Investing in Real Estate:Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Jumping Off the Internet and Jumping On Your High Horse

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The mantra these days for luxury real estate marketing and real estate marketing in general is: focus your marketing on the internet.  However, luxury real estate marketing professional should think about other venues of marketing.  Your target market is not on the internet 24/7, and they do participate in all kinds of activities besides surfing the net.  How about sponsoring a luxury event, in your marketplace? Here are two examples of event marketing. One is famous luxury brand that is thinking strategically in a time when retailers and luxury brands are cutting back their budgets.  The other is a market leading luxury real estate professional who followed a hunch with event marketing that paid off very well, indeed.

The Luxury Brand

Hermes is one of the finest luxury brands known for their uncompromising craftsmanship. They started as a saddle shop in Paris in 1837.  Because of their exquisite work and their royal clientele, they became known as the “saddle makers of kings.”   Since then they have expanded into fashion, lifestyle and home products.

Recently they announced their return to their equestrian beginnings by sponsoring an equestrian event and competition.  This is a revival of the first jumping event that was originally held in the Grand Palais in 1901.  The event drew the fashionable crowds of Paris and its environs.  By 1957, interest waned and the event was discontinued.  Now, by sponsoring Saut Hermès (saut means jump) they are strategically placing themselves in plain view of their target market.  No doubt, they will issue a limited scarf edition that will honor the event.  This will help to reacquaint existing customers with Hermes’ equestrian roots and reaffirm their loyalty to the Hermès brand. Additionally, Hermès has become involved with a horse race held every summer in Deauville, as well as with an international dressage competition Equita’Lyon, held in Lyon, France.

The Luxury Real Estate Agent

One of our clients listed a home owned by a car collector. Based on the design of the home, the ideal buyer would also a collector. As a strategic move, she rented a billboard that showcased the home at the prestigious Concours D’Elegance car event in Pebble Beach, California, where her target market would be a captive audience.  She not only sold the home to an attendee of the event but she also attracted several leads for other sales.