MADISON, N.J. (March 18, 2019) – Today, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC announced a new vision for its global brand and kicked off “Project North Star,” a transparent rebrand. The brand revealed a new logo onstage at the Generation Blue Experience® in Las Vegas.
The most striking addition to the logo is the star in the top right corner. The CB North Star symbolizes the brand’s position in real estate as a consistent, reliable presence guiding us all home. The new CB North Star mark is a visual representation of the brand’s commitment to excellence. It is clean and simple, yet elegant. It is modern, but still pays homage to the brand’s storied 113-year history. The North Star also symbolizes the Coldwell Banker® network. Even in a new real estate landscape, agents remain a constant, guiding consumers as they navigate the home buying and selling process.
A transparent rebrand is a bold approach. This undertaking is the brand’s commitment to ingenuity in action, in this case doing things differently for the right reasons. The brand will test the new logo in real-world scenarios providing an opportunity to collect feedback. Based on the results and data collected, the brand will modify and refine materials including marketing collateral, building signs and yard signs to create a final product that represents the brand and meets the needs of the network. In keeping with the transparent process, the brand will release updates periodically on its social channels. The brand believes that this phased approach will best serve its brokers and agents, because it allows them time to plan for the transition that will begin in January 2020, while also giving them a voice in the process.
Alongside the logo, the brand also announced a new mission statement, “We empower our people to leave their mark on the world of real estate,” and recommitted to its core values – home, awesomeness, ingenuity and excellence. In initial research, agents across many brands had an overwhelmingly positive response to the new mission statement and core values. The mission statement had an 80 percent approval rating, each core value scored between an 86 percent and a 97 percent.1 In initial testing consumers, said the new logo represents an “innovative” brand 80 percent more often than the existing logo.2
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“We wanted every single one of our agents to be on this journey with us, so we decided to take the unconventional – but crucial – step of making this a transparent rebrand,” said Charlie Young, chief executive officer and president, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Agents and brokers deserve to understand the upcoming changes; and to leverage those changes in the way that makes the most sense for their business. With something as far-reaching as a rebrand, we know that the right thing to do is give our network as much notice as possible and include them in the process. That’s why we’ve designed this with an open, transparent structure. This rebrand is also more than just a new logo, we’re recommitting to our mission and remaining laser focused on our future and our growth.”
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“This rebrand isn’t about change just for the sake of change. We wanted a logo that truly captured the essence and power of our network. That’s why we chose the CB North Star,” said David Marine, chief marketing officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “As a brand, we envision our agents and brokers as our guides, as our North Star. That’s why we’re making this a transparent rebrand, so they can be involved in the process.”
Project North Star is being supported by Coldwell Banker’s longtime advertising and design agency, Siltanen & Partners.
If you want to be a part of Coldwell Banker Project North Star, visit https://www.coldwellbanker.com/careers and explore how the Coldwell Banker brand can be the North Star to guide your career.
About Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
Powered by its network of over 92,000 affiliated sales professionals in 3,000 offices across 44 countries and territories, the Coldwell Banker® organization is a leading provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate brokerage services. The brand’s mission is to empower their people to leave their mark on the world of real estate. The Coldwell Banker brand prides itself on its history of expertise and honesty since its beginnings in 1906. The brand embraces four core values: home, awesomeness, ingenuity and excellence. Coldwell Banker Real Estate is committed to providing its network of sales professionals with the tools and insights needed to excel in today’s marketplace and is known for its bold leadership and dedication to driving the industry forward with big data and smart home expertise. Coldwell Banker Real Estate was the first real estate brand to harness the power of big data; the CBx Technology Suite uses predictive analytics and machine learning to analyze markets, target buyers and sellers and provide agents with a simple platform to create unique and effective marketing plans for each listing. The brand was named among the 2018 and 2019 Women’s Choice Award® Most Recommended brands for customer experience and overall quality. Blue is bold and the integrity and values of Coldwell Banker Real Estate give the Gen Blue® network an unbeatable edge. Coldwell Banker®, the Coldwell Banker logo, Gen Blue® and the Gen Blue Experience® are registered services marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. To join Coldwell Banker Real Estate and unlock the possibilities of Gen Blue, please visit www.coldwellbanker.com/join.
1. Survey conducted by Quester between 12/7/18-12/21/18 among a sample of 1,605 agents across multiple brands. Respondents must be a U.S. licensed real estate agent or broker working primarily in residential real estate, ages 21-75.
2. Survey conducted by Zappi on 2/19/19 among a nationally representative sample of consumers, ages 25-75.
