Luxury Real Estate Branding Tip: Market Leaders--Refresh Your Brand!

Photo by Sbuckley

In marketing luxury real estate, as with all professions and businesses, market leaders who face stiff competition from challengers need to continuously refresh their brand to stay current and relevant. With fierce competition from the X-Factor and The Voice for top-of-mind status, American Idol has set a great example of this vital principle of market leadership.

If you are a fan of American Idol you may have noticed that there was something conspicuously absent from their tried and true formula of the past twelve years.  This year you saw very few (rarely) funny auditions of contestants that have no voice whatsoever let alone the rest of the package. 

Instead, as a viewer, you became privy to more of the behind the scenes decision-making stories from the judges and many more auditions of the promising artists. Bringing in Harry Connick, Jr. as a judge and moving Randy Jackson to mentor were two other adjustments to the formula.

As a result, the TV audience is much more engaged as silent participators in the process of culling the list for the best talent.  This manifested in a record number of votes for the artists.  Not bad for a show that is thirteen years old!

Market leaders in luxury real estate, take heed! To stay on top you must continuously refresh your brand. Because, if you snooze, you lose!

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 Tip: Dusty Marketing or Gimmick?

Given the competitiveness in the wine industry, not unlike the real estate industry, we have often cited wine branding examples because every winery wants to stand out and sell out in order to continue its existence.  Capturing attention is one thing, holding it is another.

The wine pictured above drew our attention for two reasons: the bottle had a heavy dust layer, and an unusual irregular shape.   Was this a treasure trove from some dark, dusty and forgotten cellar?  Would the content live up to its look? Or is it just a $35 gimmick that leaves dirt on your hands when you pick it up?

Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Pope’s new castle) is considered one of France’s finest wine regions in the Southern part of the Rhone region.  Like any venerated region it has strict rules and regulations at to the contents of the bottle, and it usually has a designated vintage year. 

We spoke to a wine expert, and learned this wine consists of several vintages blended to create the taste of a well-aged Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is between 8 and 12 years. Did they get the result?  No, it did not according to all the reviews we found on line. On further research, we found that a 2008 Chateauneuf-du-Pape deemed drinkable and with good reviews, retails for $39.00.  The price difference is negligible if your intent is to enjoy a fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

This wine has an appeal to those who want that instant wow and are enchanted by the bottle's shape and presentation.  When all the dust settles, was this is a gimmick or is their true substance? 

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. 

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Marketing at the Oscars: What Is in Your Swag Bag?

Last year, the Oscar Awards Show was watched by 40.3 million in the US. According to the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the show will be seen in “more than 225 countries” or a potential for an additional 960 million people.  This is a great opportunity to promote one’s products to, hence the product placement game is alive and well on Oscar night.

As they arrive on the red carpet stars and presenters, the interviewers will be asking both men and women the question, “which designer are you wearing, as well as whose jewelry you are wearing?”  The mere mention of these designer names translates into brand name recognition and a potential of sales.  Copycat fashion manufacturers and costume jewelry makers are also poised to recreate these designs for the upcoming prom season.

Furthermore, each presenter and nominee will receive an Oscar Swag bag.  This bag is delivered to their doorstep on Monday.  It is filled with freebies--estimated value can be as high as $80,000.  Each is carefully selected by Distinctive Assets, a marketing group.  The companies whose product is in the bag pay a fee to Distinctive Assets to include their product as well as give a sample of the product for testing and review.   

Betting that some of the celebrities who receive these items may become raving fans, and boost sales for these companies, here are some of the items included in this year’s swag bag:  A gift certificate for handmade shoes by Max Martin, a trip to Koloa Landing Resort in Hawaii, his and hers Mace pepper spray,  $16,000 gift certificate for a hair replacement procedure, 10 sessions with Huntley Drive Fitness, exotic wines and foods, chic pet products, and so on…

What is in your swag bag?

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 Marketing Tips: Spaghetti Marketing: Marketing Your Strengths

In marketing yourself as a luxury real estate marketing professional or company, it is important to assess your strengths. This assessment can be used to develop a smart marketing strategy.  Here is an example of spaghetti marketing:

Italy is suffering from a bad economy (2 trillion euros in public debt), and recently The Wall Street Journal reported that the city of Rome is on the verge of bankruptcy.   A savvy entrepreneurial company, Fico Eataly, the food emporium chain, with stores in Rome, New York, and Chicago, has come up with an innovative concept.

Italy’s strengths are: history, culture and cuisine.  Over 48 million visitors spent 32.2 billion dollars in 2012, ranking it as the fifth most popular tourist destination in the world.  How do you capitalize on that?

Eataly is going to develop a food theme park in Bologna, the capital of the Emilia- Romagna region.  Emilia Romagna is known for its many gastronomical achievements such as Parmegiano Reggiano, Proscuitto, Pancetta, and its pasta made with eggs (lasagna a la Bolognese).  It is one of the meccas of Italian cuisine.   It is also known as the home of Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati, Lamborghini, etc.

The city of Bologna is delighted with this idea.  The city administrators have provided 20 acres of land and several unused warehouses, totaling 80,000 square feet for this venture.  This food park would include restaurants, grocery stores, food labs and an aquarium.  Some have dubbed it as the Disneyland of food.

Access your strengths and come up with your own version of spaghetti marketing!

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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Privacy Is the New Luxury: Turn Your Texts Into Cyber Dust!

In marketing luxury real estate many sellers/buyers would appreciate having a way to communicate with their agents privately online without a digital record of their conversation.   Now you can with a new app created by Mark Cuban’s new company, Cyber Dust!  In an interview with Piers Morgan, he mentioned that he uses this app to communicate with his attorney, bank, etc. 

Here is an excerpt from the CyberDust site:

A new type of communication is upon us. Leaving a track record of everything you've ever said is frightening. Not everything you share or say digitally should last forever. Cyber Dust allows you to escape the age of permanent digital conversations. Messages are ALWAYS permanently deleted forever and never stored anywhere upon disappearing. Once it's gone it's gone.  Forever!

Privacy is indeed the new luxury.  Now, we have a way to walk the Internet without leaving cyber footprints.   Turn Your Texts Into Cyber Dust, And It Is Free (for Apple devices only)!

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 Marketing: The Competitive Edge of Stellar Service

One of the deciding factors in choosing someone to work with in selling or buying luxury real estate by the high net worth or ultra high net worth individuals is stellar service.  This is what creates loyalty and referrals.  Here is an example.

Friday, we started having trouble with receiving email on our iPhones.  Since we are subscribed to Apple Care, Ron called in.  This was a problem that was resolved the first time and popped up again.  Apple had a record of the previous call, and brought in a senior tech to work with Ron on it.  After trying several solutions, which did not work, the tech person suggested that conference with our email provider, together.  When they did the wait was too long, and they decided to table it to Saturday morning, since we had dinner plans.

Saturday morning, the Apple tech called Ron.  Together, they talked to our email provider, and found out what could resolve the problem.  By process of elimination we come up with a work around after ruling out many variables.  After three hours of patient and fun tech support, it turned out that the email service provider is not up to speed yet with Apple’s latest technology. 

We cannot imagine Apple’s competitors reaching this level of quality of service consistently any time soon.  How can you achieve stellar service in your luxury real estate practice?

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 Marketing Tip: Who Do You Think You Are Fooling?

In one of our last posts on co-marketing we referred to Cost Plus’ campaign in promoting Downton Abbey, as an excellent co-marketing example.   They now are using the Downton Abbey brand to sell shortbread cookies and wine.  This, in our opinion, lessens the appeal of the Downton brand, and taints its luxury aspect.  

If you are a fan of the show, you know that the head butler, Mr. Carson and Robert, the Earl of Grantham, are wine connoisseurs.  They certainly would not drink either of these Cost Plus 2012 wines, bottled in Bordeaux, France.    Their chief cook, Mrs. Patmore makes shortbread.

The Cost Plus red wine is a Claret, which is a generic or semi-generic Bordeaux. The word Claret, used only for export, was used primarily for the British market and became the favorite of the less knowledgeable British upper classes.

The red grapes used in the soon to be released 2012 Bordeaux wines were battered by unusual weather patterns resulting in small yields, according to the Wine Cellar insider. 2012 has been referred to as a wine maker’s vintage, meaning that additional work and expense went into production to ensure a minimum yield.  Some of the white wines for 2012 fared better.

So how does this relate to luxury real estate marketing?  Be a student of every aspect of luxury. If you fake it, it will be obvious to your clients and prospects that are in the know. Eventually, you will be laughed out of a job. Check your facts, and then double-check them. Do not assert it, unless you can provide a reliable source (or online link) of where you found the fact.

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 Marketing Tip: A Matter of Honor

As we mentioned in a previous post, original content marketing for your luxury real estate practice is key to increasing your visibility on Google. It also increases the number of your followers.

Writing localism posts are a great way to make friends in the community providing that you are not paid in any form for doing so.  It is a matter of honor, which translates into long-term success and peace of mind.

Ron and I often write about our Santa Barbara local scene including what we think are the best places to wine, dine, or visit.  We are always able to mine luxury marketing or branding principles from our experiences, because local is where we are, and where we learn.   The chocolate/espresso amazing cookies pictured above are from our superb and delectable lunch experience at Baker’s Table in Santa Ynez.  A visit to this bakery is highly recommended for bread, lunch and sweets.  It is definitely worth a detour.

Many companies are reaching out to bloggers with a sizable following to have greater visibility on Google and gain what appears to be an objective third party review. On several occasions, we have been asked to write advertorial articles in exchange for dollars or gifts, and have consistently declined.   

We learned some of the fine points of journalism by following two journalistic luminaries: Walt Mossberg, Technology reviewer, (previously from the Wall Street Journal, now with re/code) and Ruth Reichl (previously food critic for the Los Angeles Times, now a writer and speaker).  In our opinion, both exemplify honor.

Walt always returns any product that he is asked to review, and buys his own gadgets.  His reviews are clear, concise, and easy to understand.  He makes reading about technology a pleasure.

Early in the game, Ruth observed that when she was recognized at a restaurant, her food looked better than the neighboring tables’ identical item.  Her solution was dining in disguise.  Her reviews were always interesting as well as honest.  As a result the restaurant patrons benefited. 

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, beware of those who are bearing gifts for a favorable word.  It is a matter of honor!

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 Marketing: So Five Minutes Ago?

It is said that the only people who like change are babies.  In the last two decades, the new technological advances have disrupted what once seemed to be the order of things.  In marketing luxury real estate or anything else, change is a constant. 

With the rapid means of communication via the Internet, we are aware that we constantly need to reformulate or refresh in order to adapt, (you snooze, you loose).  The experts tell you that yesterday’s marketing plan is so five minutes ago.   How do we stay sane and ready to adapt?

Focus on the fundamentals that represent a constant.  In luxury real estate marketing, the most important fundamental of success is impeccable communication. It is creating an ideal working relationship that gets the desired outcome.  It is only then, that you decide on the latest and greatest technological advance not because everyone says it works, but because it works for your marketplace.

For instance, many experts have insisted that print advertising in real estate is a waste of money.  However, there are many marketplaces where the target market has the paper delivered to them, read the real estate section, or pick up magazines to view the latest listings on the market.  So don’t tell those people that print advertising is so five minutes ago!

In life, we all have fundamental values that we enjoy living with, where we dismiss the technology.  Many enjoy reading books in print, rather than downloading them to their tablet reader, or shopping in stores to feel the fabric and see the colors of clothes they buy, rather than shopping on line.  This is what works for many, their fundamentals of life style.  It may be so five minutes ago for some, but not for others.

As a child living with my grandparents, I remember how every morning my grandfather would wind his pocket watch that sat on his desk.  Although he had a wristwatch, this pocket watch was his favorite timepiece, pictured above.  It was his grandfather’s given to him when he was child.  If he was alive today, I am sure he would wind it everyday, even if he had the latest timepiece.  For him, it would not be so five minutes ago.

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 Marketing Tip: "Tire-d" or Original Content Marketing?

As a luxury real estate marketing professional it is important to understand what effective content marketing means.   Google’s new algorithm, Hummingbird, is trying to assess the meaning contained in its users’ search queries and match that meaning to the most authoritative content on the web.  That is why "original" and not "tire-d" content marketing is here to stay.

It is more important now than ever to understand the mindset of your target market.  Knowing what their most pressing needs, their lifestyle and their values are should be the guiding principles for the content you publish expressly for them.  It is true that content is king as long as it is “original” (not what everyone knows or writes about)  that rates today.  This content is geared to the audience you are targeting in your luxury real estate practice.

When you write a localism post it is important to give it a point of view rather than just stating the facts, which can be easily found elsewhere.  Your point of view is what makes it “original”, it is old and tire-d". 

Here is an example:  In 1900, Michelin the tire maker published a book for travelers.  It included maps, their recommendations for accommodations, auto service, and restaurants.  These were given away free.  Today, the Michelin has evolved into a prestigious guidebook to the world’s travel locations sold worldwide.  A mere mention in their restaurant guidebook can assure a restaurant a continuous flow of business. 

Does your content marketing really meet  the needs of your target market?

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 Tips: Define What You Stand For!

In branding and marketing yourself as a luxury real estate marketing professional it is important to declare what you stand for.  The optimal way to do that is to state it in a clear straightforward manner. People like doing business with people who are like themselves. Your statement of what you stand for can often be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing one agent/company over another.

Last week, on a recommendation from our local wine guru, we purchased the above-pictured bottle of wine.  Had our friend not recommended it, we would not have necessarily purchased it based on the label.  The word “effort” for us evokes the connotation of spinning one’s wheels and going nowhere.  Perhaps, the arrow in the brand meant that they actually had a direction.

In looking at their website, we understood the brand and the thought that went into producing this wine.  The first two sentences told the story: “There is nothing expedient in our winemaking approach.  We embrace the detailed labor-intensive methods that are required to produce the finest wines.”

Imagine if that concept could have been stated in just a few words on the label, we would have reached for that bottle without a recommendation. 

What do you stand for and how can you state it in just a few 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. 

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There Are Riches in Niches: Sign Up for the Webinar

We are honored that Active Rain is hosting this exciting presentation and hope you can attend!

--Ron & Alexandra

WATCH THE 2 MINUTE WEBINAR PREVIEW

 

There Are Riches in Niches - Developing a Niche for Your Business 

FEBRUARY 20, at 10AM (Pacific Time)

Join ActiveRain Community Evangelist Bob Stewart as he hosts Ron and Alexandra Seigel, managing partners of Napa Consultants, International for this special class on selecting and marketing to a niche. 

In this webinar we will learn: 

*How to pick the right niche for YOU

*How to harness the power of focus through niche marketing

*How to out-think your competition and achieve top-of-mind status in your niche

*How to strike the right balance between high tech and high touch in your niche

*How Ron and Alexandra have put this into practice to dominate their niche, helping luxury real estate professionals gain or sustain market leadership

Ron and Alexandra have a vast background in consulting agents and brokers on how to dominate a niche. Their particular specialty is the luxury homes market but the lessons learned here can and should be applied to any niche that you hope to dominate. 

We hope you can join us for this informative hour and we expect you'll walk away eager to dominate your own niche! 

Luxury Real Estate Branding Tips: Why and How StandOuts Thrive #3

In our first post, we identified that the first course of action was to find the under-served market niche.In our second post we emphasized studying the under served market niche.

The third course of action is to develop your primary strategic differentiator.You must differentiate oneself from the competitive landscape by being uniquely different, both in presentation and service.  Many of our restaurants here in Santa Barbara, are proponents of farm to table, great service, and good food. 

Although, The Lark offers a distinctly different menu from any other restaurant in Santa Barbara, they have an extraordinary strategic differentiator.  Every appetizer, starter, and main course can be shared and is priced the same as one entrée in any restaurant of this caliber.  They encourage family style dining, and do not charge “extra” for share plates.   

Pictured above is our 3 course meal: Our starter snack, Fried Castevetrano olives stuffed with goat cheese & rosemary chorizo aioli, (we had already eaten a few when I realized I had to take a picture). Next was a chicken confit stuffed in homemade phyllo dough on top of an arugula salad, again we , already eaten two of them.)

Our main course was whole grilled Branzino, Italian sea bass deboned, with a barley & caper risotto, kale & fennel slaw, grapefruit and salsa verde.  This was our first experience with barley risotto and it was great.   

Do you know your extraordinary strategic primary differentiator?

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 Tips: Why and How StandOuts Thrive #2

In Part 1, of this series we identified that the first course of action to be a standout as a luxury real estate marketing professional is to identify an under-served market niche.  The Lark Restaurant identified a huge underserved market of Santa Barbara Foodies.

The second course of action is to study and understand the mindset of your niche.  Understanding Foodies helped Lark create their brand strategy. It influenced the look and feel of the brand, the restaurant’s ambiance, as well as the appropriate location in the city of Santa Barbara.

The Foodies mindset (their psycho-graphics and lifestyle) has at least two subsets.  For instance, there are those who frequent Certified Organic Farmers markets when they cook at home. This subset may differ from those who simply enjoy fine dining and dine out frequently. Both, however, may promote “farm-to-table” dining at local restaurants.

Studying the psycho-graphics of your target market enables you to connect on a deep emotional level with your ideal customers. Another psycho-graphic subset of The Lark’s customers could be classified as innovators, open-minded, adventurers who enjoy the latest and great, the hip and modern.

For that reason, The Lark chose the Funk Zone, for their location.  The Funk Zone is an industrial area of Santa Barbara.  It has a sophisticated urban feel mixed with the slow lifestyle of a beach city resulting in an enticing experience that represents the new and innovative spirit of Santa Barbara.

The industrial building that they occupy is warm and inviting. Some of the outstanding features that we love are the exposed ceilings, the sandblasted brick walls, the oriental rugs on the concrete floor and the copper chandeliers that were specifically made for them.

 Are you studying the psycho-graphics of your ideal clients so you can make a strong emotional connection with them?

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: Why and How Stand Outs Thrive! # 1

If you are bound and determined to be the go to luxury real estate agent or company, you must find a way to stand out or suffer the consequence of blending into the great bland of business. 

We have a new restaurant, The Lark, in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. From the moment they opened 6 months ago, they were busy, and the buzz and raves continue.  What made them successful from the get go?

They identified an underserved market niche: the sophisticated Foodie set of the Central Coast who want a healthy, enjoyable meal with a creative twist, sourced by local artisans and purveyors of organic produce.  This market’s psychographics (lifestyle and mindset) has access to 6 Farmers Markets each week, are frequent travelers and have dined in big city restaurants nationally and internationally.

Stay tuned as we dissect step by step in this series why the newly opened The Lark Restaurant in Santa Barbara is an overnight success.

Can you identify your underserved market niche?

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: Why spend $4million to Market Your Brand?

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, maintaining visibility for what you stand for (in terms of brand values) in a crowded, competitive market is important. It tells a story loud and clear that you are here to stay, and not here to brag about yourself or your product. 

Furthermore, if your competitors are nipping at your heels, it is a good way to gain distance.  It engages your target market emotionally and differentiates you from the crowd.

Some of the comments that were made on our previous post regarding the Super Bowl Cheerios commercial brought up an important issue.  "Why did some brands spend $4 million for a 30 second spot on Super Sunday, and not focus on selling their product?

Both Cheerios and Budweiser made no direct reference to their products (verbally), and both of these ads were in the top ten as rated by the public and the media.  Therefore, these brands have renewed their place and status as top of mind.

If you are an established brand, how can you incorporate these brand principles in your own marketing?

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 Tips: Cheers to Cheerios Superbowl Spot!

Consistency is the hallmark of building a strong brand. Staying true to your brand values is essential in building a luxury real estate brand. For this reason, we applaud the Cheerio commercial for staying true to its message despite the controversy they generated last year for their depiction of an interracial family.  This year, they continued the story as aired today, in the video, above.  Love is love regardless what form it takes, it does not conform to artificially dictated standards.

Further Kudos to General Mills, maker of Cheerios announced on January 3, 2014, that is is switching to non GMO oats and sugar(genetically modified organism: an organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering.) in its production of plain Cheerio cereal.

In these two instances, General Mills', Cheerio brand has demonstrated its understanding of the Modern Family and has responded to the growing concern of those who want foods to remain whole as nature intended them to be.  Cheers to Cheerios for staying true to their brand values!

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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Friday Fun: Hummus & The Santa Barbara International Film Festival!

The City of Santa Barbara is known as the American Riviera ®.  Given that the Cannes Film Festival takes place on the French Riviera, it is fitting to have a festival here.  The Festival began on January 30th and ends on February 9th, 2014.

With the close proximity to Los Angeles, it is an ideal venue for the 29th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, began yesterday evening  with an opening party and the World premiere screening of Mission Blue, a feature documentary.  This film highlights the work of Sylvia Earle an oceanographer, who has spent more than 6,000 hours underwater.

Preparations for the opening party, yesterday afternoon, at the El Paseo Shopping Center

Among the celebrities expected to appear are those that the SBFilm Festival is honoring, such as Bruce Dern, Oprah Winfrey, Cate Blanchett, Martin Scorcese and Leonardo di Caprio, Robert Redford and David O, Russell.   In addition, seven actors will received the Virtuoso Award the year's standout performances.

The screen cuisine category is interesting to read: Make Hummus Not War, a humorous documentary filmed in the hummus bars and kitchens of Beirut, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and New York, exploring the possibility that perhaps we can have peace in the Middle East via hummus eating.  Hummus is thought to be one of the oldest preparation of garbanzo beans and several countries claim as being the original source.  

Another  is the follow up to A Year in Burgundy, called A Year inChampagne.  This film chronicles four seasons of making champagne.  It portrays winemakers and their families revealing what is behind the scenes in producing the celebratory bubbly.

When you are tired of seeing films and want to explore some of the off the beaten path restaurants who focus on locavore produce and artisans. You can eat at the Lark, or for lighter fare check out Les Marchands, a wine bar with tasty treats to accompany your wine tasting.

Enjoy our town, Cheers Ron & Alexandra

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 Tips: Does Your Brand Work? #3

In luxury real estate branding or any other branch of real estate, when the right brand is found everyone knows it.  It is and AHA moment!  In order to achieve that,  a brand identity and strategy is developed based on knowing the client or company's core values, personality and preferences. 

The brand identity is further amplified by a keen understanding of the marketplace, the demographics and psychographics of the target market.  We also analyze and study the competition to sharply differentiate our clients from anyone else. When everyone agrees on the brand  identity and strategy, the translation into graphic design can begin.  

Our style of branding involves visiting every client in their marketplace.  For a day, we share their work lives by traveling to their target market.  We put everyone through a barrage of questions, to accurately pinpoint their identity, goals and their target market psychographics.  

We work closely with the graphic designer to ensure that the brand identity is perfectly duplicated, right down to the perfect color hue, font choices and photos and graphics.  (As I am writing this post, Ron is looking at a brand we are working on  and just noticed that the shadow is 2 pixels off in height, the details tell all!)

This morning we noticed a change on downtown State Street in Santa Barbara (see yesterday's post).  The incomprehensible banners from yesterday are gone.  This time, I did not need to call the Chamber of Commerce, nor the Santa Barbara Downtown Association.  I knew exactly what they were for.  The Santa Barbara Film Festival begins this evening, and the banners represent that beautifully, mimicking a film strip countdown to the opening scene.

Anyone who strolls on State Street will know what these banners mean.  They are perfectly placed for the most views by people who may decide to pop into one of the theaters, where new films will be previewed.

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 Tips: Does Your Brand Work? #2

In yesterday's post,we emphasized that a brand is not just design, or a logo. A brand is developed based on a fundamental strategy that if consistently applied, will bring top of mind status.

We wanted to illustrate this with an example that would clarify it even further.  The photo above was taken today on State Street (the main downtown street) in Santa Barbara.  Both sides of State Street have these banner flags.

What is this logo? It is an interesting design, and someone went through the trouble and expense of registering the trademark.  We tried to figure out by wondering if this was a sign for the upcoming Santa Barbara Film Festival.  No, it was not.

Can you guess what it is?  We put on our investigative reporter's hat and called the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce.  They did not have the answer, and suggested that I call the Santa Barbara Downtown Association.  They had the answer: it is the Planned Parenthood logo!  Why is it there, and what is the strategy?  How many people would even go as far as we did to find out what the sign meant? Does this Brand work to reach their target market?

Contrast this with the FedEx Express logo.  It is straightforward, and if you look closer at the Ex part of the logo, you can see the arrow formed in the white space between the x and the lower part of the capital E.  The arrow communicates movement from one point to the other.

FedEx has top of mind status with major shippers all over the United States.  Some people have never used FedEx, but they still know the brand.  We certainly have known about the Planned Parenthood organization, and the fine work they do.  Their brand in this context does not communicate who they are and what they do.

Make sure your brand works: what should be your primary goal is 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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