Taylor Johnson & Olesker

Taylor Johnson and Olesker (TJO) has 30 years of helping real estate companies succeed in the Chicago market. Their media savvy and brand building skills have made them one of premier PR agencies in the region, and this year they took on not only a new partner, but a new identity. Torque was engaged to redefine their business brand, logo, emarketing and web site and sales tools – all in light of what they do best, giving brands a voice.

In working closely with them, we determined the key contribution they’ve made to some of Chicago’s biggest builders, realtors, property brokers was expression and a voice in the marketplace. To reinforce this we crafted a warm logo of quotation marks. This logo has become a icon for being heard, and is used throughout the marketing materials to frame 1st person testimonials told about TJO’s success, words of wisdom expressed about PR and marketplace insights. Video on the web site and in sales presentations also plays a big role in giving voice to the TJO brand.

The overall sales system, web site and identity have just been unveiled and have been well received. An elegant launch party more formally ushered in the new era for TJO and we are seeing success already.

For more about Toruqe, visit www.torquelaunch.com

The Housing Industry Makes a Stand at IBS 2008

It is no longer news that the housing industry is embattled, and that the effects are rippling through adjacent industries (Wickes Furniture Co., a venerable regional manufacturer, cites the housing slump as a key cause of furniture sales slowdown that forced last week’s Ch. 11 announcement).

This week, the International Builder Show (IBS) returns to Orlando, FL. As always, Torque will be in attendance, and we will be looking for innovative industry trends. This is a time to sharpen tools and rethink strategies. We will be reporting on what we see, and expect to find the following, many of which may seem counter-intuitive:

• Increased marketing budgets


• Increased branding, with decreased emphasis on sales


• Creative partnerships, joint offerings and sponsorships, including industry associations and chambers of commerce


• Increase in value-added services to differentiate against product-focused offerings


• Increased emphasis on return on marketing investment, not just awareness or media placement

Perhaps the Daytona 500 will help to fuel inspirations for the week.
If you’re headed to that part of the country this week, I hope to see you there!

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