Maybe A Little Too Generic?

 

Steve Hoffacker's Photos

 

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Photography displayed is original composition and artistic expression of Steve Hoffacker, and as such is copyrighted. Photos are in their original digital image state and have not been cropped, edited, or enhanced in anyway.

22 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • March 14 2010 01:10PM

A grocery store that thinks our time matters

Publix Supermarkets is a Florida grocery chain than now operates in several areas around the country. Possibly you are familiar with them.

I heard a TV commercial earlier today that I think is an excellent example of branding.

It didn't talk about how it's better than other stores or mention freshness, value, convenience, or selection -  things you might expect to hear in an ad for a grocery store. Instead it expressed a concern for our well-being - almost compassionate.

The spot said something about their concern for the amount of time we wait in lines in our lifetimes, and they went on to say how Publix is committed to keeping the lines moving and respecting our time as we checkout.

Imagine that - they are concerned about our time!

To me this is a great example of a branding message that expresses the importance of the customer to them.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings. © Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

40 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • May 05 2009 08:28PM

How important is our brand?

As entrepreneurs, as salespeople, and as Realtors, our brand is who and what we are to the public. We maybe didn't start out to consciously create it, but we have one nonetheless.

The importance of our brand was driven home with the Michael Phelps incident. I don't know what he did or didn't do - I wasn't there. I don't know why he did what it looks like he was photographed doing. What I do know is that his brand is terribly, possibly irrevocably, damaged.

Whether he swims again and racks up more records is not the point. What matters is that a whole country found someone they could believe in and cheer for last summer. Little kids to grandparents. He seems to have forgotten that with acclaim goes honor and responsibility.

It's that way with all of us. We take the time to blog, network, advertise and have website to promote our brand. Why would we want to do anything (even when we think no one is watching) to damage it?

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, sales tips, insights, or strategies, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my other blog homesalesinsights.com. © Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

26 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • February 07 2009 01:04PM

A branding lesson from horseracing

With today's Kentucky Derby kicking off the Triple Crown racing series and focusing the athletic world on horseracing for the next few weeks, I began thinking about how good of a job the stables have done with branding.

Think about it. All you have to do is look at the "silks" to readily know which farm, owner, breeder, or stable is responsible for that horse. The colors and the patterns are recognizable from as far away as one can see.

No large logos or advertising messages. No taglines. Just colors and patterns. Very effective.

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For more information on my coaching services or sales tips visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my blog homesalesinsights.com.

14 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • May 03 2008 09:30AM

People are watching all the time

We spend a lot of time and money on advertising, blogging, website design, search engine optimization, and generating leads and referrals, yet all of this can be seriously derailed through thoughtless actions that have nothing to do with real estate.

Take for instance driving on the freeway – in our company’s branded car. Every time we cut someone off, shake our fist, yell at someone (even if they can’t hear us), blow our horn out of disgust or frustration, weave in and out of traffic, or seriously exceed the speed limit, it’s not just us doing it – it’s our company.

In town, if we run through a red light (or stretch the yellow), roll through a stop sign, or beat someone out of a parking spot, people see that as our company doing this because that’s the name they see on our vehicle.

We don’t have to be saints, but we need to be mindful that little acts that we may not pay that much attention to can make a big difference to others who see us do them. It only takes one or two something really stupid acts to blow a whole lot of positive advertising and intentional branding.

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For more information on my coaching services or sales tips visit my website stevehoffacker.com or my blog homesalesinsights.com.

36 comments • Steve Hoffacker - Real Estate Sales & Marketing Consulting and Strategies • April 11 2008 09:44AM