A Brand Category to Call Your Own

In the realm of strategic branding, the ultimate coup is creating and defining your own brand category and then becoming the “category killer” (think Kleenex, Scotch Tape, iPod). This is what you want to strive for in marketing luxury real estate: staking your claim on a market niche that is uncontested (virtually no competition) and owning the lion’s share of business in that category, from day one.

The Apple Watch is slated to launch in April.  Countless tech companies have already defined the “wearable” category of computing devices creating a frenzy of cutthroat competition that will inevitably end in price wars. So, how will Apple differentiate this new line of products shark-infested waters and still command healthy margins?

The answer is to create a luxury sub-category within the broader category of wearable devices that is uncontested.  In March, Apple is kicking off their print advertising campaign with a 12-page spread in the Vogue Spring Fashion Blockbuster issue.  They hope to position the Apple Watch as a fashion accessory (vs. a tech device) by associating it with ads and content featuring high-end design houses’ latest offerings. 

Apple wants you to open a new category in your mind called ‘luxury accessory device” [our words] and they want you to think of them first in this category.  This is known as brand positioning and it is exactly what we do as brand strategists for luxury real estate marketing professionals and companies.

Creating a new category creates news. This allows you to leverage traditional and social media to the MAX.  Creating buzz is key to generating the best and least expensive form of advertising: word-of-mouth.  It forces your competition to out-spend you in marketing to try and catch up, which is an exercise in futility.

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.

Another Case Cracked by the Husband and Wife Branding Sleuths

Starring William Powell and Myrna Loy

Over 80 years ago, the first of many Thin Man movies came out introducing two legendary lead characters: Nick and Nora Charles. This couple captured the hearts and minds of America and cinema lovers worldwide. The tremendous popularity of these characters made them a media archetype, as the bantering, romantically involved detective duo.

There have been several incarnations of Nick & Nora in literature, stage, screen, and most recently in the field of luxury brand strategy. The popular TV series in the early 80’s, Hart to Hart, with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers, was inspired by this fun-loving dynamic couple. Now, Ron and Alexandra Seigel, brand strategists par excellence, have filled the shoes of these famous sleuths.

The process of strategic branding begins with arduous detective work. It is called the “Discovery Process” in which this husband and wife team investigate evidence at the crime scenes of bland and shamelessly ordinary luxury real estate marketing materials and websites. 

The Seigels uncover clues about uncontested and underserved market niches. They also expose complacent market leaders who are sitting on their laurels.  In so doing they solve the mysteries of how to challenge these incumbents with the right strategies that enable their clients to seize the lion’s share of business in their marketplace or a niche therein.

In each sequel the Seigels crack the case that eludes even the best luxury real estate agents in the land. To celebrate their victories, they walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand, on their favorite beach in Santa Barbara, drink a toast to the good life and ready themselves for the next exciting assignment.   CHECK OUT THESE CASE STUDIES!

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.

Updating Your Brand and Lady Gaga!

                                         Photo by c Sbukley

We recommend, to luxury real estate marketing professionals, that you update your brand to stay current and relevant. By doing this you will stand out from your competition, and insure your longevity in the business.  Here is an example from the music business as seen on last evening’s Oscar Award show.

The most memorable moment for us at the Oscar’s last night was Lady Gaga singing a medley of songs from the Sound of Music.  We were all expecting a Lady Gaga spectacle instead of the conservatively dressed Lady Gaga hitting every high note beautifully in a tribute to the classic movie, now 50 years old. 

This performance demonstrated her musical abilities rather than relying on weirdness and oddity. At one point spectacle becomes “shtick” and tiresome.  One can only take so much of that before boredom sets in. 

It seems to us that she is reinventing herself (updating her brand) by focusing on her talent and artistry.  She is now accentuating her musicality (instead of shtick and spectacle), as evidenced by her recent album featuring duets with Tony Bennett, which won her Grammy this year.

How you can update your own brand to stay current and relevant?

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

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Is Your Voicemail Fresh or Stale?

Some of the best luxury real estate marketing ideas can be the simplest ones. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with a member of the Language of Luxury community, Sally Uhlmann of Platinum Properties, who shared a simple, yet brilliant, zero-cost marketing tip that has helped to make her the market leader in Bozeman, Montana luxury real estate.  Sally was kind enough to let us share this with you.  

When was the last time you refreshed your cell phone voicemail message? Do you have a generic voice message or is it in your own voice? Does your message say the same boring things that almost every real estate agent voicemail message conveys? If so, you are missing a tremendous opportunity to make a great first impression or re-enforce your personal brand in the minds of your current referral base.  

Sally changes her voicemail message every two weeks! She believes that in a 30 second message you have the opportunity to identify your unique style, your distinct brand of doing business in a very personal way.  

Every holiday is an opportunity to spread good will with a fresh message. Sally’s Valentines message was quite endearing. She advises that you should never get stale or predictable.  Even her long-term friends and family look forward to hearing her latest installment, if they cannot reach her on the spot.

Keep your personal brand fresh in the minds of your target market and referral sources. Refresh your voicemail message regularly.

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.

Staying On The Leading Edge Of Luxury

                               Apple 5th Avenue Store in New York, Photo by ©Phakimata

It is tempting to dilute your position as a leader in luxury real estate marketing by taking on whatever properties come your way in various price ranges.  The temptation comes either from greed, fearing that you will miss out on other opportunities, or from losing confidence that your chosen niche has the capacity to fulfill your financial goals.

A great case in point is the reversal of fortunes of Samsung in the smartphone market.  After an outright assault on Apple, Samsung surpassed Apple in overall smartphone sales. Their tactic was to create phones in all price ranges and go for sheer volume.

Apple stayed focused on the top-tier where the margins are high and regained supremacy after selling over 75 million phones in their last quarter.  A significant percentage of 2014 sales were in China where competition for lower price range phones is fierce and margins are slim.

Last year Apple unseated all of the iconic European luxury fashion and jewelry brands as the number one luxury brand in China. With the Apple Watch soon to launch, Senior VP of Design, Jony Ive, and the new head of retail, Angela Ahrendts (who was credited for turning around luxury retailer Burberrys) are in the process of revamping the design of its stores. Apple is doubling down on luxury to strengthen its dominance in this arena.

Continuously refining your marketing message and luxury real estate brand esthetics is an important part of staying on the leading edge. It is essential if you want to stay ahead of your competition in the long run.

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

Expressing Your Brand: Finding Your Perfect Pitch

In the art world there are forgeries that only trained experts can discern. But, when it comes to authenticity in your personal luxury real estate brand most people can spot a fake from a mile away. Authenticity is the key to longevity in your business. 

If you are a lover of pop music you certainly can appreciate the originality and authentic voice of singer-songwriter Adele.  She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has won numerous awards including a Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award for “Skyfall”, from the James Bond film with the same name.

This year a new talent emerged to take the top awards, Sam Smith. His golden voice is pitch-perfect.  When you hear Sam, it is clear that you are experiencing the depth of his soul. You hear his truth.

What you are striving for with your personal brand is authenticity in every communication you have with current and past clients, prospects and also with your entire potential referral base.  The clients you want are those who can discern the real deal, the genuine article.  You do not want the ones who can easily be fooled by a false front, a mask, or a people-pleasing façade.

The message from a personal brand that is phony will sound and feel discordant to those who value authenticity. It takes guts to put your authentic self on the front line.  But, in the long run you will strike the right chord with your ideal clients.

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

Setting The Angel Free: Finding Authenticity In The Branding Journey

One of the challenges of branding a luxury real estate professional or company is whittling away at their currently projected image or the hype that is erroneously attributed to their success.  Many individuals and companies are blocked from their genuine selves, what they stand for, and their own personal truths.  In our strategic branding practice, we seek to identify the authentic soul of the personal or company brand and make what is implicit explicit.

We are reminded of one of Michelangelo’s quotes, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it, I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”. 

Recent events in the world of celebrity, sports, and news figures have revealed the shortcomings of some high profile individuals.  They fell prey to the hype of their unauthentic personal brands, driven by the desire to maintain their visibility and marketability. 

Sooner or later, they find that they cannot maintain this false image, and are hugely relieved when the truth comes out.  Yearning to be set free from the imprisonment of an illusionary brand identity, it is as if they orchestrated their own downfall.

For us branding is not about creating a spin, or something that will please the target market. It is a journey of rediscovering and re-affirming our client’s authenticity, and then, developing a brand strategy together that fits like a glove. 

When a luxury real estate professional or a company is the genuine article and recognized as such, trust is gained rapidly and referrals abound. An angel set free has no limitations.

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.

Tom Brady's Personal Brand Ad-Venture

Photo by © Jerry Coli

Tom Brady has won his 4th Super Bowl in the last decade and his career will wind down soon. Now what? 

Create a personal brand!  And, leverage your own (and supermodel wife’s) social media accounts to maintain top-of-mind status in order to insure future endorsements or business opportunities.

Tom’s new personal brand is TB12 (he is #12 on the field). Guess what colors his branding consultants chose for him? If you guessed red, white and blue (think Patriots, mom, and apple pie) you are correct!  The font, a very, very clean and simple sans serif for his name and the icon above combines the TB and the #12.

Ad Week quoted Tom’s brand consultant, Adam Padilla as saying in regards to crafting Tom’s personal brand, “Don’t fight against nature.  Tom Brady is a clean-cut, all American, square-jawed, handsome guy. You can’t make a graffiti logo or something that’s too conservative or wild”.

Although not identical, the brand’s font immediately reminded us of the American fashion house, Tommy Hilfiger whose color scheme is also red, white and blue. Check out the logo.

What do you think?

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.

Beyonce’s Personal Brand Extension: Will You Bite?

Many celebrities have launched and endorsed their own businesses to leverage and extend their personal brands. Beyonce just launched a home delivery Vegan food service based on her 22 Days Vegan Challenge.  Will you bite?

In our previous post we discussed the importance of researching and anticipating the needs of your target market in your luxury real estate practice.  Beyonce definitely spotted multiple trends that converged in her new business model: the vegan trend, the non-GMO trend and also the trend of home delivery of groceries and prepared meals that can be ordered via the Internet. In selecting this business she is “riding the horse in the direction it is going”.

While home grocery delivery has attracted millions of venture capital dollars, the space is becoming extremely crowded.  Why would anyone enter this highly competitive field at this stage in the game?

Beyonce’s brand extension (beyond singing and acting) exemplifies our approach to this question: identify an uncontested and/or under served NICHE (within this larger category) that you can dominate.  She also has an “unfair” competitive advantage: her personal brand is very well known and she apparently “walks her talk”, i.e., she is a vegan and she looks stunning! 

Often, when we work with incumbent market leaders in luxury real estate, we are asked, “How can I expand beyond my current niche that I already dominate?”  The same approach applies. Once you dominate one niche, your strong reputation as a market leader precedes you if you want to extend your brand into another niche.

By leveraging your strengths you can more readily conquer your next challenge. Your credibility makes it easier for your new target market to “bite”.

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.

Money Talks Or Ride The Horse in the Direction It Is Going!

The prime directive in marketing is anticipating what is needed and wanted.  This requires the ability to observe and predict trends. As a friend of ours used to say “ride the horse in the direction it is going”.  When you have identified that direction and position your product or service accordingly, your target market will respond. Money talks! 

Anticipation of needs is one of the most important subjects to research, if you want to achieve top-of-mind status in your luxury real estate marketing practice.  We work with and have interviewed many of the top-producing agents in the US.  The primary reason for their success is anticipating their clients’ needs and wants.

Here is an example of this principle in the food industry. There has been an increased demand for non-GMO foods (Genetically Modified Organism) due to health and environmental concerns.  The DNA in Genetically Modified Seeds has been altered to include new traits from foreign organisms to withstand pests.  This results in higher yields but often requires the use of synthetic pesticides that can be hurtful to the environment.

Large companies, such as General Mills and Post, are jumping on the non-GMO bandwagon by removing genetically modified ingredients from some of its products such as Original Cheerios. In the US non-GMO product sales increased to 15%, and is among the fastest growing segment of the food market according to Nielsen.  According to WSJ, Asians are willing to pay a 14% premium per bushel for non-GMO soybeans. Money talks!

Before you spend your dollars on the latest and greatest marketing methodologies (like drone photography), take a step back, observe the trends and ask yourself what direction the “horse” in your marketplace is going.  You may be surprised to find out that what is missing in your equation may be the marketing fundamentals, such as the personal touch, that luxury real estate buyers and sellers are craving.  Then, listen to the money talk!

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.

Marketing And The Super Bowl 2015: And The Winner Is…

After reading several analyses of the commercials including the Wall Street Journal’s CMO today, we decided to ask the locals for their opinions.  The locals agreed with the experts. They found that to many of the ads were serious, depressing and grim, and the response in social media barometers: like Twitter and Facebook was down 57% versus last year. This is not what people getting together for beers, booze, food and fun are expecting to view on their Sunday off.

The grimmest one was Nationwide’s insurance ad called “Make Safe Happen”. This commercial showed young children revisiting their goals and aspirations that they will never fulfill because they died as a result of a home accident. 

In the same depressing tone was the saga of a devoted father’s experiences with his daughter from childhood to adulthood, and in the final scene he takes her to the airport teary-eyed as she is bound for military service.  The ad was for Chevrolet.  We did not understand, what the Chevrolet had to do with the commercial. 

On a lighter note, BMW premiered its Hybrid car with a conversation featuring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel stumped by the Internet and now stumped by the hybrid car!  Sadly, in our opinion, it wasn’t credible that these two news icons would not be aware of or comprehend progress given that Prius and several other hybrids have been out for years!

And once again, Clydesdales and a lost puppy win the #1 spot in Best Buds!  It is no surprise that this happened, it was light heartwarming add.  Budweiser understands that on days off and party time, we want laughter and happy endings! Save the depression, and grim stories for another day, this was a party day!

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.

Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?

According to NAR statistics 58% of real estate searches are now conducted on mobile devices and 74% of agent websites are not mobile-friendly. Is your website mobile-friendly?

The screen sizes for desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones all have different dimensions. Plus, most mobile devices have two orientations, portrait and landscape, which adds to the challenge in designing a mobile-friendly site.

Squarespace, a major website platform that will be advertising for the first time during the Super Bowl approached this by engineering their templates so they automatically adjust to various screen sizes. This is called responsive design.  The trouble is you may not like the results of how your site looks on one device or another.

If your website is built on WordPress, there is a plug-in that can help some sites become more mobile-friendly.  But, it you do not design the site from scratch with all devices in mind, the results will vary tremendously.  

Most IDX companies have worked this out for the property search section of your site.  But, the rest of your pages better look great on various devices or the web visitor will click away to your competition and never get to the property search section of your site.

When we design agent websites for our clients, who are predominantly luxury real estate marketing professionals, we actually build five different versions to insure a great presentation on each size screen.  In fact we developed our own proprietary IDX, just for top tier properties. As a result we are able to display all $1m+ listings in our clients’ marketplaces at the same level as their own (featured) listings, with maximum width slideshows. Our system includes the most sophisticated map search for luxury homes in the business. Map searches are becoming a top priority for mobile users.

Is your website mobile-friendly?

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.

Is Your Brand Package Remarkable, & Does It Reflect Your Strategy?

Being top of mind in your marketplace as luxury real estate marketing professionals requires having a remarkable presentation package, that is memorable and makes you stand out from the pack. 

Those who manufacture and sell cosmetics understand the concept of standing out with fierce competition surrounding them.  We found this packaging of GLAMGLOW remarkable and eye catching.  Glenn and Shannon Dellimore founded the company in the Hollywood Hills.  They understood that actors wanted to have their skin camera ready without visible imperfections, and glowing.  The magic mud was created and became known as GLAMGLOW.  And the public at large wants great looking skin, also.

Is Your Brand Package Remarkable & Does It Reflect Your Strategy?

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.

Let The Truth Be Told About Your Brand!

When developing a brand,  articulating your marketing message should be your first priority.  We love analyzing wine brands because the competition for your attention is fierce.   You must instantly tell your target market how you are different and better than your competition. Or, if you don't they move on to the next brand.  

The same truth applies to luxury real estate branding. Let the truth be told about your brand!

We walked by the display of True Myth Wine.  Their slogan says,"Let the truth be told". What is the truth about this brand? What myth are they talking about?  Is this the elixir of truth?  Myth and truth are opposites. Their brand colors,  butterflies and beautiful pictures did not give us any clues

Photo of Sundial clock in Chateau de Pommard in Burgundy France by Zhukovsky

We feel there is a missed branding opportunity here given their choice of brand names. Perhaps, this was a play on words of the Latin phrase, "In Vino Veritas" (n wine is the truth), which was the rallying cry of the Russian Symbolism poetry movement.  (They wrote beautiful poems).  The Russians have a similar phrase: "What a sober man has in his mind, the drunk one has on his tongue."  Can you see where this brand could have been taken given this rich history?

To be fair to the producers of this wine from Central California, here is the review our research uncovered from wine.com.

"This wine comes from The Paragon Vineyard - one of the best vineyards for white wine in Edna Valley. This 2012 Chardonnay shows brilliant acidity and flavors of mango, citron, lime and orange. A touch of oak brings rich notes of buttered toast and vanilla".

Even the best companies miss branding opportunities that are right under their nose.  Perhaps, they were not inspired by the "nose" of the wine itself! What do you think?

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.

Balancing Captivating Web Design With Laser-Sharp Brand Messaging!

Striking the right balance between creating a captivating design and effectively communicating your primary marketing message is the biggest challenge in web design today.  The trick it to be able to work within the constraints imposed by multiple screen sizes of desktops, laptops and a myriad of mobile devices with their portrait and landscape orientations. Visually, it all has to work on all screens and your marketing message has to be laser-sharp!

Today, we are excited to present our own new company website. It took us six months to figure out this puzzle maintaining the look and feel of our brand.  The lessons learned from this exercise have and will be applied to all of our client’s websites. Check out www.NapaConsultants.com.

As luxury real estate’s leading brand strategists we understood that our website needed to set an example of what we advise all of our clients to do.   That is, clearly communicate your unique promise of value to our ideal clients with an economy of words and images.

Our expertise is helping luxury real estate professionals and companies identify an uncontested or under-served market niche that they can dominate with our proven strategies.  Our ideal clients are those who are bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership in their marketplace or a niche within.

As an added value, we incorporated, right into our site, our highly acclaimed free video course, “Which Niche Can Make You Rich?” And, we made our widely syndicated blog, The Language of Luxury even more visually appealing with 700 pixel-wide images on all posts.  All informative videos on the site are a full 960 pixels wide making them easy to watch on all computers and mobile devices without having to enlarge to full-screen.

At the end of the day, your luxury real estate must become your silent salesperson and exemplify your marketing savvy.  Our intent is to have our own company website demonstrates this principle.

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.

The Tale of a Lucky Penny and a Lucky Lime

How much is a penny worth? Not much?  Think again!

In this post we would like to share an invaluable marketing insight that can help you attract more referrals in your luxury real estate marketing practice.  It is all about appreciating your own value more often.

Recently, Alexandra and I (Ron here) visited the special lime grower at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market where we purchased 4 limes for $1. I reached into my pocket to pull out some change and gave the guy four quarters and one penny (the entire content of my pocket).  I told him it was a “lucky penny” that I found on the ground and I wanted him to have it. 

At first, the merchant looked astonished. Then, he gave me an additional lime and told me it was a “lucky lime”.  If I have asked him to give me the 5th lime for a penny, he certainly would have thought that I was trying to get something for nothing.  Instead, we shared an uplifting moment, exchanging value for value, as both were equal acts of kindness and we each felt lucky!

Less than 30 minutes later, Alexandra and I visited Trader Joes to pick up some additional groceries. The tab came to $10.76.  I gave the checkout person a twenty-dollar bill and a single dollar so I could get back a ten-dollar bill plus change in coins. I was given the ten, plus a quarter (instead of 24 cents) and was told that the extra penny was on TJ’s!

For one (free) penny invested in a random act of kindness, I received a 2,500% return on my “investment” because the lime costs 25 cents! Plus, I instantly received another free penny from TJ’s recouping my initial investment.  This is bona- fide, empirical evidence that it pays to be a giver.  Besides, it simply feels great! 

If you want more referrals, appreciate your own value more.  You have so much more to give than you realize. Go out of your way to be kind to others and also spread the good word about those people, businesses and professionals that you value.  It does not even have to cost you a single penny. Give more and watch what happens!

Marketing Luxury Real Estate Tip: Play By The Rules To Win The Game!

For those of you who have embarked upon, what we call  “the unabashed pursuit of market leadership”, this luxury real estate marketing tip is for you! Do not forget that the quest for market leadership is a game!  

It is very easy to lose sight of the fact that business is not only a game, but also a game you can win if you know the rules.  One of the most important rules is to pick a niche that you can dominate, given your unique skillset, personality and values.  Our advice to our clients in our luxury real estate strategic branding practice is, if you cannot be #1 or #2 within a niche, find another niche!

Microsoft dominates the niche of enterprise level business productivity software by a vast margin.  As of the 2014 Holiday season, it now is #1 in digital gaming, with its Xbox, surpassing Sony PlayStation 4. In fact, Microsoft announced that it has surpassed both PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii with total lifetime sales.

But, what was Microsoft thinking when it introduced its Surface tablet ($900 Million in sales in 2014) to compete with the iPad ($5.3 Billion in 2014)?  Years earlier they came out with the Zune to compete with the iPod.  Certainly, they did not apply the rule of entering a niche category where they could be #1 or #2.  

The Surface is not even on the radar in market share for 2014. Here is the leader board:

Apple: 26.9%

Samsung: 17.2%

Lenovo: 4.9%

Asus: 4.6%

Acer: 2%

Can you see why it is so important to play by the rule of only pursuing the #1 or #2 position? Apple and Samsung together have the lion’s share of the market and the others have to settle for the crumbs. 

In the pursuit of market leadership in the realm of luxury real estate selecting the right niche for you is of paramount importance. Remember, it is only a game. But, you must play by the rules if you want to win.

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.

Outwit the Competition with "Nimbleocity"

Many incumbent luxury real estate market leaders are complacent. You can catch them off guard not by outspending them but by outwitting them by being more nimble and creative in capturing more mind share.  We like to call this “nimbleocity”.

The 2014 Super Bowl was declared as the most watched TV show in US history with 111.5 million viewers. This years’ Super Bowl XLIX is expected to break that record.  That number is inconsequential when comparing it to You Tube’s reach of a billion unique visitors per month.  Statistics show that 50% of the Super Bowl audience watches the ads, prior to the game, and 62% tunes in to watch the ads again after the game.  This is why large companies are willing to spend over $4million to place and produce an ad.

Two notable small companies came out with the creative idea of producing an ad for the Super Bowl, they would have made if they had the budget to do so.  Newcastle Ale’s  created  an imaginative fun commercial that was selected as the #1 2014 ad campaign by Adweek. “ The campaign received more than 10 million views — prompting the posts, social shares, and comments Newcastle needed to gauge viewer response — and was mentioned in 600 news articles, and their sales rose significantly”according to Adweek.

Our nimbleocity pick for best ad that is not going to be seen at the Super Bowl is Honey Maid’s ad for its graham cracker.  Using the word “wholesome” to describe the brand, the ad shows the modern families: a two-dad-family, a punk-rock family, and interracial family, a military family, and a single dad enjoying its graham cracker. The tagline says it all: “No matter how things change, what makes us wholesome never will. Honey Maid. Everyday wholesome snacks are for every wholesome family. This is wholesome.”   Sales jumped 7%, and had over 12 million viewers, and the Google Search for “Honey Maid”, jumped to 400%.

Embrace nimbleocity to gain more mind share, and leave your competition in the dust.

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.

Brand Surgery Or Brain Surgery: It Is Not As Simple As Buying A Logo

Refreshing your brand is a very important task if you want to maintain your position as a market leader.  Staying sharp, relevant and up-to-date technologically is imperative!  But, take it from us; get some expert help! Performing your own “brand surgery” is like performing your own brain surgery.

We are just now completing our own brand surgery. It was a grueling experience for many reasons.  The process of further distilling your own extraordinary promise of value to its bare essence and then communicating it with even fewer words and images is a daunting task.

This challenge is exacerbated by the new constraints of contemporary website design that has to work not only on desktop computers but also on all mobile devices (both in landscape orientation and portrait).  We are excited about the results. And, we will share the new Napa Consultants, Int’l website with our readers by the end of the month.

Refreshing your brand is not like shopping for a logo.  Sure, you can update your look. But, a look is not necessarily a brand.  Your brand needs to empower your entire current and future referral base to spread the good word about you. It needs to be remarkable to spark word-of-mouth advertising.

Your website needs to become your silent salesperson. It needs to be a polished presentation that communicates who you are and how you are different from your competition with an economy of words. 

Do not attempt brand surgery on your own. It is hit or miss at best. It took us six months to figure out our own rebranding.  Think of how many homes you could sell in six months.  It is not as simple as buying a logo, get some expert help!

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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An Example of Re-Inventing Yourself And Paying It Forward

You most likely have heard of Tony Robbins, best selling author and "life strategy coach".  He has been around for decades, now.  But, what makes this one-man brand one of our nominees for personal brand of the year is the fact that he has done a brilliant job of re-inventing himself.  

That is an astonishing accomplishment and an imperative for luxury real estate marketing professionals who aim for longevity in this business.Reading Tony's new book, Money: Master the Game, maybe one of the most important investments of your time that you can make.  It was for us.

Like a modern Paul Revere, Tony the "town crier", exposes the fact that over 98% of all mutual funds in the US are not only under-performing non-managed and less volatile indexed funds, but all that Americans are getting gouged by unnecessary management fees.  This is quite shocking especially for baby boomers heading into retirement years with a longer life expectancy.

Tony also interviews some of the most successful money minds in the world, and has them reveal the strategies that they offer to their ultra-high net worth clients, and shows us all how to replicate these fundamental wealth building strategies to gain TOTAL FINANCIAL FREEDOM in an accelerate way.

Tony's commitment to empowering people to become financially independent is palpable as well as his commitment to end hunger in America. All profits from the book are donated to this cause.  He also exemplifies the fact that it is possible to thrive while paying it forward.  That is why he is one of our nominees for 2015 personal brand of the year.

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