What The Sooke? » marketing

Anatomy of a New Brand – My New Logos

Tim Ayres — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:45:53 +0000

Now that my new brand is completely launched – I thought I would share with you how it came to be. When I sat down with Jason from Inktvis at The Stick in Sooke, I had no idea about several things:

What I wanted the logo to look like
How to begin to think about it
Whether or not I would change the name of 642Blog
How happy I would be with the result!

The first thing Jason suggested was to email him with examples of logos that I liked. This way, he could get an idea as a designer what types of logos I would be happy with. So I scoured free and stock logo sites. What I wanted was a modern, fresh look that expressed the type of business I am in. So, naturally, houses come to mind, or rooftops, stylized gables, etc. I found it hard to find examples, however, that weren’t, well, trite.

Below are some of the examples I sent to Jason. See if you can pick out the design elements that he incorporated into the finished product.

Another element that I was drawn to were lighthouses. Being in a coastal community, this is obviously a natural. However, I had the same problem as before – it just seemed hackneyed and clichéd.

Jason emailed me the first results – it was starting to come together:

From my feedback we went here – a little too bright for my liking:

And then:

Finally we settled on this:

And this as an alternate:

It’s perfect. I really like how Jason put this together, using so many of the design elements that I like. The house sits atop the green hill, evocative of a lighthouse perched on a rocky shore. The stylized wave denotes a coastal theme and the typeset is bold and stands out.

While the logo for this blog is much more simple, it too is exactly what I wanted. The speech bubble indicating a conversation about Sooke – your comments will be that conversation. The ? signifies answering questions about Sooke and real estate in general, which is what I do here, and the ! denotes excitement, which I think we can all agree there is lots of in Sooke these days.

I’ve wanted a personal logo/brand for several years now, and had always been daunted by what appeared to be a monumental task. Jason helped bring that to fruition and I am forever grateful to him for it. If you ever need a brand or logo designed for your business – contact Jason - his approach is beyond comparison and the results will be spectacular! Jason can also be found on Twitter, usually at @DiscoverSooke.

Do you have a brand or logo you love? Share in the comments below!

Sociable! Book Launch in Victoria, BC

Tim Ayres — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:04:53 +0000

This Thursday, April 29th, 2010, Vancouver-based entrepreneur Stephen Jagger and professional sales trainer Shane Gibson will be at the Downtown Victoria Chapters store to launch their new book, Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-Down.

The event starts at 5:30 with a networking opportunity for social-media-curious businesspeople, and then a presentation from Steve and Shane about social media and the unique way they wrote the book. Q&A will follow, and Shane and Stephen will sign your copy of the book.

If you’re interested in learning how social media can help your business, I’d highly recommend you attend this event and pick up a copy of the book. Many of the ideas and methods they teach I have used to build my business, and in today’s business world, it’s not acceptable to answer “What’s your social media strategy?” with a blank stare.

The event is free, and you can confirm your attendance here. Invite your friends and business associates – after all, social media is all about “the more, the merrier!”

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Social Media, Web Marketing, and SEO Training In Victoria BC [Video]

Tim Ayres — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:39:40 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that I will be teaching web marketing and social media training in Victoria, BC starting next month. Reachd.com has approached me to be their Victoria instructor. The 3-hour classes are taught in the afternoon, and are ideal for anyone in any small business who wants to learn how to capitalize on this growing trend. How can you effectively use social media and web marketing to grow your business? I can’t wait to show you how. The three courses that are happening next month are: Social Media Guided Tour ($149), Explode Your Growth With A Blog ($149), and Broadcast Your Message With Online Video ($249 – includes a video camera!). You can take all three courses for $399 – a savings of $149. Come out and learn something in December and be ahead of your competition in the new year!

The courses will also be offered in January, along with courses on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google AdWords.

More information and registration at http://TimAyres.ca/reachd

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tim Ayres at NAR Conference 2009 San Diego – Day 1 – Social Media and Gender Differences [Video]

Tim Ayres — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:54:55 +0000

Day 1 of the NAR Convention in San Diego was very productive – I saw two sessions today and unfortunately was shut out of a third due to it being full. The Introduction to Social Media session was great. As a REALTOR® who puts himself out there online using social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc, I was very pleased with the session. It was facilitated by three practicing agents, just like me, and they nailed it. Ginger Wilcox, Kelley Koehler, and Mariana Wagner were excellent – it was refreshing seeing a social media presentation by three working real estate professionals who actually, as they put it, do this to feed their kids.

Check out my video update from Day 1:

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina – Recreational Ownership Opportunities

Tim Ayres — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:22:24 +0000

Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina - photo by Jason van der Valk

Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina is a beautiful oceanside resort development located in the heart of Sooke, British Columbia. Sooke is a small seaside community on the southwest tip of Vancouver Island, about a 45-minute drive away from Victoria.

The development was completed in 2006, and since then, 70% of the project has been sold. The developers recently engaged the team at Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty in Sooke to market the remaining units. They felt that our local representation and the strength of the MLS® would be the key to getting the rest of the project sold.

The Resort is unique in Sooke in that you can own a whole unit, or choose a fractional ownership option of one quarter or one eighth share, depending on your budget and your needs. I currently hold the listing for unit 145, which is for sale at an amazing price of $399,900. I can also sell quarter shares at $125,000, or eighth shares at $64,000. Fractional ownership is whole ownership of a part of the property. It is not the same as timeshare. With timeshare, you do not own anything and are not registered on the title to the property. With fractional ownership, you are the registered owner of the property, along with the other owners. An agreement is put in place for use of the property, and there is a rotation ensuring that each owner gets his or her share of prime time in the unit.

All the units at Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina come fully furnished and equipped, and have an on-site management team who will take care of all maintenance, interior and exterior. You simply show up to your vacation getaway, and it is exactly as you left it before. If you wish, you can also place your townhouse in the rental pool, and earn income when you’re not using the property!

Unit 145 has stunning panoramic views of Sooke Harbour and Basin, the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains. It has about 1140 square feet of luxury living space, two balconies, two bedrooms and two full baths. The floor plan is well thought out and functional.

Sooke Harbour, looking towards Whiffen Spit and East Sooke

Salmon and halibut fishing is outstanding in Sooke, and this year has so far been the best in recent memory. Sooke fishing charters can be arranged right from the comfort of your vacation getaway home, or launch your own boat from the ramp. Book a scenic and exciting tour with a local Sooke whale watching company, right on site. Kayak rentals are also available, to explore the placid waters of the Harbour and Basin. Be sure to check out the new photo art gallery by local photographer and graphic designer, Jason van der Valk of Discover Sooke.

This is truly a great opportunity for an easy, accessible, and affordable vacation home or investment property. This is the only such development in Sooke, which is fast becoming the place to be on southern Vancouver Island.

Please see the listing page on my website for more information and pictures. Call me any time at 250-885-0512, email Tim@TimAyres.ca or fill in my contact form to ask questions or book your personal tour.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Just Saying Hi On My Way To Westshore MLS Tour [VIDEO]

Tim Ayres — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:13:02 +0000

It’s been a while since I was on video! I went to the West Shore MLS tour in Colwood and Langford today and just thought I’d say hi to you through the video. I had one of my listings on the tour this week and got to see 10 other really nice places in Langford and Colwood. I hope you’ll enjoy the video!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Is The Election Campaign All About Branding and Buzzwords? [Video]

Tim Ayres — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:27:51 +0000

As a REALTOR®, I’m always taking notice of how other businesses market and brand themselves. I get inspiration for ideas from other people and businesses all the time. One thing I’ve noticed is that politicians in our current Federal election campaign have been all about branding and marketing their campaigns, rather than telling us what they’ll do for us if elected. What do you think?

Here’s a quick video I shot of Conservative candidate Troy Desouza in his heavily-branded car. He even waved for the camera!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Bell’s -er Campaign Might Be Confusing, But At Least It’s Grammatically Correct

Tim Ayres — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:00:58 +0000

Since I wrote about Bell’s confusing -er infused advertising campaign, it’s become one of the most searched-for, read, and commented-on posts I’ve ever done. I guess I wasn’t alone in my confusion or annoyance with that campaign.

I have to wonder, however, if the same outfit that drummed up that campaign is involved with US wireless carrier T-Mobile‘s new Google Android powered phone, the G1 [warning: link has music].

I had to laugh at this one, as the concept has been taken one step further by abusing the already-beleaguered English language by proclaiming that the G1 is “The Only Phone That Makes You Smarterer.”

Yes. Smarterer. See for yourself:

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Bell’s New “ER” Ad Campaign is Confusing

Tim Ayres — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:44:59 +0000

A Slimmer, Trimmer Ma Bell

Telecommunications giant Bell has recently ditched their two spokesbeavers, Gordon and Frank, in lieu of a slick new advertising campaign where everything is better. Their logo has been stripped down to just the Bell name in a slim blue typeface, and now every ad you see for them with any word containing the letters ‘er’ has the pair of letters in blue, making them stick out:

From Bell.ca

Since I saw the ads during the Olympics, I’ve been mystified as to what exactly the emphasized “er” was all about. I Googled around a bit and managed to snuff out that it’s all about being easier, better, faster, and so on, but they don’t stick to that theme in their ads. They just throw in the blue ‘er’ whenever they please. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I even Twittered about it and was beginning to wonder if I was the only one who was confused. Then I logged into my facebook page this afternoon and saw this:

Should Bell Bring Back The Beavers?

Bell seems to be testing the waters on this issue. Not surprisingly, most people polled said they didn’t care, but taking those out of the equation, a good proportion just don’t get the ads.

And to think, some ad agency probably got millions to dream up that campaign.

What do you think?

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Reset The Days On Market With A New Listing Contract: Deceptive? [Video]

Tim Ayres — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:43:32 +0000

An issue that comes up every now and again is the practice of certain real estate agents cancelling a listing that has been on the market for a while and re-listing it right away. The result is a new MLS® number (they are sequential), and a days on market count set to zero, making the listing appear “fresher” than it is. Watch the video below, and comment using the form/link below the video.

Deceptive Marketing by REALTORS® using Days on Market from Tim Ayres – REALTOR® on Vimeo.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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