Fractional real estate investment platform Shojin tackles the barriers of mainstream investing with a clear differentiating offer and brand reboot.

Founded in 2009, Shojin enables global investors to build their wealth from UK-based real estate investment opportunities. Shojin is different, offering higher returns via its unique co-investment model, and unlike other companies it allows investment opportunities for investors with as little as £5000–opening the world of real estate investment to be more fair, transparent, and accessible.

Shared opportunity investing

While offering a truly different product, Shojin was not achieving standout among the similar competitive products. Therefore, on a mission to be the #1 global marketplace for fractional real estate investing, Shojin asked Design by Structure to:
1.     elevate the Shojin brand (including its narrative and visual expression).
2.     differentiate its offer.
3.    align and reach its target audience
(investors looking for access to investment opportunities with higher returns).

Research revealed that Shojin operates in a market perceived as inaccessible for those with less investable capital, in addition to a negative narrative around the return’s investors receive.

The strategy focuses on the brand’s differentiating offer–Shojin invests alongside retail investors without charging management fees, and retail investors get paid out first–these investments generate superior returns and minimise investment risk. This approach led to the value proposition– ‘Shared opportunities, exceptional outcomes’.

The brand concept realises the strategy through the idea of ‘next level investing’. This is applied to all  areas of differentiation, e.g., next level returns, next level insight, next level investing. The design work brings this to life through elevated typography (with angled cuts within the letter forms), and the visual system is cloud inspired, so everything is always 'above the clouds', suggesting Shojin’s next level approach.

Speaking about the new brand work, Shojin co-founder and CEO Jatin Ondhia said, “Investing in real estate has always been an effective way to achieve portfolio diversity and build wealth, but the truth is that too many barriers exist for many people hoping to invest in this asset class. We offer a truly superior product and experience but are competing in a crowded market with little standardisation of terminology. We had to create standout to align to our target audience and engage new audiences looking for investment opportunities with higher returns. We approached Design by Structure, who are experienced with these types of communications and creative problems, to deliver an elevated and concise brand that creates meaningful standout in the marketplace, and that sets Shojin up for the future and our ambition to be #No1 globally.”