Every business owner faces challenges. We wear many hats and make countless decisions each day.
Depending on where you are in your business lifecycle—startup, mature business, or relaunch—you may be facing familiar obstacles: hiring the right people, increasing sales, making payroll, implementing technology, or delivering exceptional customer service.
For AdobeStar Properties, the challenge was a business relaunch 15 years in the making.
We had grown from two small bed and breakfasts into a collection of vacation rentals with very little branding and no real marketing strategy. By 2016, AdobeStar Properties was operating largely in status quo mode.
New Investors, New Expectations
In 2016, AdobeStar Properties relaunched with new owners, new investors, and high expectations.
We added a flagship luxury property in the heart of downtown Santa Fe and acquired additional properties as part of a five-year growth plan.
As a co-founder of AdobeStar Properties, I had helped start the company in 2006 before leaving. I was asked to return as General Manager to help guide the business through its next phase of growth.
Along with operational, staffing, technology, and management challenges, I knew our success would ultimately depend on how we presented ourselves to a new market of luxury travelers looking for something more distinctive than a traditional hotel experience.
Bringing in Outside Expertise
Even with my industry experience, I knew I was in over my head.
I had followed the career of my college friend Andy Brenits for years and knew his company, Brenits Creative, would be a valuable partner.
After hearing about the project, Andy immediately understood the opportunity.
“This is right up my alley,” he said. “But before we design anything, I need to understand the business.”
That meant traveling to Santa Fe, touring the properties, meeting the staff, and experiencing everything firsthand.
At the time, I thought I needed a logo, some marketing materials, and a fresh look.
What I got was a completely different perspective.
Looking Beyond the Logo
Andy challenged us to stop thinking about vacation rentals as a commodity.
Instead, he encouraged us to think about the complete guest experience:
- How prospective guests discover us
- Their first interaction with the company
- Their arrival experience
- Their stay
- Their departure
- Their lasting impression after they leave
What seemed like a branding project quickly became a deeper conversation about who we were, what we stood for, and the experience we wanted to create.
The Questions That Changed Everything
During his visit, Andy asked a series of questions that weren’t always easy to answer:
- Who is AdobeStar Properties?
- What are you trying to say to customers?
- Who is your ideal customer?
- What do they want?
- Does your current brand reflect the experience you’re promising?
Those conversations forced us to think differently about the business.
What began as a creative project became an exercise in clarity, positioning, and strategic direction.
Rebuilding the Brand
Over the next three months, we focused almost entirely on defining and rebuilding the AdobeStar Properties brand.
With multiple investors involved, there were plenty of opinions and revisions along the way. Through it all, Brenits Creative remained a steady guide.
The result included:
- A refined visual identity
- New colors and design standards
- A stronger sense of place and personality
- The tagline: “Downtown Luxury. Santa Fe Style.”
More importantly, we gained a clear understanding of who we were and how we wanted guests to experience our brand.
Creating Consistency Across the Business
The work didn’t stop after the relaunch.
Over the following year, we continued working with Brenits Creative on a monthly basis, refining how the brand was applied across the business.
Together, we developed marketing materials, PR collateral, brand standards, and guest-facing communications that reinforced a consistent experience.
I also gained a much deeper understanding of branding and marketing than I had before.
One lesson has stayed with me ever since:
“If you don’t protect your brand, you’ll end up confusing your customer.”
Confusion creates hesitation. Hesitation creates inaction.
Consistency creates trust.
The Results
Three years after beginning our brand transformation, AdobeStar Properties earned second place in the Santa Fe Reporter’s “Best of Lodging” awards.
We finished ahead of several well-known luxury hotels and established hospitality brands throughout Santa Fe.
While our marketing campaigns certainly helped attract attention, none of those efforts would have succeeded without the strategic foundation we built together.
Looking back, the branding work was about much more than logos or marketing materials.
It helped us clarify who we were, create a better guest experience, align our team, and build a stronger business.
And for me personally, it remains one of the most rewarding and enjoyable periods of my career.
