In August, RE/MAX announced a new look for their iconic hot-air balloon branding. It was a rare move from a company that hasn’t seen a change since 2005 (and even that was just a change in the balloon’s angle).
The new logo is a cleaner, simpler image, removing most of the overlap from the wordmark and streamlining the balloon itself into a line-free image. According to the RE/MAX Newsroom, this is the brand’s first official refresh since the company’s founding in 1973. So, what lessons can we take away from this brand refresh, and the thinking behind it?
- Great brands evolve – and so should you.
It can be easy to get stuck in a rut, especially when it’s a successful rut. In 2017, RE/MAX was named the #1 Real Estate Franchise in the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 survey for the fifth year in a row. But despite this success, the brand knows that they need to continue to evolve in order to serve their existing customers and attract new ones.
The concept is as true for small brokerages and independent realtors as it is for big brands like RE/MAX: if you want to continue to be successful, you need to stay relevant. That might mean updating the look of your RE/MAX business cards, or trying a new approach with real estate postcards or digital marketing. When it comes to real estate, change is the only constant. When the market is changing, are you still trying to appeal to prospects with the same strategies and marketing materials that worked at the beginning of your career?
- Small changes = big differences.
The new RE/MAX logo isn’t a huge departure from the logos of the past. They haven’t done away with the iconic hot air balloon, or changed the signature red, white, and blue color scheme. In fact, the changes have been minimal enough that the company refers to this as a brand refresh rather than a redesign. The new, minimalistic design is a perfect fit for more modern RE/MAX business card designs, and a perfect illustration of the idea that less is more.
When you’re evaluating how you want to evolve your brand, remember that you don’t have to start from scratch or make huge, sweeping changes. All you really need to do is take a look at what your prospects want and how they are interacting today, and tailor your message and your marketing materials to appeal to your ideal audience.
- The best branding is all about connecting.
As a part of their brand refresh, RE/MAX surveyed 20,000 consumers for their thoughts about the new logo, as well as getting feedback from agents and brokers. For a logo to be successful, it has to communicate to consumers the message the brand wants to get across. When you’re planning your own real estate marketing pieces, remember that the goal is to forge a connection with your prospects – to help them see you as a trustworthy, reliable person who can help them with all of their real estate needs.
If you’re ready to update your real estate marketing materials, whether or not you’re a RE/MAX agent, BestPrintBuy is here to help. We’ve got the quality products you need at great prices, and with customer support that can’t be beat.