I was at my parents' house recently and started flipping through the Costco magazine.  When I came across an article about Martha Stewart-branded hams I said something like, "Seems like she's diluting her brand."  In response, my dad asked, "Why do you care?"  At first I wasn't sure where he was going but then I realized it was a fair question.  He wanted to know why public relations cares about branding.

Branding is critically important to any marketing function, including public relations.  If I don't know what the company I'm representing stands for at its core, how can I communicate its value? 

Using Assist-2-Sell as an example... I'm out there telling people that Assist-2-Sell stands for experienced real estate professionals providing quality, full-service to home buyers and home sellers for less money.  Suppose corporate comes to me and says that Assist-2-Sell is going to start selling knick knacks to tourists, and they want me to announce the launch of the new stores.  I wouldn't know what to do with that information!  That announcement doesn't jive with what that company stands for -- or at least what I think the company stands for.    

That's obviously an exaggeration but I wanted to demonstrate that your brand = who you are at the core.  (There's more to it but successful brands know what they stand for and they know what they want to stand for in the hearts and minds of their customers.)  When you move away from who you are at the core, you make it even more difficult to communicate your value.  More importantly, you make it more difficult for people to recognize why you're valuable.  If you move wherever the wind blows, how will anyone know where to find you?

This is something you should consider when thinking about the larger brand you represent (i.e. Assist-2-Sell) and also your local brand -- your real estate business and you, the real estate broker and agent.  If the three don't mesh, you're in trouble.

An article in this weekend's The Wall Street Journal offers a few lessons for Assist-2-Sell franchisees who are looking for publicity opportunities.  This particular story takes place halfway around the world but it's interesting, colorful and, more importantly, can be translated locally.

Reporter Rosamaria Mancini writes about home buyers who are traveling to a small town in Italy to buy old, run down, cone-roofed, round huts known as trulli.  It's a great trend piece that includes interviews, local history, remodeling trends, and background on how trulli even came to be fixer uppers.  So, what can you learn from this article?

1) Find something truly unique about your community and market it to home buyers outside of the area. This trend never would have happened if some enterprising real estate companies hadn't started pitching trulli as "unique country-homes."

2) Pay attention to local home buying and remodeling trends and alert the media. Trends are happening all around us. We just have to spot them and point them out to the right people.

3) Let the media know when you list a unique home. Is the homeowner well known? Does the home have an interesting history? Is there something distinctive about the architecture of the home?

4) Paint a picture of your community. Be colorful, descriptive, engaging and attract people to you and your listings.

If you can't find a reporter to write about the trends you've discovered, don't despair.  Start a blog on A2S Talk and start writing.  If you're consistent and provide as much detail and color as Mancini, you'll attract the right kind of attention. 

And don't forget, I'm here to help.  If you think you have a unique trend that should be in the news, let me know.

(I included a link to the trulli video so you could see the potential.  Post videos of your unique listing or local real estate trend on your Web site and include links in any press releases, blog posts, articles and e-mails.  As you can see, your videos don't have to be professional to be effective.)

It seems every day there's something new I can't live without.  Today that something new is Yelp.  I don't know how I decided on a place to eat before Yelp, much less found a new hair stylist.  And apparently I'm not alone.  According to Nielsen Online, Yelp.com attracts two million visitors a month.  I'm not one of those people who review hundreds and hundreds of businesses, but I definitely appreciate the people who take the time to post recommendations on Yelp.

So why am I going on and on about Yelp?  Because you need to get over to Yelp.com and take care of a few things:

1) Look up your Assist-2-Sell office and make sure all of the information is complete. It's free and it's simple. Just click "Edit Business Info" and fill in the blanks. Make sure you select the real estate categories so people can find you.

2) If you're missing from the business directory, click "Add Business."

3) Complete your member profile. It's relatively painless. You don't want to be anonymous so add a photo and tell people a little about yourself.

4) Spend some time reviewing your favorite neighborhood haunts and the professionals you can't live without: restaurants, florists, barber shops, book stores, dry cleaners, coffee shops, nail salons, grocery stores, etc.  Benefits: If you take the time to review local businesses, locals will feel more inclined to recommend you.  And people looking for a REALTOR will see that you're truly a local expert who's part of the community.

5) Invite your family, friends and customers to be friends. You can even invite me: Erin C., Carlsbad, CA. Let people know that you're Yelping and they'll naturally want to write a review about you.

6) I know Assist-2-Sell has a lot of happy customers. I've read a lot of great testimonials! Encourage your customers to write reviews about you on Yelp. Positive reviews = New customers.

Yelp is growing.  Why not benefit from its growth? 

You do want to make sure your business listing is current on as many local search sites as possible, but don't feel like you have to be a social [network] butterfly on all of them.  Pick a couple that you really like, have fun and stick with it.

Start thinking about something and suddenly you see it everywhere:

Entrepreneur Magazine, "Get Them Talking: Tired of trying to round up new customers on your own? Go online and start yelping for referrals" (March 2008) 

Fortune Magazine, "Got cash? Let the bidding wars begin" (February 9, 2008)

Washington Post, "Yelp Critiques Heard and Heeded in DC" (February 27, 2008)

Every day there's a new article or TV segment about the housing market with a comment from one or more local real estate professionals.  I'm so happy to see more and more quotes from Assist-2-Sell owners/brokers.  If you've worked with me at all, you know I think this is a great opportunity to build a reputation as a local expert.  Most people who read these articles don't know how they came about.  They don't know anything about the behind-the-scenes PR efforts that most likely landed you the interview.  They don't know anything about the credentials of the people being quoted.  In fact, I've spoken to "average" consumers who read these articles and assume the broker or agents must be the best in their respective area of expertise.  Do you see how this could be a great opportunity to be portrayed as an expert in your community?

I just want to remind you to stay positive when you talk to reporters.  I know many of you are experiencing very difficult markets, but try to help the reporters see the bright side.  I'm not suggesting you have a "Pollyanna" attitude but you should always remain optimistic.  The last thing you want is to be portrayed as negative with a "sky is falling" attitude.  Is that the type of person homebuyers and sellers will turn to?  I wouldn't. 

Here are just a few examples of how you can put a positive spin on a potentially negative story:

• This really is a great time for many people to buy a home.  Explain why. 
• Fortunately, there are programs like Assist-2-Sell's that allow home sellers to hold onto more of their home's equity without forcing them to sacrifice any of the service or support they need.  You don't have to pay a high real estate commission to sell your home.
• Real estate is cyclical.  We have seen this kind of decline -- and this kind of intense media scrutiny -- in the past.  If you are already seeing improvements -- even if they're minor -- point them out. 
• If a homeowner is in trouble with their mortgage, there are options and they should seek out the counsel of their bank or a REALTOR as soon as possible.  Assist-2-Sell brokers and agents have the knowledge and expertise to help homeowners decide what to do.
• Point out the long term benefits of homeownership that remain despite the decline.

Remember, you're the expert.  People turn to the experts because they need someone to help them understand what's going on.  Is it really as bad as it looks?  If it is, they'll need someone to help pull them through.  If it's not, they'll need someone to show them the hidden opportunities.  

If you have an opportunity to talk to the media and want some guidance, feel free to e-mail me at ecampbell@assist2sell.com.