"No matter which centre you visit, you experience the same brand, décor, and culture"
Branding has become an important part of the corporate world as companies differentiate themselves by developing a consistent image, and message, they want to portray to their employees and the rest of the world.
Calgary-based Avenue Living Communities, a residential rental company with a portfolio that spans Western Canada, has spent a lot of time, effort and resources developing and rolling out a brand that tells people it is the premier choice for rental accommodations across the West.
William Akoto, Director of Marketing for Avenue Living, says the company first introduced its new vision, mission, and core values in October 2018. Its vision is to be the clear choice of where people call home and its mission is to provide value and quality for residents.
This is the message the company wants to be known for and to communicate to external and internal audiences.
"We built upon those concepts to bring our brand to life, creating the idea that no matter which centre you visit, you experience the same brand, décor, and culture," says Akoto.
"We have all achieved so much in a short time. Our mission and our vision is visible to all residents, future residents, and of course our own family at Avenue Living. Our signature lime green and our towers logo is present in our offices, on our signage, and our documentation which further increases our culture and brand awareness."
Avenue Living Asset Management has aggressively and ambitiously built a portfolio of more than 8,500 residential rental units across Western Canada in just 13 years. The Calgary-based company's journey began in 2006 with the purchase of 24 rental units in Brooks, Alberta for $3 million.
Akoto says the company has a goal to complete all regional office branding by the end of the year.
"A brand is a name or term, even a design or symbol that people can identify and connect to some inner feeling," says Akoto. "The importance of branding is really to distinguish yourself from your competition. It also enables you to clearly communicate exactly what you can offer to your staff or prospects or clients or whoever your target is.
"It also enables you as a company to stay focused on your core service or product."
Akoto says building a brand is more than just advertising and social media. It is represented in the company's involvement in the community or in the sponsorships it undertakes, along with the experience the customer and team members have.
"It's all part of communicating a message," he says.
"As soon as you arrive at our office, from the time you talk to a leasing specialist, to the time you sign a lease, to the time that you move in, we want to make sure that experience, that feeling, really reflects on our vision and our mission. At the same time, internally we want to make sure that the core values we have really align with you the staff on a personal level. If you work with Avenue Living, you agree that we need to provide quality communities that everyone deserves."
For Avenue Living, the key comes down to the resident experience. Everything the company does is geared to enhancing the residential experience to ensure it's based on quality.
And that, says Akoto, is ultimately what forms the brand.