Retail property expert interview: designing a retail brand across European markets

Babila director and retail property expert Matteo Casarini discusses evolving from a one-page website to a comprehensive brand platform serving luxury retail clients across London and Europe.

When you’re working directly with luxury retail brands, you’ve got to have innate style. That understanding of how to not only do your job but deliver the work in a style your client will instinctively understand and appreciate. The same is true of your own brand. When Matteo Casarini launched Babila, he understood that advising companies like Dolce & Gabbana, Loro Piana and Roberto Cavalli on their retail property strategies demanded his own corporate panache.

As a retail real estate consultancy, Matteo’s firm Babila needed nothing short of a brand that, like the classic fashion houses, could operate from London, Paris to New York.

We’ve been fortunate to work with Babila from their very first one-page website through to their just-completed recent comprehensive rebrand and expanded digital platform. As we were wrapping the project, Matteo was kind enough to answer some of my questions about his experience across different European markets. His answers offer insights that extend well beyond property, touching on cultural expectations, growth timing and the reality of building relationships with international luxury clients.

More than that, his reflections on this journey reveal someone who thinks strategically about brand evolution, whilst maintaining the authenticity that luxury clients innately crave.

When you started Babila, what was your bigger vision beyond the launch?

While a vision and mission were clear, my priority was first to understand how these could be built, structured, and delivered. This remains a work in progress, something that evolves step by step, yet today we are one step closer to achieving it.

I believe growth should be communicated in line with development. At the beginning, this was captured through a simple one-page website: a clear statement of Babila’s purpose. Now I feel it is the right moment to express where Babila truly stands by communicating this to the market and strengthening Babila’s brand.

How did clients react to the expanded brand?

Our clients have allowed Babila to grow and evolve. Through this journey, Babila’s branding has now taken shape. I am confident in a positive response, especially as stakeholders have witnessed the firm’s transformation from its inception to this new phase.

Has the new brand helped you win different types of deals… could you even guess at a numerical impact?

It may be too early to provide a definitive response given the nature of our business; however, I have no doubt that this new branding will strengthen confidence in the firm.

In property, how much does your brand presentation matter to clients?

Any brand presentation should be impeccable. Communication should be clear and intentional, today clarity and consistency are essential. The importance of branding largely depends on how a firm operates within the industry. In our case branding plays a significant role, but it is not the sole factor; it gains true meaning when combined with values, professionalism, and results.

As a retail property consultant working across European markets, what cultural differences have you noticed?

Certainly, each culture brings different expectations; however, as a service provider, there is a natural tendency to align and standardize branding.

What would you tell other property consultancy founders about brand planning?

Above all, it is important to have fun with it and to enjoy the process. What are you most proud of in Babila’s journey so far? I am excited that the work is far from done.

What impact did the team and I have on Babila and have you got any thoughts about the end result?

Richard Chapman Studio has played a crucial role in shaping Babila’s branding, from the very first one-page website to its current evolution. Their involvement from day one has been key, allowing them to gain a deep understanding of the brand’s direction.

While I had a vision of where I wanted to take Babila, it was Richard and his team that truly understood, interpreted, and transformed this vision into reality. Their support and advice have been invaluable throughout the journey.

Our take

Firstly thank you Matteo for your time talking with me. It’s been nothing short of a pleasure collaborating on the project and we’re all so proud of the end result.

I think Matteo reveals something fundamental about this sort of evolutionary branding: authenticity cannot be rushed, but when growth is ready, presentation must be impeccable. I thought his observation that “growth should be communicated in line with development” is particularly astute. It reflects his own journey as well as that of many of his clients.

Working with retail property experts like Matteo from his launch through to this comprehensive brand evolution has reinforced our understanding of how professional services brands can adapt as they grow. That’s particularly true for those that operate across European markets and need to set out both their depth of knowledge and authenticity.

Whether serving investment banks in the City of London or helping a client showcase their business to luxury retailers in Monte Carlo, the principles to achieve this remain consistent: clarity, sophistication and strategic timing.

More about the project

Our portfolio page about the Babila project

Visit the Babila website

More of our work with real estate firms

More of our work with financial services firms