The Language of Luxury

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Imagination and creativity is one of the cornerstones of a successful luxury real estate marketing practice. Imitation and luxury really do not belong together. Too often we see luxury real estate professionals copying the branding or marketing strategies of their closest competitors and forgoing the competitive advantage of being original and authentic. It becomes a case of the hot pink plastic flamingo!

One of the most beautiful birds on our planet is the flamingo. This brightly colored bird caught the imagination of Don Featherstone who designed a plastic hot pink flamingo as a lawn ornament, sold in pairs (one upright the other feeding.) This plastic creation was awarded the “Ig-Nobel Prize for Art (a parody of the Nobel Prize). Plastic pink flamingos have become part of the American pop culture. Original Featherstone’s are marked as such on the bird’s underside.

American Flamingo, Photo by Fritz Geller Grimm

However, copy cats swarmed in and reproduced the flamingos in mass. This caught the imagination of students at the University of Wisconsin who “flamingoed” (the verb) a hill near their campus with over 1000 plastic flamingos on the first day of classes one year. Their prank sparked similar episodes around the country.

Plastic flamingos are now considered in the art world as kitsch. " Kitsch is a German word denoting art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value."

Authenticity in personal branding will strike the right chord with your ideal clients. Phoniness will repel them like plastic pink flamingos. It is not that there isn’t a market for these hollow birds. It is just a question of knowing who you are and who you want to attract.

Is your personal brand original or is it kitsch?

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Authenticity is perhaps the most important concept in personal branding for luxury real estate marketing professionals. Without authenticity, you live in a masquerade. What is at stake if you forego authenticity? Quite simply, it is your own happiness.

Recently, Andre Agassi published an autobiography in which he admitted to be caught up in a masquerade. He was forced by his father, who recognized his extraordinary talent, to become a champion in a game that Agassi would come to hate. In his recent TV interview it was obvious that he suffered a life of quiet desperation during the time when his brand was perceived as being the “rock star of tennis”. Canon, the camera company, capitalized on his brand image of being a rebel (which was the brand name of one of their models).

Reactions have been mixed from his contemporaries and fans. Resentments have been expressed by some. At the root of these resentments is the feeling of having been duped by Agassi’s charade.

Many people might say that this is a sign of the times. But, there is a deeper lesson to be learned, which is what Agassi, the staunch supporter of education, is now trying to tell the world. That is, there may be much to gain by living a fake existence, but in the long run it is your own happiness itself that is at stake.

As brand strategists, it is our job to assist our clients to drill down to their core identity, identify what is truly important to them, what they stand for, what their genuine values are, not the values of others. Only then can you make explicit, in the form of a graphic representation and a genuine marketing message, the authentic personal brand.

We ask our clients what they can do better than anyone else in their marketplace. But, they also must be truly passionate about doing it. An authentic pursuit cannot be one based on seeking the admiration of one’s father or the crowd at large.

It was only when Agassi admitted to himself that he was caught up in a masquerade that he shaved his head and discontinued wearing a wig (his mask). He chose tennis on his own terms and became passionate about the game. No one can minimize his extraordinary accomplishments. But, the best accomplishment of all was choosing an authentic life.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

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As a luxury real estate professional, it is important that your brand resonates emotionally with your target market. If you strike an emotional chord with potential clients and referral sources they will remember you much better especially if you tell a compelling story. Here are two example of what Pepsi has done to reach its target audience on an emotional level. One works better than the other.

This commercial is very funny, but did it connect with the people who are viewing it? Will they go out and be moved to buy Pepsi next time, because they identify with this story? Are there enough young people in ashrams practicing martial arts?

In contrast, this second commercial, produced a few years back, hits a bull’s eye. It also has a humorous side to it. However, it makes a strong emotional connection with its audience. Music is an important part of the lives of teens and young adult. This story also speaks to adults who grew up in the sixties and are still young at heart.

Do you remember the Pepsi slogan: “Come Alive—you are in the Pepsi Generation? Pepsi out-sells Coke in the younger demographic. They need to stay firmly on this sweet spot to continue this trend. The first commercial was nebulous about this important brand position which needs to be communicated and amplified with laser sharp precision in order to strike the right emotional chord.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies