Rentinc

The Parklane Group are major players in the Leeds property lettings sector, and have been since establishing Parklane Properties in the early 1970s. However, the lettings marketplace is extremely crowded, with several other significant agents in Leeds competing in the same space. Parklane Properties is a much larger concern than its sister company Rentinc, who offer around 250 lets concentrated in the Headingley, Hyde Park and Burley areas. We were commissioned to reposition Rentinc, to strengthen the brand proposition and create a point of differentiation from its many competitors to give people in the market for rented accommodation a valid reason to choose Rentinc over the competition. We had to work with the existing brand mark, but beyond that, our remit was a complete reimagining.

Being from the wrong side of the Pennines, our first task was to immerse and familiarise ourselves with the Leeds property market, no small task. After extensive investigation we identified an opportunity that wasn’t currently being exploited. What was apparent, the vast majority of agents in the sector were generalists, that is to say, they offered professional and student lets, commercial properties and sales. When we looked at the geographical area of the city Rentinc properties were prevalent in, it helped to cement our thinking. We repositioned Rentinc as experts, concentrating purely on the student market, this would differentiate them from the many and give students a reason to choose Rentinc. The new positioning enabled us to adopt an ‘edgy’ tone of voice, a distinctive illustrative style and create a more youthful brand personality, all attributes that set Rentinc apart from the direct competition. We produced a strapline that identified Rentinc as a specialist and hinted at a new tone of voice.

Once the new positioning was agreed we set about creating a visual look and feel that was going to have standout, we wanted a illustrative and typographic style that was both distinctive and playful. We illustrated a number of different student personas, as well as student landmarks within the immediate area and city-wide. These versatile and memorable elements, when combined, enabled us to create interesting and varied landscapes.

To differentiate further, as the vast majority of competitors were very ‘corporate’, we developed an edgy tone of voice that would resonate more succinctly with the student community. We also used provocative headlines for campaign work and promotional materials. The tone of voice filtered through to the website to provide some personality and give a distinctive tone.

In order to ensure the brand was consistently applied, by all associated partners and agencies across all media and channels, we produced a Brand Book that detailed, established and presented the various components of the brand, demonstrating how all assets should be deployed and managed. Additional sections tackled facets of the brand, such as personality, iconography and typography.

With the Rentinc brand repositioned and reinvigorated, we worked with the Rentinc in-house marketing team to manage the implementation across a range of media, ensuring a consistent and cohesive outcome.