Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Many Faces of Luxury

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, it is important to understand the many faces and accompanying personalities that define a luxury brand.  The above Beverly Hills camouflage is on Rodeo Drive which is "the" street for the big brands, and now for the soon  to open Tory Burch store. This particular store front camouflage billboard shows the color of the brand and the image of the brand.  We would refer to it as sophisticated luxury, as are the next door neighbors, Cartier and Roberto Cavalli.  In luxury real estate marketing materials, this type of look translates well to metropolitan and urban areas.

This next camouflage facade is located on Beverly Drive, which is one street beyond Rodeo Drive. Beverly Drive retail differs a different experience from Rodeo Drive.  We would refer to it as casual hip relaxed luxury.  It makes sense that Lucky Brand chose to locate there, right next to Nate N Al delicatessen, which has been a Beverly Hills icon for over 65 years.  The other side of the site is Z Gallerie, a  contemporary furniture and home accessories shop.  In marketing materials, this type of look would translate well to the mid luxury range which differs in each marketplace.

In future posts, we will point out more luxury faces and brand personalities.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: The Courage of Kindness

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” Mark Twain

Whenever we are asked to define what it takes to be a great luxury real estate marketing professional, our answer is: “Cultivate the courage of kindness”.  Kindness (and a good sense of humor, of course), is the ultimate luxury.

Courage is defined in the dictionary as: “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.”  Kindness is defined as: “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”

It takes courage not to react when someone is disagreeable, or to automatically assess someone as being less than you, incompetent or one of “those” people.  Our minds are constantly labeling and pigeonholing people and situations into categories.

For instance, while driving. someone honks at you or tries to cut you off. It is natural to react by honking back and letting out a stream of expletives, etc. 

How can you stop your mind from doing that?  Perhaps, you could entertain the thought that the reason they are going crazy is that they may be having the worst day of their life.  It does take courage to for you to let them pass you, instead.

Here is an example of the courage of kindness in luxury real estate.

One of our clients sold a lovely estate to a couple.  The couple was very happy.  Several months later our client received a call from the wife saying the house was haunted! The ghost was telling her, in the middle of the night, “Get out of my house, or else!”  She wanted our client to put the house on the market, immediately. Her husband did not want to sell; nor did he hear the ghost.  

Our client knew that selling the home would be a colossal mistake.  Instead of trying to talk her out of the sale, she came up with a brilliant solution.   Knowing the wife was a devout Catholic she sought the help of the local priest. With the client’s permission, the priest came over to bless the house.  After he did that, the ghost disappeared. 

This instance of courageous kindness developed its own momentum.  Our client regularly gets referrals from the couple, as well as from the priest, even though she is not a member of his church.

Taking a moment to practice kindness by overriding the mind’s automatic evaluations, takes courage.  In the long run if we all did that we would be better people for it. We would also become outstanding luxury real estate marketing professionals.

“There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies.  My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.” Dalai Lama

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Do You Have a Local Brand Strategy?

In presenting your luxury real estate marketing plan to your sellers, you should emphasize your strategy for marketing locally as well as globally.  Do you have a local brand strategy?

We have found, in working with luxury real estate marketing professionals, that even in the most desirable luxury real estate markets, the global buyers represent a miniscule percentage when compared to local buyers.  There is no question that there is an increase in global buyers especially in Hawaii, Florida and some major US cities.  But, the global buyer statistics are not commensurate with the emphasis that much of the luxury real estate media is touting.

To win big in luxury real estate marketing, concentrate on building your local brand!  Aim for achieving top-of-mind status.

You may have heard of the Central California wine brand, Firestone.  It was made famous when the son of the winery owner was on the TV show, The Bachelor.  Firestone originally produced only beer, and then branched out into wine. Recently, they sold the winery, but created a new local beer brand, “805” which is the telephone area code for the three adjacent counties that include Santa Barbara.

Focusing, with laser sharp precision on the local market, 805 signs are starting to be proudly displayed in local restaurants, in the local Trader Joes markets and on local billboards.  Achieving brand recognition at an accelerated pace is what great brand strategy is all about.  The entire exercise is geared to catapult a brand with zero brand recognition to top-of-mind status, fast!

How can you accelerate the pace at which your local brand achieves top-of-mind status?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Power of Top of Mind Status Part 2

As we stated in part 1, those  luxury real estate marketing professionals who are bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership, achieving top-of-mind status is the ultimate goal.  The first brand name that comes to mind commands the lion’s share of the business in a brand category within a given marketplace or niche therein.  But, dominating a brand category requires the consistent execution of brand strategy.

In our recent travels, we noticed how people are willing to wait in line for a particular brand or service.  The first shot was taken at the Louis Vuitton store in Paris on a Sunday afternoon.  This was the second time we had seen lines there.  No other luxury brand had a line. The Louis Vuitton brand is the #1 brand in the world.  Buying a Louis Vuitton product in Paris (the origin) means even more to the people standing line, than buying it in their hometown, even though Louis Vuitton had stores worldwide including one in Outer Mongolia.

This shot was taken on Rue des Rosiers at “The Ace of Falafels” whose slogan translate as ”always imitated, never equaled”.  We had read in several guidebooks about this restaurant and rave reviews abound.  Just to make sure of the accuracy of these reviews, we asked one of the local merchants, and she was equally enthusiastic about this place.  So, we got in line and had one of the best Middle Eastern lunches.  Waiting in line was worth it.  Right across the street was another falafel place, and no one was waiting there.

Lines create buzz.  It makes one want to find out what all the fuss is about.  When Krispy Kreme was at its peak, and went public, we reported that people were lined up outside at their stores, and prior to the opening of the store in Australia for 48 hours.  Those lines are gone now.  Was it a fad? Or, Was it a lack of consistently executing brand strategy?  What do you think?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tips: The Value of Unexpected Appreciation

Many successful luxury real estate marketing professionals have a core referral base.  It is important to acknowledge these individuals often and thank them for their patronage and support.

Here is a case in point:

Yesterday, at our front door, we found two packages, addressed to each one of us, from Fed Ex.  We were delighted to each receive a books specifically selected for each of us.  The books were a gift from the service professional that we work with. The accompanying note, written on beautiful linen stationary read:

“I am pleased to share with you one of (the company’s) favorite traditions, the Summer Reading List.  This year’s selection represents some of the most compelling titles of the past year ranging from art, learning to lead, finding success and latest trends, as well as stories of giving back, rising to the top and survival. The books were chosen from hundreds of submissions from our colleagues around the world, and as I looked through the list, I thought you (Alexandra) would enjoy Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg”. Ron’s note read, “ I thought you would enjoy The Soundtrack of My Life, by Clive Davis”.

It was an unexpected appreciation for the value we bring to this person and his company.   We did not need a gift to continue to treasure this relationship, however, this gesture was a reflection of the value we bring to each other’s lives.  We loved the fact that he took the time to make an individualized selection.   Receiving a hard cover book in the day of e-books made it a stand out.

What can you do that is an unexpected appreciation those who comprise your core referral base?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Let Them Eat Cake, And…

We are often asked for creative luxury real estate marketing tips.  One of the ways to get new listings or buyers is to create an event.  Among the many emails we received this morning was this one from Williams-Sonoma.  Here is an excerpt:

Happy Birthday, Julia

Join us in celebrating Julia Child’s 101^st birthday, August 15th, with all-day tastings of Beef Bourguignone and birthday cake!  The legendary chef was a frequent visitor of Williams Sonoma store and a good friend to our founder, Chuck Williams.

Julia Child is an iconic figure in the culinary and foodie world.  Many credit her for bringing French cuisine to America.  

“Her first cooking show on television in 1963, was called, The French Chef on WGBH.  The show ran nationally for ten years and won Peabody and Emmy Awards, including the first Emmy award for an educational program.  It was also the first show captioned for the deaf.” Wikipedia

Here is great example of a fine luxury real estate marketing event  that generates great results for one of our clients.  One of our wine country clients has a regular wine and food event in their office.  Local chefs and wineries are invited to create a hors d’oeuvres party, and pair wines with those morsels.  Even if your marketplace is not in the wine country, this type of event can produce great results providing your clientele enjoys wine and fine cooking.

What will you do for your next event?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

50 Top Luxury Real Estate Markets in the USA: Malibu, CA

From the outside looking in Malibu has a very high profile due, in part, to the paparazzi and the media shining a spotlight on its glamorous surface. Certainly, it is known as getaway for many Hollywood celebrities and titans of business. The sitcom, Two and a Half Men takes place here. Even some Malibu real estate agents became local celebrities when they were featured on the reality TV show, Million Dollar Listing. But, beneath the surface Malibu has the intrinsic values of a small, rural California coastal beach town with a Mediterranean climate and a close-knit community. This, plus its close proximity to the diverse amenities of Los Angeles and easy access to the entire globe, makes Malibu one of the top 50 luxury real estate markets in the world. To view the beautiful homes of Malibu, click below

Click to read more ...

Marketing Luxury Real Estate: The Power of Passionate Messaging

One of the key components of strategic branding and marketing, when marketing luxury real estate is thoroughly knowing the mindset of your target market and speaking to them in their language. That is what is known in marketing terms as messaging. When you can communicate your extraordinary promise of value succinctly, i.e., with an economy of words and graphics, and you can do so on an emotional level, with passion, your chances of success increase exponentially.

While we were interviewing the top brokers in Steamboat Springs for our series, 50 Top Luxury Real Estate Markets in the USA, one of the brokers told us about a local mountain sports and lifestyle clothing company called Smartwool. This company has their passionate messaging, the articulation of their unique promise of value, spot on! Here tis how they do it:

WE WEREMADE FOREACH OTHER.

What you get from us isn't just a product; it's the ability to do more of what you love, for as long as you want. That's our promise.

This value proposition zeros right in to the emotion core of mountain athletes who are passionate about their sports, those who aim for endurance or just want to be able to stay outside, longer. Messaging at its best is “speed matchmaking” And, that is what happens here.

The faster you can create an emotional bond with your target market the faster you can build trust. And, trust is the prerequisite for buying products or hiring a service professional.

Then, Smartwool goes on about “The Power of Comfort”. They say,

“When you're comfortable, your body performs better, allowing you to forget about what you're wearing and enjoy the moment”.

High performance is the archetypical quest of athletes, especially competitive ones. It also appeals to their spiritual side in that it addresses one of the greatest benefits of outdoor sports (and simply communing with nature, for that matter): quieting the mind and being in the present.

Smartwool as a company is obviously passionate about mountain sports and the outdoor lifestyle. Their messaging makes their passion palpable. Their ability to communicate their passion clearly, and with an economy of words that resonate within the heart and soul of their target market, is remarkable.

Do you know what you are passionate about? Do you know what your target market is passionate about? How can you communicate your extraordinary promise of value to your target market, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, succinctly so that they quickly bond with you and trust you? The sharper your messaging is, the more you deliver it with passion, the faster the matchmaking process can happen and that is what great marketing is all about.

WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies

About Language of Luxury

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Do You Know Your Core Value Proposition?

If you are a luxury real estate marketing professional who is intent on gaining or sustaining market leadership ask yourself this important question:  “What can I do better than anyone else in my marketplace?” Tap into your core value proposition and you will discover how to out-smart your competition.

Facebook’s stock recently jumped 30% because they are getting their mobile advertising act together. Ad revenue jumped 75% over the previous quarter.  Google has seized market dominance with their Android operating system with over 70% market share. This enables the company to put more ads on more screens, which is their core value proposition.

Smart phones enable advertisers to find you based on your present location. Geo-positioning makes smart phones the perfect vehicle to deliver local ads (and special offers for goods and services available locally). We think Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is concerned about that!  And, that is why he is willing to personally spend $250 million on the Washington Post.

Mr. Bezos must have asked himself the key question about the strengths of Amazon in relationship to Facebook and Google when it comes to local commerce via mobile devises because both of those companies have the potential to siphon off Amazon’s core business—ecommerce.  Billions of dollars are at stake here!

Traditionally, the bread-and-butter revenue of newspapers has been classified ads.  Intermediaries, like Craig’s List, demonstrated that they could get consumers to go directly to their brand of classified ads FIRST.  With a singular focus, Craig’s List became synonymous with classified ads and was catapulted to top-of-mind status in that advertising category.  

NAR conducted a study years ago that demonstrated that homebuyers are more likely to work the first agent they contact when they were ready to buy a home.  That is why Trulia and Zillow want to be the FIRST place home buyers go to search properties rather than on YOUR website. Agents pay these companies to get these leads before you do.

What if Mr. Bezos could convince local merchants to set up stores on Amazon’s affordable Webstore platform (Amazon’s no long-term obligation, robust, eCommerce technology and fulfillment services) and monetize the journalistic content of the Washington Post with transaction-based advertising? A profit sharing model between Amazon and the Post would drive revenues for the newspaper.

Already built into Webstore’s platform are available features for consumers to opt-in to special offer alerts, coupons, etc. Amazon’s peer rating system allows consumers to know which local merchants to trust and ranks merchants based on best current prices on a particular item.  Consumers who already have Amazon accounts could go shopping locally with one click or create a new Amazon account.

What if the newspaper's act of championing the "Shop Local" cause attracted all of the top local merchants? What if the Washington Post e-commerce/mobile commerce/local commerce model proved to be a fiscal winner in the long run? Wouldn’t other local newspapers around the world beat a path to Amazon’s door?

Contemplating your core value proposition and focusing on what you do best as a luxury real estate marketing professional can give you the competitive advantage. Your market leadership is at stake, here! Do you know your core value proposition?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

The Two Biggest Thieves of Time in Our Digital Age: Tech Support & Learning Curves

When marketing luxury real estate, understanding the priority values of your high net worth clients is one of the keys to your success. Fine craftsmanship, innovation, elegance of design, uncompromising quality of materials, and superlative customer service are standards of excellence that must be understood by purveyors of luxury goods and service professionals who cater to this demographic.

No one understood these benchmarks of luxury better than Steve Jobs, who infused these values into every aspect of Apple, the organization and its products. But, the one luxury priority value that Jobs knew that still baffles Apple’s competitors is the luxury of time saved. He understood that tech support and the learning curve are the two biggest thieves of time in the digital age and he set out to counter this by saving customers time.

How does Apple save you time and aggravation? Apple controls the customer experience of using computers and digital devices from end to end. Moreover, every product they produce is fully integrated with the others. An integrated product line saves you time in tech support because there is only one tech support number to call. It also saves your time on the learning curve because the various devices become more intuitive to learn having already understood the basics. According to Jobs,

“People pay us to integrate things for them, because they don’t have time to think about this stuff 24/7. If you have an extreme passion for producing great products, it pushes you to be integrated, to connect your hardware and your software and content management. You want to break new ground, so you have to do it yourself.”

Think about what your time is worth in dollars.Then, the value of saving time and aggravation will become crystal clear. Here are some questions to ponder:

1. How much time did you spend in tech support last year? How much did that cost you in time if one of your hours is worth $100-500.
2. How many different tech support providers did you need to go to for help because your computers and devices use separate operating systems or were manufactured by separate companies?
3. How much time did you spend on the learning curve to use your various computers and digital devises?

If you are lucky enough to live near one of Apple’s physical stores you can have unlimited one-on-one sessions with an Apple expert for $100 per year! If you have a specific project that you are working on and have questions you can also join a group session and get the personal help you need as needed.

Tech support via the phone is with support representatives who reside within your country and speak your language the way you do. This costs Apple 50% more than outsourcing tech support. But, the user experience is superlative.

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, how can you save time for your clients and for yourself? Perform a Time-saving Audit. See our next post to learn how.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Strategy: How to Take Care of a Brand Crisis

There are times when employees or agents in a luxury real estate marketing company do not comply with the ethical standards set forth by real estate governing bodies and your brand becomes at risk.  As a company owner, how are you going to handle this crisis?  Take a page out of Apple’s play-book when it comes to crisis/risk management.  A recent event in China is a case in point.

Some Chinese entrepreneurs are manufacturing and selling faulty, counterfeit Apple power adapters. One woman was electrocuted as a result of using a counterfeit charger and another is in a coma. Is Apple at fault? No, however, their brand name is stamped on the faulty products!

Apple treated this crisis as an opportunity to turn a rotten apple into a golden public relation coup. The following excerpt from their website announcement applies to anyone in the world who has encountered a counterfeit Apple charger:

“Starting August 16, 2013, if you have concerns about any of your USB power adapters, you can drop them off at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. We will ensure that these adapters are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
If you need a replacement adapter to charge your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, we recommend getting an Apple USB power adapter. For a limited time, you can purchase one Apple USB power adapter at a special price — $10 USD or approximate equivalent in local currency. To qualify, you must turn in at least one USB power adapter and bring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to an Apple Retail Store or participating Apple Authorized Service Provider for serial number validation. The special pricing on Apple USB power adapters is limited to one adapter for each iPhone, iPad, and iPod you own and is valid until October 18, 2013.”

They know that moaning and groaning about these counterfeiters will accomplish nothing.  Instead they understood that the reputation of the brand is at risk.  With this brilliant move, they have proven that Apple products are the gold standard and have insured customer loyalty.

Crises do happen!  Manage the risk of a tarnished brand by demonstrating the best of your company values, thus creating a public relations opportunity.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Maintaining Your Orbital Marketing Perspective

As a luxury real estate marketing professional it is easy to get bogged down with the day-to-day activities of“transaction engineering” and neglect the life-blood of your business: promotion and marketing. Sometimes you need to step back from your practice to regain your “orbital marketing prospective”. It is only when you view your practice from a broader perspective that out-of-the-box thinking is possible.

Opportunities to out-think and out-market your competition abound. This weekend we noticed that not a single real estate firm or agent sponsored one of the most well-attended community events of the year in our town of Santa Barbara, California. What an great opportunity for standing out this was!

"I Madonnari, or street painters transformed the Santa Barbara Mission Plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images. The festival benefits the Children's Creative Project, a nonprofit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education offices. "The project serves 50,000 children in more than 100 schools with visual and performing arts workshops and performances throughout", according to their website. This event is in partnership with Santa Barbara's sister city in Italy, Grazie di Curtatone.

The opportunity to promote your name or your company as a sponsor was affordable. It ranged from the smallest ($125 for 4' x 6' format vertical format) to the largest (12’ x 12’ for $650). In addition, your name is on the festival poster, it is inscribed on the pavement at the base of the Mission steps, it appears in full-page newspaper advertisements and also appears on the festival kiosk. The local news covers the event on TV which amplifies the effectiveness of your sponsorship.

You could either provide the painter, or the Children's Creative Project would provide the painter. Given what most luxury real estate marketing professionals spend to promote themselves, this was a no brainer.

As hard as it may seen at times, you simply must take the time to regain your orbital marketing perspective. Step back and identify opportunities to out-smart your competition. That is the surest route to soaring in your luxury real estate marketing practice.

Like the kids represented in this year's pavement pastel chalk painting, being backyard orbital explorers and looking out of their box/spaceship it is time to explore your own backyards for out-of-the box opportunities to promote yourself. That means to make yourself well known and well thought of!

WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies

About Language of Luxury

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Strategy: How to Take Care of a Brand Crisis

There are times when employees or agents in a luxury real estate marketing company do not comply with the ethical standards set forth by real estate governing bodies and your brand becomes at risk.  As a company owner, how are you going to handle this crisis?  Take a page out of Apple’s play-book when it comes to crisis/risk management.  A recent event in China is a case in point.

Some Chinese entrepreneurs are manufacturing and selling faulty, counterfeit Apple power adapters. One woman was electrocuted as a result of using a counterfeit charger and another is in a coma. Is Apple at fault? No, however, their brand name is stamped on the faulty products!

Apple treated this crisis as an opportunity to turn a rotten apple into a golden public relation coup. The following excerpt from their website announcement applies to anyone in the world who has encountered a counterfeit Apple charger:

“Starting August 16, 2013, if you have concerns about any of your USB power adapters, you can drop them off at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. We will ensure that these adapters are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
If you need a replacement adapter to charge your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, we recommend getting an Apple USB power adapter. For a limited time, you can purchase one Apple USB power adapter at a special price — $10 USD or approximate equivalent in local currency. To qualify, you must turn in at least one USB power adapter and bring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to an Apple Retail Store or participating Apple Authorized Service Provider for serial number validation. The special pricing on Apple USB power adapters is limited to one adapter for each iPhone, iPad, and iPod you own and is valid until October 18, 2013.”

They know that moaning and groaning about these counterfeiters will accomplish nothing.  Instead they understood that the reputation of the brand is at risk.  With this brilliant move, they have proven that Apple products are the gold standard and have insured customer loyalty.

Crises do happen!  Manage the risk of a tarnished brand by demonstrating the best of your company values, thus creating a public relations opportunity.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

-WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Personal & Company Branding: What Is Your Unique Promise of Value?

In marketing luxury real estate you only have a Nano-second to capture the attention of your ideal clients and communicate your unique promise of value. If your message promises to solve a problem or add significant value you have the best chance of gaining a new client.

When your branding is spot on it is your shortcut in this communication process. Your personal or company brand must send a clear, succinct message to your target through words, symbols and sounds, a message that must encapsulate the distinct benefits that will be derived from doing business with you vs. your competition. Identifying, then distilling your unique promise of value into a concise message is an art. Here is an example of one company has mastered this art.

Coffee is one of the most ubiquitous commodities in the world. As such it poses one of the biggest branding challenges on earth. We give Seattle’s Best very high praise for breaking through the clutter and standing out in this highly competitive food category.

They came up with a suite of 5 different coffees that suit the needs of the majority of coffee drinkers. Their unique promise of value: making it easy to choose the perfect cup of coffee for you. They call it the Level System. From light and bright Level 1 to dark and bold level 5 they claim that they have an expertly blended level for everyone.

Can you see the brilliance behind this brand strategy? The next time you need to buy coffee you do not even need to remember the brand name. Just remember a number between 1 and 5. First they take the guesswork out of selecting the right blend. Then, they make it impossible to forget your preference or the preference of whomever you are buying for. “I’m a #2 and my roommate is a #5”.

For those, who are time-starved they just made life a little bit easier. They solved a common problem How can you distill your luxury real estate marketing message to accomplish the same goal?

WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies

About Language of Luxury

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Marketing Luxury Real Estate: The Agelessness of a Championship Mindset

Photo by Lucy Clark

Unlike some professions marketing luxury real estate is a game you can play at the level of market leadership at any age in your professional career. However, It takes the mindset of a champion and the championship mindset is ageless.

Both Serena Williams and Roger Federer have proven that point at the 2012 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. Serena became the first woman over 30 to win a Grand Slam title since Martina Navratilova over 20 years ago. And, she did so against odds that she would not return to the sport due to health problems. Federer looked like he peaked back at the Australian Open in 2010.  In 2012, he became ranked number one in the world, again.

What motivates a champion? What did these two tennis champs have to prove to the world? Sure it feels good to the admiration of peers and fans alike. But, a true champion has a core inner conviction to be the best he or she can be.

Market leadership is a game that requires strategy to gain or sustain the championship level. First, it requires identifying the winning formula to out think your competition. Then, it requires the consistency of repeating the winning formula over and over again.

But, without the mindset of a champion there is no strategy that can get you there. What is that mindset? It is a mental state devoid of self-doubt. It is a singular focus on a desired outcome that necessitates quickly releasing contradictory thoughts, accessing memories of previous triumphs and maintaining the perspective of what is at stake.

In our professional practice, as brand strategists to luxury real estate marketing professionals, we work exclusively with market leaders or their challengers. Our clients are those who already have the mindset of a champion or are reaching for it regardless of their age. Like Federer and Williams, they are true inspirations.

WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies

About Language of Luxury

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Turning a Mistake into a Success with Transparency

As with any business or professional practice, luxury real estate marketing professionals sometimes make mistakes. For some, it is hard to admit for fear of being judged unfavorably. We believe it is best to be transparent about mistakes and do your best to turn them into opportunities to build trust.

Recently, Apple made some missteps in staffing their stores. They announced their mistake, corrected it and moved on. That is transparency.

As we were passing the wine aisle at the market, the label (depicted above), with a big orange question mark, caught our attention. It really stood out from the others. It was priced at $5.99, so we could not resist our curiosity. Soon, we discovered the story of this particular bottle from Oreana Winery. It is simply labeled as red table wine and we enjoyed it very much.

Here is their story as seen on their label,

“Mistake or Fate? I pondered this as I removed the hose from the stainless steel tank. The wrong tank lot 1203 and lot 419 were now one. Once destined to be bottled individually, now and forever fused. A phone call to a mentor elicited a quick response, ‘varietal wine? Blend it man and blend it well!’ I reached for a glass to decide what blue rain had been created from this mishap. This is a soft, satiny, sexy wine, with voluptuous black cherry and blackberry fruit, plus layers of chocolate and spices suggestive of cinnamon, mint and more. It is powerful and complex, yet open and accessible."

WOW! It fully lived up to its description. It was the perfect accompaniment to our Margarita, heirloom tomato and fresh basil pizza.

What impressed us was the transparency in admitting a mistake and turning it into a success. The label fits perfectly as no varietal grape is listed.

Turn your mistakes into successes! Be transparent. Keep building trust. Your reputation is the core component of your personal or company brand. This is an iconic example of branding that is remarkable and memorable. Oreana as a winery was not even on our radar screen, and with this branding coup wer will never forget it. It made an indelible impression.

WATCH VIDEOS-

Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites

Personal Branding Case Studies Company Branding Case Studies

About Language of Luxury

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY -

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Luxury is a Soul Supplement Part 5

Impeccable Manners! - The Secret to Becoming “Top Dog” in Your Marketplace

Throughout this article series, we have explored a new definition of luxury, “Supplement of the Soul”. Nothing feeds the soul of high net worth clients more than being treated like royalty. And, that requires impeccable manners.   If you are aiming to be “Top Dog” in your area, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you can run circles around your competition simply by acquiring impeccable manners.

The secret ingredient in impeccable manners is impeccable communication skills. "Impeccable" means, “in accordance with the highest standards of propriety; faultless."  You have to approach manners as an art form and become a virtuoso, one who excels in the technique of an art.

Occasions such as a wedding, an audience with a royal, the president or the pope have specific rules. These are the techniques of the art of impeccable manners. If you intend to have an international clientele it is important that you become well versed in their customs and manners, and invest the time to master your craft.  

Impeccable communication and manners inspire trust and confidence.  Any newbie that acquires this skill set can outsell a seasoned grouchy veteran.  We saw it happen in a luxury car dealership, where a newbie (just hired/first time in car sales) outsold everyone on the floor in her first week on the job, because of her cheerful demeanor and impeccable manners. 

In luxury real estate one of our clients was given a prestigious listing because of his manners and impeccable follow-through.  For this seller, impeccable manners made the difference between choosing him over three other seasoned competitors.

One of our friends in Napa, California worked for one of the premier wineries as a host and event coordinator. At one of the wine events, a dignitary from another country noticed his skills and asked if he would be willing to become the head butler in their embassy in Washington.  Delighted with this opportunity, he accepted, and promptly enrolled in butler school.  Now he runs the embassy's social events and is their liaison for the other embassies.

So now we have completed this article series. We discovered one of the most important universal principles that must be applied in your luxury real estate marketing practice if you sincerely desire to gain or sustain market leadership (be “Top Dog”).  Here is a final recap:

Determine what feeds the soul of your client (Part 1)

Accurately assess the luxury mindset of your client ((Part 2)

Adopt what we call the “Objective Luxury Real Estate Agent Mindset" (Part 3) 

Clear your mind of envy (Part 4)

Acquire impeccable manners (Part 5)

WATCH VIDEOS-

 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain 

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: How to Stop Companies from Tracking You Online

Courtesy of Firefox

Privacy is a luxury, and it is of paramount importance to the people who buy and sell luxury real estate..  Here are some ways that you can insure it, at least for yourself.

According to a CNN article, we discovered that Internet “BIG” Data Mining & Brokering companies now represents “a $300 billion-a-year business that employs 3 million people in the United States alone” according to McKinsey Global Institute.  Focusing more on big data is most likely an important reason for merger talks between the 2^nd and 3^rd largest global advertising firms, so they can better compete with the likes of Google and Facebook—the biggest aggregators of personal information on earth. 

The largest company, Acxiom, provides “analytical services” on 144 million households.  They are aware of your name, your phone number, where you live, your buying habits and much more. You may wish to have Internet sites know your personal preferences, with your deliberate permission.  That way they can recommend products and services to you.  But, there are now hundreds if not thousands of sites that are potentially tracking or even stalking Internet users (and their kids), sites that they may not know about.

Do Not Track

To get a better idea of how this phenomenon has grown exponentially in recent years please watch this brief TED Talk video, by Firefox CEO Gary Kovacs. Prepare to be amazed! Fortunately, there is something you can do about this on Firefox (click here).

Delete Me / Mask Me

The CNN report also pointed us to Abine.com that has tools to delete your personal information on the Internet. According to Abine, “Nearly everything you do leaves a trace, and data brokers collect this information to create and sell public profiles about you”.  Their subscription based service, DeleteMe,  removes:

• Your public profile from leading data sites
• Contact, personal, and social information
• Photos of you, your family, and your home

You can also stop giving out your personal information online altogether, with their other service MaskMe. Says Abine, “No company can guarantee that they will keep your data private. If you give out your email, phone, or credit card number, you now have to assume it's recorded and potentially shared, lost, or stolen. Now you can simply stop giving it out with MaskMe”.

Beware of companies that pretend to offer a “do not track” service.  Some are actually tracking companies in disguise.  Privacy is definitely a luxury.  But, it is up to you, individually, to protect your own.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing

Luxury Brand Strategy: How to Find out What Google Knows About You

The privacy debate rages on.  In yesterday’s a Wall Street Journal article, titled, Google’s Data-Trove Dance Internal Debates Over Using Collected Information and Protecting Privacy, journalist Amir Efraty notes,

“The breadth of Google's information gathering about Internet users rivals that of any single entity, government or corporate. The Web search and advertising giant continues to expand its collection and analysis of data, turning its mission to index the world, its people and their interests into a roughly $50 billion-a-year advertising business”. 

Here is how you can you find out, what Google knows about you.  Thanks to Tom Gara, WSJ journalist whose Google data graphic accompanies the above mentioned article, wrote, My Life, and Past, as Seen through Google’s Dashboard, here are the instructions: Go to Google.com and search for “Google Dashboard”.  You enter your password, and   view all the data about you.  Google gives you the option to turn the collection off, and delete archived data. 

We recommend that you read the article, as Mr. Gara has both a negative and positive spin on this.  The negative is digital blackmail and identity theft if anyone has your password, and the positive, “Our online histories, in the long run, could become one of our most cherished memories. In 20 years time they will paint a picture of our past more detailed than anything our brains are capable of.”

Enjoy your journey through your archives.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

 About Language of Luxury 

- JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY - 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! 

 Linked In, Facebook, Active Rain

Follow Us on Twitter: LuxuryMarketing