Rebranding 'is testament to how far we've come'
After spending 18 months working away in the background, non-bank lender Bluestone Home Loans has emerged with a new lick of paint, a laser-focused, customer-centric vision and a desire to make waves.
Bluestone, which dominated MPA’s 2024 Brokers on Non-Banks survey results, has refreshed its branding with the help of Houston Agency to reflect the customer-centric values the lender brings to the table.
It comes as Bluestone celebrates 25 years in business, during which the group has emerged as a dominant force in the non-bank lending scene.
“A brand isn't just a logo on a piece of paper,” said Bluestone chief executive Mark Jones (pictured left). “It's actually about how we respond to customers every day and how we service our brokers… I think people underestimate the importance of brand.”
“This is more than just a visual refresh – it’s a re-energised identity that reflects our sharpened focus on future success,” said Bluestone chief marketing officer Nicole Avery. “We’re incredibly proud to have closed out 2024 as one of the fastest-growing non-bank lenders, with a suite of awards to show for it.”
For Jones, the Bluestone brand is also about how “people want to borrow from people they can trust”.
“Our old values didn't really have the customer in the centre, so we really wanted to say, ‘We're here for our customers’, and to just get a new lease on life,” Jones said.
“Our refreshed identity is testament to how far we’ve come and signifies a promise to continue making home loans accessible for more borrowers.”
Brokers as brand ambassadors
For Bluestone, brokers play a massive part in instilling trust in the borrower.
“We do rely on brokers to represent our brand to a significant extent,” said Jones. He also noted that, as a 100% broker-focused lender, Bluestone is less present online compared to competitors with a direct channel, making it even more important for brokers to advocate for the brand.
In conjunction with the brand campaign, Bluestone intends to become a lot more visible, including having a greater presence in the magazines, in order to heighten people’s awareness of the group.
“It’s time to pop our heads above the parapet,” said Jones. “We want to invite people that don't know us, to use us.”
Sharing the love
“We’ve never been better than now and we want to share that success with our customers,” Jones told MPA.
Bluestone has put its money where its mouth is in this regard – In celebration of 25 years on the scene, Bluestone is offering a limited-time, broker-exclusive 0.25% interest rate discount on eligible loans.
The offer applies to all new, eligible applications lodged between Feb. 10 and Feb. 28, with settlement required within six months.
“Brokers are at the heart of what we do. This offer is a thank-you for their trust and collaboration, Bluestone’ chief commercial officer Tony MacRae (pictured, right) told MPA.
Strength of the brand
“We're proud of 25 years of providing solutions and choices to brokers and borrowers,” said MacRae.
The past 18 months “has been all about making us much simpler and much easier to deal with”, he said. This has necessitated improving the company’s systems, processes and credit policies, with the broker experience front and centre off all of these improvements.
MacRae cited consistency as an extremely high priority for brokers, as are simple things like having their phone calls answered and having someone to help and to guide them through the deal process.
“The brand refresh is all about reflecting on the past and showing that we've been around for a long time… We're not just the new kids on the block.”
It is also “a nod to the future”, MacRae added, as well as “showing the strength of the brand and of Bluestone and that we're absolutely committed to continuing to provide solutions and choice to brokers and borrowers”.
“For 25 years, Bluestone has helped Australians achieve their homeownership dreams, often when traditional pathways weren’t an option,” Jones said.
“Our refreshed identity is testament to how far we’ve come and signifies a promise to continue making home loans accessible for more borrowers.”
