SEATTLE—For Christine Schultz, marketing at a large commercial real estate services firm means communicating with a number of different constituencies at once. With Colliers International being in 67 countries and more than 500 offices worldwide, “My job is to ensure that our thought leadership and messaging are both globally present and locally relevant,” Schultz tells GlobeSt.com. The company has just announced Schultz's appointment as global chief marketing officer.

A 20-year veteran of marketing in both the business-to-business and business-to-consumer sectors, Schultz played a central role in overseeing the national rollout of Colliers International's renewed brand identity in April 2010. “Our people are the backbone of our business, and Christine has been instrumental to Colliers' success story since she joined the company,” says Doug Frye, global president and CEO. “She is a standout leader and exemplifies Colliers values and culture. Her role in marketing the Colliers brand has been and will continue to be an asset as we raise our visibility internationally and continue to offer the best client experience in the business.”

Adds Dylan Taylor, global COO, “Christine has a proven track record in delivering results. She brings a level of experience and enterprising actions that further strengthen the diverse perspectives of our executive leadership team.”

In simplest terms, Schultz says, “my job is to help clients and prospects understand what it's like to work with Colliers, and for those who are interested in joining the team, what it's like to be part of the Colliers family. The beauty of being in marketing is that you have an opportunity to address both audiences.”

The people at Colliers drive the messaging. “It's really two points,” says Schultz. “One is that we hire advisors who offer the best client experience, and the other is the cultural fit, which is a bit of a secret sauce. From a marketing perspective, it's interesting to observe how it's evolved over the past 20 years. Marketing used to be about spin. Now it's about transparency and sharing.”

She adds that “in that spirit, I have talked with both occupiers and owners to better understand what matters to them most. This feedback is really core in helping to form our content strategy.”

Further, she adds that she considers herself fortunate to be part of “a culture that embraces creativity and authenticity. So that helps to bridge the gap between the trends our advisors are seeing and what our clients need to set themselves apart in their own business initiatives. It's why I'm excited to be a part of marketing in commercial real estate.”

The planned spinoff of Colliers from its parent company, FirstService Corp., isn't likely to have an impact on that marketing. “From a global brand perspective, I don't anticipate any changes,” Schultz says. The announcement of the spinoff, she says, represents “a natural evolution of Colliers' history and the vision of Doug Frye. Moving ahead, we'll continue to provide insights for our clients and points of engagement.”

Instant Insights /

'Globally Present and Locally Relevant'

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