Realtor company ReMax has awarded Toronto agency Lowe Roche responsibility for strategy, branding and communications in the Ontario and Atlantic Canada regions following an informal search process.
ReMax Ontario-Atlantic Canada began its hunt for a lead agency last November. David Brown, executive vice-president, promotions and marketing at ReMax, said the company did not put out a request for proposals and instead met with several agencies during what he termed a “clandestine” review.
Brown said that although ReMax had considered finding two separate agencies to handle traditional marketing and digital duties, Lowe Roche was able to demonstrate its ability to take on both files.
“We realized how integral they are to each other,” Brown said of the blurring between digital and traditional marketing. “Social media is now a filter for all of our communications and [Lowe Roche] did an excellent job on that front. They showed us a lot of proactive applications with social media to enhance our brand.
“You can’t be saying one thing on Facebook or to the Twitter nation and another thing on TV. It’s not congruent.”
Brown said ReMax had been without a lead agency for the Ontario and Atlantic regions since working with Capital C about two years ago. The company had been partnering with web development firm Infusion – which will continue to handle development work.
Monica Ruffo, CEO of Lowe Roche, said online and social media is especially critical in the realtor category.
“People are spending a lot of time online researching, and online has become a very important tool [for homebuyers],” said Ruffo. “Having not only a presence, but a differentiated and strategic presence in digital and social is how you win the game going forward.”
Ruffo said her agency was currently analyzing marketing assets from the U.S. to determine whether they can be adapted for Ontario and Atlantic Canada. She said new work would likely appear in market in the next month.
