When one the most well established real estate companies in Northern Virginia was looking to align its many divisions under a stronger parent brand, it came to Grafik. Van Metre made it our task to unite its various teams, and clearly articulate value across every business unit. In the course of a comprehensive rebranding initiative, we established a new brand architecture, positioning and digital strategy, messaging platform, and visual identity. The powerful brand and go-to-market programs we developed effectively communicate Van Metre’s commitment to its customers, employees, and the communities it serves.
Fundamentally, our efforts focused on showcasing the ecosystem Van Metre had created over the past 60 years. Deeply rooted in Northern Virginia, this family of companies includes new homes, apartments, property management services, commercial real estate development, lending, and considerable philanthropic efforts. We established a framework for richer storytelling—a narrative that built on Van Metre’s proven track record and its longstanding commitment to the region.
Refining the founder’s signature was just one of the many herculean efforts we took on at Grafik. Once the leadership team approved an evolution of the logo that captured the spirit of the late Al Van Metre, the team set about to create a look and feel for the visual identity that included a system of icons and colors unique to the local market. The final brand identity underscores the notion of a family of companies, and ensures each sub-brand stands out within its own industry.
Our branding and digital strategy identified an opportunity to build a multisite solution for Van Metre’s distinct web properties that would decrease the cost and complexity of operating and managing different sites. This includes a new marketing automation platform to improve demand generation, lead nurturing, and lead scoring capabilities across their entire digital presence. First to launch was VanMetreCompanies.com, a new corporate site that provides an overarching view of the enterprise, direct links to the various company sites, and aggregates social media from all the business divisions. VanMetreHomes.com and VanMetreApartments.com quickly followed, where greater functionality around the user journey is driving higher page views and more time on site.
