
This repositioning and acquisition project echoes the tale of David and Goliath: giving the smaller player the tools to challenge the giant. But in communications, it’s not just about defining yourself in opposition to others. You also need to build a strong and authentic brand core.
Materre & Mollica is a family-run real estate agency that has operated in the heart of Paris’s Left Bank for over fifteen years. Known for its professionalism, the agency is now facing increased pressure from international groups with a more modern image, larger marketing budgets, and broader international clientele.
“Damien Materre came to us with a clear acquisition need. After our first discussions, we quickly agreed that it was essential to revisit the agency’s positioning and modernize its identity—otherwise, any acquisition strategy would fall short.”
Riad, Digital Growth & Acquisition, 148 Collective Agency
Following our positioning workshop, Materre & Mollica hesitated between two strategic paths: one emphasizing their familial nature and strong local ties (a shared love for the neighborhood, a common cultural affinity, an appreciation for beautiful spaces), and another focused on a tailor-made approach enabled by deep market expertise and a keen understanding of the often international clientele looking to invest in the Latin Quarter.
At the agency, we believed “the heart-led” angle was compelling—it reflected the spirit we had observed throughout our collaboration. But for the founders, it felt a bit too sentimental. Fair enough—the other option was adopted and enriched, culminating in a purpose statement centered on success: “Ensuring the success of your dream real estate project in the 6th arrondissement.”
The manifesto now highlights personalized support as a core value.
Before the redesign, Materre & Mollica’s identity was fairly basic: a serif logo in dark blue. They had professional photos of the neighborhood, their team, and their office—but while high quality, the visuals lacked a personal touch.
Camille, our Art Director on this project, began her research and was naturally drawn to the motif of the door. Isn’t a real estate agency the very symbol of closing one door (a sale) and opening another (a purchase)? A place full of opportunities, projects, and discoveries waiting just behind a door?
“At the agency, we quickly saw the narrative potential of the door. My role was to make it unique by incorporating the ‘M’ of Materre and Mollica and evoking the spirit of the 6th arrondissement with an elegant porte cochère.”
— Camille, Art Director, 148 Collective Agency
We kept the blue color but expanded the visual identity in anticipation of an upcoming printed brochure and website redesign.
On the editorial side, Vidya took charge of the brochure copy and refreshed the website texts based on a new sitemap developed by Riad and Marion. The goal: to create content that reflects the new positioning and supports marketing efforts.
Everything had to be coherent, so Vidya also developed an editorial charter to help Materre & Mollica’s team communicate with consistency and autonomy going forward.
To wrap up, Riad conducted an audit of the tools already in use at Materre & Mollica, analyzing strengths and weaknesses to recommend improvements. His strategy focused on several key areas:
This first phase—defining a strategic foundation—is critical. From here, the story continues in the execution phase, which can be led by Materre & Mollica, by the agency, or as a collaborative effort. That’s the core role of our agency—and one we hold dear: guiding our clients through every stage of their growth journey.
The Collective Agency brings together many talents that can respond to strategic and/or operational communication projects, targeted or multi-channel, short and long term. Feel free to make an appointment with us to discuss and receive a quote for your project!
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