The Ontario Broker - August 2019 - 46

BROKERS TRUST MODERNIZES THEIR BRAND
WITH STEFANIA ZAVAGLIA, CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER, BROKERS TRUST

W

e've been watching Ontario
brokerages rebrand
themselves online including
Brokers Trust, a family
business in operation since 1963 who recently
announced their new brand, new logo and
revamped website.
Stefania Zavaglia, Brokers Trust's Marketing
Manager, says it was a long awaited and
much anticipated process, but one that was
highly rewarding. "The past few years we've
been discussing the possibility and exploring
options. Our original logo was created by one
of our founding shareholders, so it was difficult
to accept this change. But we knew a rebrand
was crucial if we wanted to enhance our digital
presence and take the company to the next level."
Brokers Trust isn't alone in that sentiment. It
can be heard repeatedly throughout Ontario's
broker channel as management teams change
and consumer preferences evolve. A common
theme we hear is a lack of resources and the
time to dedicate to the initiative, so we asked
Stefania about their journey in hopes of sharing
important lessons learned along the way.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO
REBRAND?

We acquired Applied Systems in 2015 and
began to enhance our digital platforms. We
also began to put in place new workflows like
automated emails. Once we got going digitally,
we knew we had to follow suit on branding-
there was a disconnect between the two. We
didn't want to promote new offerings and fall
short on company branding.

AUGUST 2019

46

WHAT STEPS WERE INVOLVED IN THE
PROCESS?

Step 1: Find a marketing agency. We found ours
through a referral from our Principal Broker. They
came highly recommended. We met with the agency on
multiple occasions to discuss the rebranding process and
gain a better understanding of what was involved. They
put together a proposal for us, presented it to our team
and off we went.
Step 2: Host the team to a full-day branding
exercise off-site (we did Executive/Management but
depending on size, the whole team could work). This
is where we formed our brand strategy, vision, mission
and objectives, and identified our target audience-
essentially the foundation of the entire rebrand. It was
the most crucial part of the process.
Step 3: Reviewing logo variations and final logo
approval. This was the most difficult in terms of buy-in.
Once this step is done, the rest flows easily.
Step 4: Creating and developing the website. This was
the most time-consuming part and continues to be an
ongoing project. We wanted to create that personal touch
to connect with our brand essence-headshots and bios,
staff photos, shareholder timeline, etc.
Step 5: Launching your website and announcing your
rebrand in a public release. Something to celebrate!
Step 6: Living and breathing your new brand. In
theory it should be easy because what you stand for is
fresh in your mind. But if your brand is aspirational, you
need to live up to the standards you've set for yourself.

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The Ontario Broker - August 2019

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