Step and Repeats and Real Estate

Why Step and Repeat Banners are a Worthwhile Investment for Real Estate Agents and Brokerages
by Dan Ramos

Marketing is, without a doubt, a form of selling. Sound marketing principles have actually changed little over the decades, although media channels and exciting opportunities continue to evolve. Name recognition and image-building are at the heart of all successful marketing efforts. The goal is to get the biggest possible bang for the buck, and one way to do that it to rely on others to do some of the work. Step and Repeat Banners can spread the load.

Marketing 101

Creating a “landscape” to display a company logo or an organization’s name is the first step. Establishing brand recognition dictates the use of a singular logo or “brand” for signage, packaging, business cards and flyers, in advertising, on the company website and social media. Magnetic vehicle signs and site signs act in the same manner, and have similar effect.

All these marketing efforts are designed to establish an ongoing familiarity, much like the brand recognition earned on a For Sale sign in front of a property listed for sale. Not only does it look professional, and speak of solidity. It works. There is a way, however, to “broadcast” that familiarity in effective ways to a larger audience.

Step and Repeat Banners

They’re everywhere. The name may be unfamiliar, but it was coined by photographers at public events. VIPs or celebrities step in front of a specific backdrop, smile for the camera and move on. The process is repeated as many times as necessary.

In marketing, however, similar banners are used to expand influence in ways that go beyond the control of an individual or a single company. It’s an inspired and subtle way to expand a scope of influence without paying a fee for every use.

Think of every sporting event, corporate ribbon-cutting, charity run, gala opening and “red carpet” event; the banners in the background appear in celebrity photographs, “selfies,” television news reports and magazine articles, and they exist forever in the digital archives. Banners and backdrops are always a part of the scene, but they often simply fade into the background. They do, though, get the message across. Logos and business names, event images and recognizable scenes live on. The effect is enormous.

One such example of the prolific nature of “loud” graphic display comes from the mind of Kris Lindahl, a top-producing Minneapolis real estate professional, who rented billboard space near the Philadelphia Eagles’ home stadium to advocate for his own Minnesota Vikings just before both teams squared off. When asked how it was expected to help his business, Lindahl was quoted as saying, “Minnesota fans all got behind us. That billboard represented all of us. All the fans. The whole state. People are still talking about it more than a month later in coffee shops, their offices and whatnot.”

That’s the value of a Step and Repeat Banner. For a single fee, and with the foresight and ingenuity to hang such a banner at public events whenever possible, real estate firms and individual agents can boost their name recognition and expand their marketing efforts in multiple ways.

Various Types of Banners

Banners can be freestanding, hang on the wall or from the ceiling, or form the backdrop for a specific “photo op” station. Charity events sometimes create a single banner (much like a giveaway t-shirt) with the names and logos of all sponsors. In such cases, all participants share in the ongoing benefits. Is the fee worth it? You bet it is, almost always.

There are also some similar types of backdrops that might be pertinent: Media Walls and Logo Walls have similar effect, but varying applications.

Hang a banner at a community event to distinguish your booth or display table, along the barricades during a charity run, or on the wall at a school bazaar or job fair. Consider the graphic quality of any banner; the best are simple, durable and adaptable to many different situations.

Think about the big picture: Repeated names, images and logos build recognition. Familiarity builds trust. It’s a subtle effect, but it’s a proven marketing concept. In terms of public perception, a well-known name is not only more successful, but more believable as well.