Project Overview

The property industry is unregulated and filled with small companies pushing 'how to get rich quick' messages. They are often fronted by the business owner, showcasing their success with a hard sell of either seminars, apartments, books, or properties from large developments that may be in areas of oversupply.

Our brand was being lost amongst the clutter of competing brands and there was a mismatch between our guiding principles and how we represented ourselves.

We wanted to create a brand culture based on the following principles:
• phenomenal presentation,
• wealth for all,
• innovation, and
• one that allows the customer to experience wonder.

Based on these principles, we redesigned our entire brand identity. Redesigned items include stationery, a gift bag, a compendium box that houses the Property Investment Plan and Brand Book, a gift box that houses welcome gift items, the layout of the Property Investment Plan and the website. We even redesigned our head office and the DPN designed properties known as DPN CASA, Seconda and Allegra.

Organisation

Direct Property Network

Team

Brief: Sam Khalil
Designer & user experience: Daniele Nicoletti
Writers: Elissa Dowler, Nicole Gabriel, Holly Tagima, Sam Khalil & Michael Fuller
Editors: Fiona Conlan, Elissa Dowler & Michael Fuller

Project Brief

Our brief was to create a premium Property and Financial services brand that is the best in its class, by being cutting edge and offering customised experience, prestige, unrivalled style, value and service to all customers, not just the wealthy.
“Inclusive Exclusivity”.

Project Innovation/Need

We have created a unique brand positioning for this industry, offering a desirable boutique brand with personalized service. This was achieved through:

• Phenomenal presentation consistent with DPN’s branding across all touch points, from office design and gifts to dress code.
• Curating gift items to surprise and delight our customer along their journey with us.
• Innovative home designs to maximise rental yield per square metre, a smarter choice for investors.
• Innovative strategy and research driven approach by means of the Property Investment Plan, free of charge, and
• Wealth for all by bringing positively geared properties to customers and also donating $500 to our partner charities for each property sale.

Design Challenge

There were many challenges in the process such as utilising the skills of a small business to run all projects in-house, including project managing the office design while also running the business.

Pushing the boundaries in every project involved customisation and innovation of processes to get the results, such as:
• PRINT: fusing papers together in the business cards to allow the desired thickness. Getting the same ‘black’ across a number of packaging items.
• SIGNAGE: manually increasing the serifs on fonts to allow the vinyl and brass cut for wall signage
• WEB: customising Drupal for our needs based on our vertical and horizontal grid to allow better spacing control.
• OFFICE: a specialized metal finishing process and custom fabricator for gold fixtures and furnishings to infuse the fit-out with the DPN branding.
• HOME DESIGNS: Investing heavily in architecture and thinking modularly to set the benchmark for more modern and cost effective dual income design (Seconda) and five bedroom home (Allegra).

Effectiveness

Having a design centric approach across every element of the business has created a story and theme that customers are being immersed into, as well as enthusing our staff. Most people are surprised to see our office space and are impressed by our website, appearance, gifts, Property Investment Plan and all stationary and packaging. The DPN CASA home designs are fast becoming a best seller. We are receiving continual feedback from customers, creating brand evangelists, increasing referrals and having competitors trying to mimic our style based on our philosophy of phenomenal presentation in all we do and touch.