Friday Flash: Catching up
No: 1067
A big win in the Northwest
We’ve written at length over the last few years about how marketing is, at its core, storytelling and that the real challenge for real estate brokerages these days lies in telling their story more clearly.
But a good story can only be judged a success if it is presented well.
Please allow me to share an example:
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS) Northwest Real Estate (yes, that is quite a mouthful) is owned by Home Services of America and is led by a young, ambitious broker, Jason Waugh.
The company is the result of an amalgamation of the three former independent BHHS franchises, in Seattle, Portland and Salem, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest.
Having come through the challenges of integration last year, they were ready to emerge back into the market under a united banner and begin building new market share.
To do that they needed to arm their people with the right tools.
That’s where 1000WATT came in.
BHHSNW wanted a marketing campaign that could simultaneously rally their existing agent base and attract new agents. We also needed to find a way to preserve the positive brand attributes that the BHHS brand brings to the table while weaving in the unique attributes of this regional company.
No short order.
We started by breaking the company’s story down into its discrete parts. We rebuilt its pillars to avoid the trite and overused: Honesty, Integrity, Professionalism… words that echo through the halls of nearly every real estate brand.
We crafted a campaign mantra that articulated their unique value proposition:
Northwest Knowledge.
Two words that speak volumes.
The strategy was then to position the brand as one with its local market – a delicate task.
So we wrote copy and chose imagery for a digital campaign that demonstrated this authenticity and built up its regional sensibility. We used humor and a tongue-in-cheek approach to showcase the unique aspects of what makes homeownership and the home-buying process so different in this region.
Perhaps more importantly, we gave their existing agents a series of instantly memorable assets that they could share with their spheres.
We wove this look and feel and tone across all of their public-facing materials, including their listing presentation and buyer guides. The goal was to help their agents create a more emotional connection with consumers through simple, clean design.
The revamp was nearly complete.
But as most of you know, recruiting is the lifeblood of any brokerage business. The final piece of the puzzle was to create a recruiting piece that was unlike anything else in the market.
Our creative direction was to design something tactile and distinct – a look that would stand out in a sea pocket folders. We took our cues from the consumer packaging world and wanted to use all of the senses to build the story on multiple levels. We needed to show the story to the recipient, not just tell it.
The packet we designed is modular. Each insert speaks to the specific elements of the BHHSNW story so that a manager can customize the presentation to the needs of each potential recruit. We ensured there were clear calls-to-action throughout.
We launched this new campaign at a series of BHHS Northwest events throughout the Pacific Northwest this past January. We shared all of these new materials with managers and agents, and got on stage to teach them how to internalize the messages and use the materials we delivered.
At every turn, Northwest Knowledge has been met with a resounding sea of nodding heads and smiles.
The company now has a story that resonates and all the tools they need to materialize the campaign into the world.
Best of all, the results are starting to come in.
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