Marketing Insights

Whenever I work with companies in the mortgage industry to assist them in the process of building a stronger brand, one of the questions I ask is, “Why do you believe you will succeed in such a saturated, hyper-competitive industry?” The responses I receive are nearly...

In a sea of mortgage brands how do you differentiate your brand from the dozens, if not hundreds, of other brands you compete with in your market? It’s not your logo, website, advertising or graphics but rather setting clear expectations of the experience customers...

One of the challenges mortgage industry related businesses face as they extend their brands into new products is establishing the new product’s credibility. This can be especially difficult when one or several competing brands dominate the category the company is going into.

You’ve probably been beaten over the head with how important it is to build a brand that is altruistic, socially conscious and one that makes the world a better place. We’re told it’s the only way to attract millennial employees and customers. However, there are...

One of the great truths about delivering on a brand promise is that it is much easier said than done, and buyers have a right to expect that a brand will do what it claims it will do. Unfortunately, too many companies feel pressured to make bold claims about their...

If you’re thinking about buying a business, you know it will be in your best interest to retain an attorney and a CPA to audit its contracts, taxes, financial statements and a long list of other things that will either determine the terms of your offer, or make you...

One of the definitions of “brand” is what people experience when they touch a company, whether it is through its website, at a tradeshow, with a sales or service person, or via any other point of contact. For many of us, the first time we heard the term “touch points”...

Changing a name or logo, or creating a new ad campaign, does not constitute brand reinvention. It’s much more involved than that. When done properly, reinventing a brand can attract new referral relationships thereby building greater market-share and business volume....

Spending more time on properly managing your brand online has become an absolute necessity. Your target audience has evolved to the point where expectations are higher than ever…and they’re only increasing, not stabilizing. That said, there are some very basic online...

Most CEO’s in the mortgage industry know the importance of having a strong brand. They understand having a strong brand is key to differentiating themselves in a highly competitive environment. This is especially true for mortgage bankers, title companies, appraisal...

How much your audience values your brand as a mortgage company or mortgage industry service provider is a key determinant of how well your business performs, right? And, just like the success of any company is financially quantifiable, so is the value of its brand. It...

Your brand is your claim of distinction, backed up by the evidence of performance on that claim. This is the most clear, concise way to define a “brand.” If you’re reading this, you know how important a brand is to your success. A strong brand will go a long way to...

According to Statista, there were 265 car models offered in the U.S. in 2014. Automakers go to great lengths to “personify” their cars for the consumer because they know consumers buy with emotion and justify with logic. Accordingly, people naturally assign certain...

Here’s a fun self-test. Do you know what to expect from these brands: McDonalds Ritz Carlton Holiday Inn Nike Mayo Clinic Starbucks Apple Of course you do, and if you don’t you’re excused from reading this blog. Just kidding…read on! Now let’s do another test. When...

Take a look at each component that makes up your brand. Are you missing internal and external elements that block your companies success?

Have you ever thought about not just what you stand for as a company, but also what you don’t stand for? Knowing and being able to articulate what you don’t stand for is incredibly powerful. Those who have done this successfully have built some of the greatest, most...

The tides have turned and the shores are awash with those who have lost their jobs due to the rising rates and the resulting falloff of refinance business. Mortgage companies from coast to coast are working hard to campaign their way into the Realtor® community,...

Many times throughout my career, I’ve been confronted with the task of assisting companies in the mortgage industry with changing their corporate names. Undergoing a name change is a very complex task that requires significant resources and a well thought-out strategy…especially when the old or current name has significant brand equity. For that reason, I tend to err on the side of keeping the current name unless the reasons for the change are truly compelling, with no other reasonable option in sight.

Enthusiasm is contagious! The mortgage industry is experiencing many challenges, but this is still a great industry to be in. When you’re enthusiastic about what you do it can change the mood of the people around you, the mood of people you connect with and set the...

Many companies in the mortgage industry define their “claim to fame” in fairly generic terms. Excellent service, fast closings, cutting-edge technology, putting customers first, lower costs, product mix and the like are fairly common answers. So this begs the...

  In the mortgage industry, especially for lenders, title companies and others who provide more commoditized products and services, we know that differentiation is the key to success. To that point, lately, there’s been a lot of buzz about the “brand story” as a...

  Early in 2009 Starbucks closed its doors nationwide for 2 hours. Some thought it was a publicity stunt…and it was actually far from that. The purpose of the closing? A “partner” (employee) training event. Starbucks' iconic founder, Howard Schultz, said of the idea,...

  Remember Trump Mortgage? Not many people do...it was a disaster that came and went in less than 2 years. But, whether you like him or hate him, Donald Trump has done a great job of managing his brand, even through failures...at each and every touch point. He has...

The mortgage industry is going through a time of immense change. Surely, your company is working to adapt to a "new normal." As you work through this, at some point you may well take a look at how you position yourself competitively so that you not only survive, but...

“Marketing” is a term that we use to describe just about every activity we do to promote a product or service. In fact, most people today conflate advertising, marketing, public relations and branding. This is chiefly why marketing departments are frequently tasked...

What do you aspire to be? This is the most effective question you can ask yourself as a mortgage company or any other mortgage industry product or service provider if you want to really leverage your most powerful asset to drive greater profit & market...