Terlier Group
A digitally-savvy luxury real estate agency located in Canada embracing the modern marketing strategies at their disposal
SERVICE
Brand Identity + Corporate Stationery + E-book
COUNTRY
United States
YEAR
2020
The Challenge:
After having worked as an agent for the Calgary Remax team for numerous years, Zach Terlier, founder and owner of Terlier Group, decided it was time to follow his own path and create a premium boutique agency where his charming on-camera personality and innovative marketing abilities could flourish, and allow them to stand apart from the droves of traditional agencies that persist with conventional methods.
Zach approached me with the mission of crafting a brand identity (and subsequent collateral) aimed at affluent families living in and around Calgary, Canada. It was crucial that the identity captured the premium and luxury feel, while conveying the sense that Terlier Group was a leader in utilising cutting-edge and creative high-end marketing methods that resonate with the target audience and ultimately lead to sales and happy clients.
The Process:
The client was set on establishing his business as a modern, premium and innovative realtor that knew how to make use of game changing digital marketing methods to set themselves apart from the herd.
I knew that both the icon and brand type had to embody the aspect of premium luxury with a tech-inspired style. After much work in the conceptual sketch sessions I landed on this powerful T-icon. It's simple, yet bold and elegant angular line work was confident, progressive and made use of the visual play of both the letter 'T' as well as a deconstructed camera/video icon. Subtle, smart and on-point!
For the color palette I opted for a very rich, premium blue. Color theory has clearly shown the inherent trust and authority associated with the blue tones, and this deep blue (along with the lighter shade and the bronze) does just that, as well as adding the finer luxury feel that we want associated with the brand.
The font used pairs perfectly with the strong brand icon and has been customized to provide real ownership. The accompanying font is a very modern and premium sans serif that will do the lion share of the workload and will help ease in the brand feel so as to not feel too intimidating.
LIGHTBULB MOMENT:
Color theory and design aesthetics play a massive role in giving off a brand feel that can amplify the brand icon.
If these two can compliment the latter then you have a winner.
Corporate Stationery
Once the brand's visual identity had been created, it became a mere fact of playing within these confines to discover the ideal layout for both the letterhead and the business card. This is the key benefit of having created the visual language for Terlier during the branding phase - there is no guesswork, or time spent on experimentation and testing. We already know how the brand looks, it's merely a case of playing with the puzzle pieces to make them fit in a way that we deem visually satisfying.
Zach and his team were presented with a handful of layout options that we felt were accurate for his brand, and once we received his feedback, were able to tweak, refine and finalize to the final layouts you see above.
LIGHTBULB MOMENT:
Establishing a brands visual identity is the key that unlocks the design of the resulting collateral
Testimonial
From start to finish Clint was awesome to work with. He understood my goals and created a brand for me that really stands out from all the competitors in my area. I don't have much experience when it comes to design which is why it was such a pleasure working with someone who was patient with me and able to explain what works, what doesn't and (most importantly) why. I know we'll be working together more in the future.
Zach Terlier, Owner and Founder
Realtor e-Book
As part of the brand's launch I was tasked with the project of creating a complete e-book that would serve as a lead magnet on the official website, as well as being linked on brand communications.
I partnered with an ex-colleague and award-winning writer who provided all of the copy which was distilled from numerous pieces of real estate marketing material as well as her own research on the topics on hand. It was then that I took the provided copy and began the conceptual planning, image sourcing, and layout design, but it all had to pass through the brand's creative filter and visual identity that had been created during the initial brand identity portion of the project.
The result was a fantastically modern, useful, and informative e-book that will serve home sellers and buyers looking for an agency that throws out the old school rule book on real estate and embraces the here and now.
Property Photographic Guide
Zach had an earlier version of this guide but it was far from the refined and premium looking final product that we had already established with the new brand identity and corporate stationery.
This e-book serves to guide home owners through the process of prepping their house for optimal photography to be used in promoting the sale. Zach understands what works when it comes to showcasing a stunning living space, and this guide is just a small taster of what he and his team have to offer.
