If you have a strong identity, you are well equipped for innovation

A good identity can last for decades - it can even become stronger over time. When the market is in turmoil, a strong identity can be the backbone you need to get by. When an identity works for you, it is also easier to develop new services and concepts that will again contribute positively to the brand.

To commemorate Mission's 15th anniversary, we have had a chat with Director of Business Development and Communication at Krogsveen, Karsten Onsrud (see image at further down). Mission developed the identity for Krogsveen 14 years ago, back in 2002. Today, in 2016, Krogsveen's identity appears to be largely unchanged from that time. But, as we will hear later, they don't laze about when it comes to innovation.

Mission:
From outside, Krogsveen appears to be an estate agent with a distinct identity and is the only chain of estate agents wearing a costume of a green trademark. The logo, colour and identity are, by and large, identical to what was developed 15 years ago. Has this been a conscious choice for Krogsveen?

Karsten Onsrud:
Yes, it has been. We know from our own surveys that Krogsveen is a well-known brand in our target group. Even when Fokus Bank (ed. now Danske Bank) bought Krogsveen in 2005, it was clear to us that we did not want to make any major changes to the brand.

M: Which perceived strength has this long-term investment given you with regard to knowledge and positioning in the market?

KO: Krogsveen has been in the Norwegian market since 1975 and so it is one of Norway's oldest estate agents. It takes time to build a strong brand and since we know from surveys that customers trust the brand, there is no reason to lower the bar. Knowing that the brand is established means that we can free up internal resources to develop products and customer concepts and become more clever in other areas.

"It is obvious that having a clear and recognisable brand over time inspires the customer's confidence. It makes Krogsveen appear safe, reliable and more of a specialist."
-Karsten Onsrud, Director of Business Development and Communication at Krogsveen

M: We know from experience that the longer the lifespan of an identity, the greater the chances are that the brand will achieve a prominent place in its market. An identity that is recognised over time often gives a feeling of assurance in encounters with the target group, which you can play on in communication and customer concepts. Do you recognise this scenario at Krogsveen?

KO: Yes, it is incredibly important. Krogsveen scores very highly in customer surveys and we score highest in "top of mind" industry surveys carried out by Opinion. It is obvious that having a clear and recognisable brand over time inspires the customer's confidence. It makes Krogsveen appear safe, reliable and more of a specialist. The job of branding isn't a one-off that will last for eternity; it requires a constant focus of developing the brand and it's services.

M: Can you give examples of brands that you are enthusiastic about or that you admire?

KO: Like many others, I would choose Apple, because they have managed to focus on simplicity in everything from communication to product development and store concept. This is something I think we could learn from. Just beat into second place is Mercedes Benz with roots back to 1885. They are the car manufacturer that always launches innovations in the industry first. This is inspiring and shows that, even if you have a strong brand, you need to focus at the same time on developing yourself and inspiring customers with innovations.

M: At Krogsveen, you have also been preoccupied with new thinking and can, among other things, show off the company search register, electronic offers and your own app for putting in offers. How have you managed to balance whilst maintaining the brand position?

KO: We have always been preoccupied with having a good toolbox. It is about finding good solutions for the customer. Take, for example, Krogsveen's unique Quick Valuation .Here, you can easily have your home valued without having an estate agent out for an inspection. We also recently launched Property Buyer's Services In our industry, you need to be always asking yourself what the customer wants and delivering more all the time.

M: Although you have largely maintained Krogsveen's identity, there has also been some fine tuning along the way, hasn't there?

KO: Yes, that's true. We felt it was necessary to change the green a bit just so that it would appear green and not yellowish-green on some surfaces. We know from our customers that they still think our identity stands out in a positive way, in adverts, prospectuses and in digital media. We've focused on building a strong brand, and have succeeded in doing so.

M: What does your work on strengthening the brand identity in-house involve? Is there a difference in how the identity is perceived by new employees and those who have been working at Krogsveen for a long time?

KO: When we employ new estate agents, they already know us as we are: the "green" estate agent. We tell them the good stories about the brand and show them what we mean by giving "a bit more", which is our pay-off. Discussions on identity and branding do not arise because everyone sees the advantage of staying true to the brand. I am also convinced that all employees at Krogsveen feel that we have a solid brand that benefits the customer and therefor makes the job as an estate agent easier.

M: What would you highlight as Krogsveen's distinctive character, the one thing that distinguishes you from everyone else in the market?

KO: The pay-off: Delivering "a bit more" ("Litt mer" in Norwegian) has been with us since 1975 and is still a guide to how we think and work with our customers. Krogsveen was a start-up company to begin with and, because of this, it is a prerequisite that we never take any customer for granted. We know from surveys that 97% of our customers say that they are satisfied with us. This is a figure we can be proud of but that, at the same time, requires us to exert ourselves a bit more all the time.

M: When you look back over the past 15 years? What has been most exciting?

KO: It is always incredibly exciting working on positioning, finding what makes us unique and getting this across in our communication – all the way into our customer's consciousness.

M: When were you most proud of Krogsveen?

KO: It is the people who make me by far the most proud of working at Krogsveen. It is the estate agents in our offices that build our brand.

M: Anything that has been challenging?

KO: We work in a demanding industry and there are many companies fighting over the same customers. Even though we have an large amount of satisfied customers, it is always a challenge satisfying customers - and it should always be. At Krogsveen, we always strive "to walk the extra mile" for each and one of our customers.

M: What will be the next new thing in the industry?

KO: Today, the majority of innovations are in digitalisation and Krogsveen needs to be in the lead here. We were the first to start with an app for submitting offers and we are working with the newest marketing tools so that our customers can rest assured that selling through Krogsveen is not just safe but also know that we reach more potential purchasers than our competitors.

M: Is there anything else you would like to emphasise as we near the end?

KO: It is the employees that make Krogsveen. It is in their contact with customers that the Krogsveen brand is developed and tested. It is in their dialogue with customers that we find and learn what works and how we can develop ourselves. In order to honour our many skilled employees, we created a funny video clip a couple of years ago where employees dressed in our green colour were filmed while positioning themselves in such a way as to make our logo .

About Krogsveen

Eiendomsmegler Krogsveen AS was established in Bærum by entrepreneur and estate agent Gunnar Krogsveen in 1975 and is today owned by Danske Bank. Ever since starting up, Krogsveen has specialised in real estate business and, today, has thoroughly tested systems for the entire sales process. Krogsveen's vision is to be the natural first choice by giving unique experiences.

Krogsveen has 49 estate agent offices with an emphasis on Østlandet, Stavanger, Bergen and Ålesund, and around 330 staff. It has a market share of between 10% and 30% in Krogsveen's catchment area. In 2015, the company sold 8,600 homes and had a turnover of NOK 517 millions.