For example, do you think if one (very lucky) ad agency worked with Nissan and Mercedes-Benz they would try to sell them on the exact same branding package? Do you think Nissan has the same branding budget, needs, and goals as Mercedes-Benz? Sure, they might be similar in breakdown, but there’s likely a fair difference between their bottom lines and the line items.
Not only are their budgets and goals going to be a little different, the branding they need to work on is slightly different—to reach different audiences and portray two pretty distinctly different products.
So, what does the branding of luxury cars and regular cars have to do with branding apartments by property class?
Plenty.
What is a Multifamily Property Class?
Multifamily properties are classified in four levels: A, B, C, and D. They’re generally defined by the condition, quality and age of the apartment building. A classification may raise up a half-grade, from a B to a B+ or an A- for example, when the property undergoes renovations for a value-add. More info on multifamily property classifications here.
Be True to Your Class
A little trust goes a long way. It’s best if you relay the correct message (spoken and unspoken) about what class your community is. We as your branding guides would never want to misrepresent the product you’re selling when marketing to prospects. So, keep your brand refresh under control: When you’re finally getting around to modernizing a 1980s suburban garden style community, ensure the branding isn’t telling a “luxury urban high rise” kind of story.
Get Only the Branding You Need
Other creative agencies might (we’re not throwing shade, we’re just being realistic) try to get you on board for way more branding than you need. That’s not how we work. We know that our Class C properties don’t have as much change in their pocket to spend on branding and marketing—so we’ll only suggest what you need the most, and what will help you be more likely to reach your goals.
Guide to Branding Apartments by Multifamily Property Class
We offer a ton of branding and copywriting options for our apartment marketers at Zipcode Creative. But how do you know what you actually need, or where to start? (Don’t get stuck with one-size-fits-all branding packages, get what you actually need instead.)
Here’s what you really, truly need, at minimum, broken down by class.
CLASS A:
This is the top of the line. Higher cost rents. A full suite of amenities. Truly luxury apartments. Class A properties require something special, more bespoke, and the branding should touch every area, from the inside out.
We recommend a Full Scope Branding Package that includes:
Custom logo design – We’ll give you six lovely logo design concepts (based off of your goals/desires/audience) to choose from, and we’ll narrow down from there to find your perfect fit
Brand visuals – These are the big guns. (Appearances matter.) Included in our brand visuals:
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- Brand Style Concepts – like a mood board!
- Color Palette Development – groups of colors we think work for your brand
- Brand Typography – fonts and weights (including title, subheading, and body text uses)
- Design Elements – textures and patterns
- Lifestyle Stock Imagery Curation – picking out the vibe through a photo collection
- Iconography – designed symbols for your amenities
- Sample Design Applications – How your brand will look in the wild (signage, mailers, business cards)
Brand voice – AKA how you communicate your vibe through your words. Are you youthful or mature? Verbose or cut-and-dried? It will also be impacted by your understanding of your Ideal Resident Profile [IRP]; we’ll write it towards them, in language that will attract and vocabulary that will entice. We’ll deliver brand voice with:
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- Brand Positioning Statement – A sentence about what you want to be known for in your 1) industry 2) market 3) target audience
- Brand Attributes – Single words that better define your brand’s personality (e.g. “Edgy”)
- Ideal Resident Profile (IRP) – Defining your target audience through a tangible description
- Tagline Development – Slogans, essentially!
- Headline Library – On-brand headlines that you can use in your copy—on the website or in print
- Brand Phrases/Amenity Names – make your amenities a little more special with names that match the vibe
CLASS B:
Class B are nice apartments, but not necessarily luxury, and not new – maybe undergoing some value-add improvements with the change to new management. They bring in above average rent, but the clientele will still be looking for something clean and consistent.
We recommend a mid-level Brand Package that includes:
Custom Logo Design – We’ll give you 3 concepts to choose from and tailor it from there
Brand Visuals – Similar to Class A, but the approach is based on research and discovery.
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- 3 Brand Style Concepts
- Color Palette Development
- Brand Typography
- Design Elements
- Lifestyle Stock Imagery Curation
- Iconography
- Sample Design Applications
Brand Voice – Enough to inform your copy, but not quite as in-depth as Class A properties:
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- Tagline
- Headlines
- Brand Identity Statement
CLASS C:
Your Class C Property is older, probably 30+ years old and isn’t in the most happening part of town. You should still treat it as a brand, but your budget will be pretty tight, and your branding is less of a priority than a Class A.
We whittled our recommendations for branding to keep you on track:
Logo – a simple modernization (keep close to the original logo, but refresh the style to keep it timeless) will do wonders. If you’re changing your name, we highly recommend a proper custom logo design treatment with a new name.
Brand Visuals
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- Color Palette
- Font Choices
Brand Voice
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- Tagline
CLASS D
This is the lowest class of property and you’ll be spending your budget elsewhere. We wouldn’t recommend doing more than this for your branding (but you can do more if you desire):
Logo – A simple typeset style logo of the name will serve to identify your community
Also of note: We still have an a la carte menu of apartment branding services, with transparent pricing (request pricing here). That’s easy on you and easy for us. This is just a guide of what we recommend for branding at minimum for different property classes.
Interested to see how we can help with your apartment branding—no matter which class?