Creating Just Another Brand?

18 Oct Creating Just Another Brand?

Creating just another brand?

Of course, that wasn't your intention.

Your brand is synonymous with every 'best-practice'.

More customer-centric.  Communication at the heart of everything you do.

Cutting-edge technology that drives efficiency.

Social media savvy, you've covered all the bases above and below the line.

Advertising?  You bet.

Radio.

AND T.V

You're starting some sort of movement, after all.

It's just that the details are a little vague at this point.

And that your competitors are embarking on the very same journey.

The advantage, that you assumed would be yours, isn't now quite so certain.

Your brand won't cause offence. It's up-to-speed in the brand recognition surveys.

Your brand may well outlive most of the people within the company.

But, and this is a very big but, will it ever win the hearts and minds of those you seek to influence?

Will it be another Tesla?

A brand that has spent zero dollars on traditional advertising since it was founded.

And yet, a brand that is known the world over for innovation and excitement.

A brand that has a backlog of orders.

A brand whose customers are buzzing with anticipation and desire.  About the product, the company and the future.

Make no mistake, Tesla has won the hearts & minds of those it seeks to influence.

Will your brand be another Tesla?

Here's why it probably won't.

I've  seen your advertising.

It does nothing, absolutely nothing, to convince me that you're different.

I don't care if you think you're better.  You can't prove it.

You can try, of course.

As did one e-state agency last week.

Tried to convince that they achieve the best price for customers' properties versus all other top high street and online agents.

There was a fly in this ointment that ultimately compared the automatic valuation model data to that of Land Registry data.

Apples to oranges.

Nice try!

You can claim, as many do, to be 1st place on Rightmove.

Or on TrustPilot.

Or Allagents.

The Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year.

Gold Stars, Silver Stars, or Bronze.

It doesn't much matter.

What does matter is that I know with whom I'm dealing.

Can they be trusted.  Do I like them?  Are they capable of doing what they say they will?

I know a lot about many estate agencies.

I made it my job to find out where the needles were hidden in the various haystacks.

One or two stood out like sore thumbs.

Their integrity, transparency and decency.   Stood out.

And the one that impressed the most, I have never met.

Never seen any of their advertising.

Don't know what fee they would charge.  Were I ever in the market as a vendor.

Don't know how long they would take to sell my home.

Don't care.

Because I've heard their story.

The voice, the tone and the conviction.

The hour long conversation that conveys everything they do.

And that's why your brand won't be another Tesla.

It won't win the hearts and minds.

Because your brand seeks to educate, advise and inform. Through advertising and social media.

To convince that you're the local 'expert'. And ultimately, to sell me something.

When what I want, first, is to know who you are.

If you can't tell me that, we're all the poorer for it.

Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Gary Vaynerchuk, Tony Robbins, Tom Ferry, Tom Panos.

Not a shrinking violet among them.

Your brand ultimately represents all that your agency is.

From the colour and design of the logo, to the way that your employees answer the phone.

But if it's superficial and says nothing other than what you think I want to hear, you're missing the point.

Your brand is more than just a collection of words on a web page. More than just an adolescent attempt at humour on T.V.

More than a boastful rendition of Everything we do, We do it for you.

It's where you get to share your values, beliefs and convictions.

The choice you have to make, as an estate agent, is this:

Do I want people to know about me?  About my reputation?

Or, do I feel more comfortable behind the anonymity  of a corporate brand.

People like us trust, and do business with, people like us.

Not corporate brands like us.

Make it Personal.

If you'd like to explore how to differentiate yourself from every other estate agent, just get in touch.  I'd love to chat.

There's much more information on our contact page on www.andsothestorybegan.co.uk

Email: chris@andsothestorybegan.co.uk

Or call (44) 07369251435

Thanks for reading, as always.