Client
CREW Network
Expertise
Association Rebrand
Brand Guidelines
Brand Identity
Brand Messaging
Brand Strategy
Campaign Implementation
Campaign Strategy
Content Strategy
Copywriting
Paid Media Strategy
Recognition
2020 Communicator Awards: Award of Distinction, Integrated Campaign (Branding)
2020 Communicator Awards: Award of Distinction, Integrated Campaign (B2B)
Shifting the Perception of Women in Commercial Real Estate
Challenge
CREW Network, founded in 1989, works to advance women in commercial real estate by connecting professionals across the industry to create business and career success. After 30 years, CREW Network needed a brand identity that reflected the vibrancy, sophistication, and impact of its 11,000+ members and 77 global chapters.
CREW Network partnered with Beyond Definition to rebrand the association,develop a marketing strategy and campaign to roll out the launch of its new brand to the industry and its members. Together, CREW Network and Beyond Definition developed a plan for finding brand clarity, reshaping public perception, and amplifying the brand values that make the association unique.
Outcome
The refreshed brand identity reflects the vibrancy, inspiration, and energy of CREW Network. Members were excited about the new brand, rallying behind it and adopting it at the chapter level. And through the rebrand and launch, CREW Network has started to shift the industry’s perception and strengthened its positioning as a global association that’s advancing the commercial real estate industry of tomorrow with today’s most talented and connected business professionals.
The association’s brand launch campaign raised awareness across placements and is proud to report a high brand adoption rate among its local chapters:
4.6 Mil.
reader reach with the New York Times
65.92%
campaign landing page views from paid media
7.77%
average search CTR
67%
of Bisnow’s real estate industry professionals reached
286K+
impressions across Connect Media’s placements
79%
chapter adoption rate in first six months
“Today we unveil a new CREW Network logo, this visual identity will establish our brand as a bold and forward-thinking organization leading women and the industry into a new day of diversity, inclusion, and equity in real estate. This new look is powerful, it represents the bold organization we are. It’s modern, polished and sophisticated. It’s business and prominence rolled into one. This logo will stand out as our intentional commitment to transform the real estate industry — serving to lift girls and women into the highest levels of leadership. We are ready to soar.”
Phase 1Diagnostics & Delivery
Beyond Definition kicked off the rebranding process with an in-depth research and discovery process, including a brand workshop and interviews with key stakeholders to gain an understanding of its current brand perception and opportunities for improvement.
Brand Values
Success
Leadership
Connection
Equity
Brand Persona
Leading
Empowering
Elevating
Engaging
Vibrant
Modern
Proud
Welcoming
Phase 2Brand Development
Our team extracted the key attributes of success, leadership, vibrancy, equity, and connections — all at the core of the CREW Network brand. From the discovery process, our team distilled the CREW Network brand into a refreshed brand framework, covering everything from its mission, vision, and brand positioning, to its new tone of voice and brand persona. This framework outlines messaging guidelines and writing samples to provide the CREW Network team with parameters to work within for all new content development while also serving as the foundation to begin the creative process and visually bring the new brand identity to life.
Old Logo
New Logo
Phase 3Brand Implementation & Creative Execution
The final brand identity is captured through an iconic gold logo: a bold arrow mark locked-up next to the logotype. This represents forward-moving propulsion, symbolic of the transformative and unique paths of each CREW Network member. The new brand identity mirrors the association’s best-in-class, proud, welcoming, and sophisticated persona.
CREW Network’s brand identity allows for unique identities for each of its 77 global chapters, allowing for their own personality, naming conventions, and pride to shine through. The identity created excitement throughout the Network, essential because the chapters exercise control over their own identities.
Phase 4Marketing Strategy & Launch Campaign
While the new brand was being finalized, our team developed a marketing roadmap to provide strategic recommendations for CREW Network to roll out its new brand to target audiences. This strategy included an integrated launch campaign that put CREW Network’s stake in the ground as being a global business organization that is working to create change in the industry.
Beyond Definition led the strategy, messaging, creative execution, and implementation of the “We Build This” campaign, advertising the new brand to prospective members and external stakeholders alike. The integrated campaign was launched across print and digital channels, and featured placements within the New York Times, industry trade publications, and targeted audiences through social media, display, and search networks.
