Maxime Rancon has been redefining what it means to market luxury real estate in Beverly Hills over the past 4 years. At only 29 years old, the founder of the Rancon Company successfully generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales, marketing Beverly Hills Mansions like Hollywood movies in one of the most competitive market in the world. We sat down with him and tried to pick his brain about one of his most recent luxury real estate campaign.
His agency, The Rancon Company, produces stunning campaigns and videos for luxury, real estate and lifestyle brands, he’s the author of Make it Happen Now a book designed to help young entrepreneurs to become better marketers, he also recently co-wrote and produced the movie « Two Witches » that is coming out early 2021, but how did a french kid that nobody knew in town get behind the creative of some of the biggest developments in LA?
Case Study: The Beverly West
After directing the most-viewed luxury real estate video for the $100 Million Opus Mansion in Beverly Hills in 2017, Maxime was appointed creative director by the Beverly West (wholly owned by Emaar Dubai) to rebrand the digital identity of the building and design the marketing campaign that would sell its most decadent units.
To learn more about his work with The Beverly West, Maxime agreed to answer a few short questions in an interview.
How did your experience with luxury brands in France impact the rebrand?
« I started my career as a junior creative director for the French luxury label Courrèges. I learned about the importance of minimalism and precision which gives French luxury labels all their world-class. Less is more. Most of the time anyway. It’s interesting to bring this vision here in the US because not everyone gets it and it’s always a blessing to work with brands and companies who understand the importance of great and tasteful storytelling. Emaar was one of them. So we created together a campaign that would connect not only strategically but emotionally with their potential buyers, using the codes of the most prestigious french luxury brands in our marketing and production strategies to create immersive and cinematic stories that would illustrate the building. »
What results did you see after the change?
« The building was all over the press and everyone in LA knew about it. Forbes and WSJ featured a story causing a wave of interest that rippled in the luxury market. The campaign resulted in the almost immediate sale of two of the penthouses to Richard Lewis and Abel Makkkonen Tesfaye (AKA The Weeknd) for over US $50M. Today the building is considered as a reference for luxury vertical living in Beverly Hills. The thing is that developing a contagious brand is one of the best things you can ask for. As the model standard in the market, everyone wants to join in. It’s the best way to build a brand and generate revenue.
The building continues to receive applications from wealthy buyers. The penthouses are limited, and there’s a strong element of exclusivity. Since many people want one, we now have the responsibility to find the right buyers through a large selection. The perfect buyer is important for the brand. It’s not about money but excellence. When people see that, they trust the brand. And that is the goal we’ve achieved. »
What can you recommend to companies interested in rebranding for a luxury audience?
« Create engaging stories. The best way you can do that today is through motion content (film). Luxury companies should invest heavily in producing valuable video content because that is what converts the most today. It’s engaging and it gets an audience’s attention.
People want videos. The luxury market expects extremely high standards so quality is very important. Your video reflects your brand, which reflects your ultimate experience and product. Don’t be cheap. This represents your company. An advertisement is the first impression a potential prospect will get. It’s the first taste of what you can offer. »
If a brand could only focus on one thing, what should it be?
« Create stories that connect emotionally and strategically with their audience. Video content is the best way to do it. You can communicate a visual experience, which is the best way to represent your brand. When people can almost feel you, enter into your story, they’ll want to learn more about you and take action. Focus on creating a captivating story, and find the right partners to make it come to life. »