PropertyGuru Group unveils brand refresh after one decade

PropertyGuru Group has unveiled a brand refresh after a decade, in a bid to transition from regional property media powerhouse to a “high-growth technology company”.  This includes a new brand identity and logo, as well as a brand campaign.Speaking to Marketing on the rebrand, PropertyGuru group CMO, Bjorn Sprengers, said when the company was launched in 2007, its vision was to simplify the property search process and help renters, buyers, sellers and investors make confident property decisions – faster.“Back then, the biggest consumer pain-point was the lack of information. So the focus of the business was to bring property search online; to make the market transparent,” Sprengers explained.As such, the identity that fit with that business focus was one which expressed simplicity. However, today, the brand personality needed to be given a bit more playfulness as more customers are being accustomed to online property.“People’s expectations of exceptional user experience have been shaped in recent years by great technology brands. We felt that it was time for the property industry to catch up,” Sprengers added.To conceptualise the new brand identity, the group worked with its long-time creative partner – Brilliant Agency.  Sprengers added that the company would be working with its agency partners and internal stakeholders to roll out the new brand identity. Meanwhile, upcoming campaigns, both above the line and below the line, are currently in the pipeline.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6lZbr0jtus&feature=youtu.beMade up of two distinct and interconnected roofs, the new logo is illustrated by interlocking red lines. While the red line is a representation of people’s life journeys, the two roofs signify the different stages people go through in a lifetime and the importance of home at each stage.The interconnection between the two roofs also represents how PropertyGuru aim to support property seekers every step of the way. Meanwhile, the four peaks within the logo are also a subtle nod to the group’s four primary markets in Asia – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. This will be implemented across these markets throughout the year.“Always pointing forward and rising, the new logo conveys a positive, confident, leadership positioning that not only speaks to PropertyGuru as a company but also the rise of Asia on the world stage,” the statement read. It also aims to be fresh, simple, on category, contemporary and credible – like a trusted advisor that helps people make confident property decisions.Along with the new brand identity, the refresh also extends to revamped websites and mobile apps. These leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enable a more personalised and intuitive property search experience. The website also contain machine learning algorithms, which have been trained to recognise behavioural cues to determine the kind of properties a user is looking for and the content they are likely to be interested in.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VL-m8X4HFk&feature=youtu.beTo promote the new identity, the brand has launched a new campaign called “Look Forward To Home” which looks to embody the aspiration of all property seekers in Asia – that of finding and owning their very own home.This saw the company also partnering with billionBricks, a non-profit design studio focused on solving homelessness in Asia.  This is to help lift the communities in markets which the group operates in.“We’re mindful, though, that there are many less privileged in the region that need shelter for their families. That’s why we’ve been working with billionBricks and raising money to provide ‘weatherHydes’ – extreme weather tents – to the homeless across Asia,” Sprengers added.