Typical Property Branding is often associated with a logo, color palette, fonts, and imagery. Traditional marketers have told us over and over that these design elements create recognition among competing properties.

However, look at The Ritz-Carlton. They are one of the most sought-after hotels worldwide and seldom uses the traditional branding elements mentioned above. So, if they don’t rely just on those elements, why should you?

So, what do The Ritz-Carlton and other successful properties do? The properties with the highest occupancy have brands that are more than just how the property’s marketing looks. They go beyond the surface-level visual appearances and focus on the tenant’s overall experience with the property and its services. But how can you apply The Ritz-Carlton secret to your properties regardless of if you have an A or D property?

Creating a successful brand experience involves carefully considering every touchpoint a tenant has with the property, not just visuals, from when a possible tenant becomes aware of the property to when they renew their leases.

Traditional marketing agencies showcase the property’s branding on the property’s website, social media design, and in marketing brochures.

However, the most successful property branding goes beyond and considers:

• The message of customer service
• How your leasing agents sell the property lifestyle
• The overall atmosphere of your physical space, like environmental and wayfinding signage, to name a few.

Anything that can either enhance or detract from a tenant’s perception of the property contributes to the overall brand experience. That is the feeling that people can’t explain why they chose this property over the one next door.

To go beyond traditional ineffective branding, consider these 3 elements, and it would make a world of difference:

Consistent Experience

Create a consistence experience that delivers the same message carefully crafted on your brand strategy. For instance, if you sell a luxury lifestyle on your website, you don’t want your amenities’ atmosphere to look like a government-funded institution. That would confuse your customers. If you are inconsistent, you create distrust. Similarly, you’ve got to remain consistent for tenants to make associations of the lifestyle they want to live and the property they are in.

There’s a reason why The Ritz-Carlton hotels have a consistent experience worldwide. It’s not just the logo that’s the same. Despite the different architecture, you could walk into any of these hotels anywhere in the world, and the warm luxury feeling would be the same. The care to anticipate your needs would be the same. Even the way you are treated.

No matter where you are, you can trust that you will have the same warm luxury experience you’ve had before.

Emotional Connection

When a brand taps into the emotions of its tenants, it develops a sense of loyalty and commitment. This can be achieved through music, environmental design, creating a sense of community, storytelling, or customer service.

Think of the super bowl commercials that make you laugh, cry, or feel inspired. They tap into our emotions to create a lasting impression. That is why the world is looking forward to the super bowl commercial and the halftime show sometimes more than the game itself.

But the emotional connection goes beyond commercials. The people you interact with in your property or even the amenities space can evoke an emotional connection.

How does this apply to a multifamily property?

Think of moving into a new home and the people who helped you get there. If you feel safe, secure, and taken care of, it feels like a place where you can create new memories. Those are the tenants that will stay for a long time and recommend your property to their friends.

Brand Versatility

Lastly, your brand needs to be flexible enough to translate into multiple interactions throughout the property. For instance, look at the mix-used property Sparkman Wharf. They have restaurants, offices, retail, and events in the heart of residences in downtown. They want to portray a vibrant and cultural destination.

They keep their message consistent but versatile throughout their digital platforms like the website and socials, but also in the physical like murals, signage, restaurant façade, office interior, and even the type of business they lease the space to. That’s how people keep coming back over and over.

The Bottom Line

A successful property brand creates a meaningful and memorable connection with its residents through consistency, emotional connection, and versatility. Your visual identity will be part of that. However, to drive loyal tenants that stay for many years, establish trust and credibility when you raise prices, and set your property apart from competing properties, there’s much more to branding than just a logo. There is a brand experience.