in your marketing you have to remember that no one size fits all.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip for 2015: Get Hyper Personal!

Hyper-Personalization is emerging as an important marketing trend in 2015.  It may seem obvious but the level of personalization has eroded with the advent of the Internet.  Most companies have become reliant on automatic personalization, rather than the genuine article. We touched upon this trend in a previous post stating that in marketing real estate, no one size fits all. 

Studies done by the Aberdeen group; which surveys individuals and groups as to their decisions and experiences have shown that 75% of customers prefer when the message is personalized. 

People will more likely open an email or letter if it is personally addressed, rather than a salutation that reads “dear friend, or dear property owner”.  They are more likely to pay attention and to engage with you, if they feel that personal touch.  It can increase traffic, and conversion from lead to sale on your website.

The first software we bought for our commercial real estate company was for customer relationship management.  We kept detailed profiles of our clients and sphere of influence.  We knew their children and pets’ names, their birthdays, their anniversaries, their hobbies, and their likes and dislikes.  

Our assistant knew when to send birthday cards, anniversary cards, etc.  When the holidays would roll around, we would create a list of individualized gifts for each one of our clients and sphere, which were budget friendly. 

For instance, golfers would get a subscription to a golf magazine.  We like subscriptions, because for 12 months they remember you, and you are top of mind.  One of our friends collects Christmas ornaments and is a foodie.  Last year we found a copper sieve ornament at Williams Sonoma, which pleased him to no end. Rose gardeners would receive the newest bare root rose.   It was always a pleasure to hear how much they loved the new rose, year after year. Our coffee experts were sent an annual subscription to some of the world’s rare coffees, and the same for our tea drinkers.

Our strategy is giving gifts to delight the receiver.   It took more time on our part to find the perfect gift, for each person.  It was time well spent.   We created relationships through personalization that still exist long after we moved.  No one gifts fits all!

How can your hyper-personalize your marketing in 2015?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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

-WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites 

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies 

About Language of Luxury

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY

Luxury Real Estate Branding: Branding Starts With the Right Name!

What is in a name?  It should be everything!  When you select a name for your personal or company brand (apart from your own name) it should be the summation of your brand values, what you stand for and also your brand personality. Your logo, which contains your brand name, is a symbol that should be the distillation your entire brand story. It is the starting point of telling your brand story.  Therefore, branding is really the art of storytelling.

As brand strategists for the luxury real estate industry naming a company is one of the most exciting parts of our job.  The art of naming a brand involves part logic and part intuition. First we conduct a strategic brand analysis in which we assess our clients, their marketplace and their ideal target clients.  After this extensive “discovery process”, which is very analytical in nature, we switch to our left-brain, engage our creativity and open ourselves to be inspired. 

It is truly a magical experience when we develop a brand name that fully tells the brand’s story in a Nano-second. If it is spot-on it not only resonates with the individual or company we are branding, but becomes indelible in the minds of their target market. 

In a previous post we announced the launching of Cornerstone Coastal Properties,our Fort Meyers, Florida client who decided to go independent rather than renew their franchise agreement. After completely rebranding the company that is comprised of 50 agents, something amazing occurred. 

Many people who did even take notice of their previous brand have said, “We see your signs everywhere”.  Two homeowners approached them to list their multi-million dollar estates that would not have considered hiring them before, just based on a new perception of the brand and the new brand story. 

Branding is storytelling.  And, it all starts with the right name!

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

The Symbolism and Nuances of the Color Orange in Branding

Orange is a hot color.  It has many attributes such as; extroverted, energizing, thrilling, fun, awe inspiring and playful.  Orange is dramatic and friendly at the same time thanks to its ancestry of red (drama) and yellow (cheerful and good natured).  It is one of the dominant colors of autumn and sunsets.

Orange captures attention.  It entices people to buy.  Like red and yellow, it has an effect on the part of our nervous system that stimulates the appetite. Restaurant often use orange or lighter shades as part of their décor, and their brand identity.   One of the most iconic French brands, Hermes, has orange as part of its packaging and brand identity.  Like Tiffany’s blue box, the orange Hermes box promises a wonderful gift within it.

The lighter shades of orange also attract the affluent and the sophisticated.  Peach, apricot, coral and melon evoke pleasant feelings of warmth and comfort.   These colors are great for the beauty industry also.  Peach and coral walls evoke serenity and wellbeing. 

Is orange one of your colors?

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