Michael Love on Love&Co’s Rebrand
You may have noticed a few things have changed recently at Love&Co – our name, for one!
We’ve reimagined our much-loved brand to reflect our growth, development and enhanced company values – and we really hope you connect with our new look. In today’s blog, we catch up with Love&Co Director, Michael Love, to discuss all things real estate rebranding.
Congratulations on the Love&Co rebrand, Michael! You’ve gone from a bright red to a sleek navy blue. What inspired your contemporary rebrand?
Michael: It’s really exciting to see Love&Co come to life – we’ve been working on this for some time now. There wasn’t one thing in particular that that inspired our new palette – it was really the product of a great team of creatives, and a lot of market research. We delved deep into the markets we operate in and had a really good look at what was working and what wasn’t. I’m really pleased with the result, and I think it reflects where Love&Co is at.
What surprised you most about the rebranding experience?
Michael: The whole process was a chain of surprises, really! In all seriousness, though, it was really just the vastness of items that needed to be addressed. You don’t realise just how much work there is to do until it comes time to change. Signage, uniforms, business cards, photography, marketing material – it’s crazy. We actually almost leaked the rebrand before the launch date by accident, when our new photography was used to promote a new team member! He was wearing the new company tie – it’s those little things you don’t even think of.
What did you learn from the process?
Michael: I learned to be patient. Nothing is perfect the first time around – it takes a lot of attention to detail, and a lot of hands on deck to get everything right. Even after launch day, there’s was more time and effort required to ensure everything was updated and executed perfectly.
How long did the process take? Was it more complex than you expected?
Michael: Far more complex! It took a little longer than expected as we wanted to make sure we had a lot right when we took it to market. We initially had a launch date set, but we revised this to ensure we had everything just right.
What surprised you most about rebranding?
Michael: This is actually a really positive one – it was the support and positive feedback from the industry and the our community. In such a reputation-based industry you can expect a bit of competitiveness – but the new Love&Co was really well received. We’ve had a fantastic response.
How did your team respond to the change? Was it difficult to lead them through the transformative process?
Michael: The team have been wonderful. They were all very supportive and we couldn’t have done it without them. That’s the thing with leadership through change – what you’re really doing is fostering a collaborative effort.
What, if anything, went wrong?
Michael: I’m not sure I would use the word ‘wrong’, exactly, but there were definitely lessons learned. I think communication can always be improved. We quickly learned valuable lessons about gauging supplier’s lead times, but overall the transition was a smooth one.
How did you go about hiring the right professionals to handle your rebrand?
Michael: We received some great recommendations and discussed the rebrand with a couple of companies before making a final decision based on the team we felt best aligned with our business and community.
How did you communicate the changes that the rebrand would bring to your teams?
Michael: We had a committee that handled most of the communication. We had a few discussions with different areas of the business to hear their perspective and feedback prior to the launch, too.
How often do you think real estate agencies should rebrand?
Michael: I don’t think there is a time frame that suits everyone – it really is an individual office or organisation thing. It’s important to look at how you’re being received in the market place, how well you’re engaging with your community and what might have changed within your business.
Not only do organisations change, the communities in which we operate change – and it’s important to be current in this space. Sometimes particular communities have huge amounts of demographic change in a short period of time, while others remain static for years. This was our fourth major brand refresh, but we’ve been making smaller tweaks along the way.
Have you any tips for real estate leaders guiding their teams through a rebrand?
Michael: We had a plan in place, and we undertook extensive marketplace research before we did anything. I guess that’s all I can say, really. Did we get it 100% right? That depends on who you talk to! What matters is that it’s been well received. We felt the time was right, so we went for it. I’m really pleased with the result.