Doorify MLS
OUR CHALLENGE.
New strategic goals require change and evolution. A regional MLS had outgrown its roots. Its name and positioning were holding them back. Triangle MLS serves stakeholders well beyond the Raleigh, NC. And something important was taking shape. The organization believes that integral to its mission, doors to homeownership are made for opening. Serving MLS participants is only one half of its value. Launching a customer-first strategy to include consumers and communities cemented a stronger value proposition.
OUR SOLUTION.
Triangle MLS’ mission to advance equity, support community, and deliver excellence sounded promising. But the organization lacked the spark, the ignition to telegraph that mission to its participants and to consumers. That’s where Agency McKenna jumped in. With a little branding magic, the future is looking wide open.
WE START WITH STRATEGY.
Why should Triangle MLS rebrand? Three reasons. One, continued member growth far from Raleigh, Triangle MLS faced an obstacle connecting with broader constituents. Two, with a focus on trust, transparency and choice, the old name had less relevance to its newer customers and the future of real estate. Three, current name and strategy lacked awareness and no footing with external, direct-to-consumer marketing. In short, they had a good WHY within their mission. But they didn’t have the right HOW or a solid GTM strategy to win.
BENCHMARK BEST-IN-CLASS TO BE BETTER.
We interviewed top MLSs across the country. Met with their marketing teams. Shared what they’re using for subscriber engagement. But a burning set of questions remained. How is the value of the MLS and subscriber data transcended to consumers? To clients, buyers, sellers—to renters even? What we found was the white space that needed filling. That gap analysis was invaluable. And became the bedrock for the Big Idea. Serving MLS core services but with a twist to include consumers. Combining the two, would make for a better MLS.
BRAND NAMING IS PIVOTAL TO BRAND BUILDING.
Brand naming can create good feelings, neutral feelings or worse no feelings. The latter two are never good. Every home has a door. And we believe doors are for opening. After months of concepting names, presenting possibilities, gathering feedback, doing deep searches including the USPTO, a brand name emerged as the winner. Doorify MLS. Encapsulating the essence of the brand, telegraphing value internally to MLS participants and externally to the public. What’s really exciting is Doorify becomes a verb supporting the mission of opening more doors to more homeowners.
PROTECTING THE BRAND.
As a name, Doorify MLS is believable, unique, memorable, and proprietary. What we call having B.U.M.P. The name communicates property and technology and feels like a proptech company. Opening doors is where homeownership starts. The suffix “ify” implies action. Think of big brands like Spotify, Shopify, etc. It’s short, easy to spell. But most importantly, the name positions the organization for growth. As a best practice, we advised hiring an IP attorney, conducting a trademark search, and applying for a federal registration. It’s only from there, an organization can truly own its brand.
“On the next project we did together, the renaming of the company, my whole team saw what happens when the near-magical combination of that depth of experience and genuinely creative minds. Agency McKenna’s results were thoroughly new, yet somehow still iconic, bold but grounded; and smart.”
YOUR BRAND PROMISE IS EVERYTHING.
Connecting People with Property is unlike anything TMLS had before. What used to be a B2B-focused organization, now also builds B2C relationships with consumers. And complements the efforts of brokerages, agents and other real estate professionals. Doorify MLS is THE source of real-time, accurate, trusted data. What’s more, the tagline telegraphs a message beyond the data source to create more value for consumers, clients and communities. Future consumer-driven content and the highest data standards for real estate professionals, Doorify MLS delivers on its promise.
BRAND IDENTITY DEFINES WHO YOU ARE.
For dozens of real estate clients, Agency McKenna developed a new brand identity to tell a compelling story. We believe brand identities drive markets. The berry color and teal are the first things to hit you. Presenting a friendly, innovative color palette. The name leads into a silhouette of a door and on the other side, the MLS providing accurate, trusted real estate data. Lowercase doorify makes the organization more accessible and approachable. Once more, the berry color signifies both residents and community. Teal color represents data and trust.
REVEALING THE NEW BRAND.
Agency McKenna created a fun Brand Launch Video that introduces the pillars of what Doorify MLS stands for and what MLS participants and consumers can expect. Turn on your sound for the full experience.
BRAND LAUNCH WITH STAFF.
One of the best ways to launch a new brand is from the inside-out. We developed an immersive experience for frontline MLS staff and leaders. SWAG, teaser videos, an internal launch event catalyzed leaders into brand ambassadors. This demonstrated that Doorify MLS is tech-forward, intentional and with it.
BRAND LAUNCH WITH CONSUMERS.
Doorify MLS needed to position itself in a relatable way and spoke to the heart of consumers. Why is a home so important? Through heart-warming messaging and imagery, Agency McKenna developed social media campaign, content stories, and email marketing that shared this message. Our goal is to build relationships and make the marketing approachable and engaging.
CONSISTENCY IS CRITICAL IN ALL TOUCHPOINTS.
A branded experience contains many touchpoints. Doorify MLS needed to create consistency across all platforms. The Doorify website, social media, events and promotions. Consistency and frequency help drive trust in the brand for real estate professionals and consumers alike. Higher awareness, increased lead generation and more consumers connecting with properties and professionals are critical success factors.
STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUBSCRIBERS.
It’s important that professionals have a deeper relationship with Doorify MLS. Going beyond just names and faces. Agency McKenna created the “Get to Know the Board” campaign to humanize the Board of Directors and bridge the gap between subscribers and the brand.
CONNECTING WITH CONSUMERS.
Agency McKenna is connecting to hearts and minds. We developed consumer-led stories that reveal what access to homeownership and housing security means to residents and communities. Through a robust digital communications and creative development, Agency McKenna is helping to tell these stories.
Agency McKenna led the entire process of our rebranding including legal trademark and some other aspects of the rebrand we may not have fully considered, back to their DoK (domain of knowledge). The result is more consumer-friendly, immediately recognizable as such, and connects squarely with our brand objectives regarding homebuyers and sellers.”